What's the Pope Really Up To?

Pope Francis’ visit to Cuba and America has dominated the news for the past couple weeks.  Everywhere he went he was cheered by tens of thousands of admirers.  People from both ends of the political spectrum have welcomed his message of peace, love, and hope.  The secular media has been almost giddy about things said by Pope Francis.  One ABC national news correspondent described Francis as “the first Progressive, Liberal pope, who is finally modernizing the Church”.  Similarly, Bernie Sanders described the pope as a “very progressive”, citing his remarks about climate change and immigration.  Hilary Clinton and President Obama agreed with the pope’s “liberal views” on Cuba, the Iran agreement, and climate change.  Republican leaders cited the pope’s conservative views on marriage and family, but cringed at his comments about global climate change and his opposition to the death penalty.  For the most part, unless you took the time to read the full text of his remarks to congress and the U.N., this would be the impression you got from the media coverage, and if you are a devout Catholic (not a Nancy Peolsi-Catholic) you might be wondering, “What is Pope Francis up to?”

The impressions cited above are all based on political views.  There is a tendency to interpret the pope’s words and actions as if he too were a politician, advocating specific political strategy, and promoting an agenda in which one side is right, and opposing views are wrong.  The problem with this interpretation is that the pope does not take political views, but rather speaks what he believes to be the Truth about the human condition, and the problems faced by society.  He favors neither liberal nor conservative views, and he has not yet changed any of the Catholic Church’s long standing teaching about the basics of our faith with regard to the dignity and sanctity of every human life, marriage, family or the priesthood.  What the pope IS advocating, is a way of life, rooted in authentic Christian faith as taught by Jesus Himself to his apostles and disciples, and handed down through the centuries to the successors of these same apostles.  Unlike politicians, who are polarized to the point of hatred for their opposition, Pope Francis enters into the fray without condemnation of those who might disagree with him.  He speaks openly and clearly about the issues of the day, ranging from climate change and immigration to marriage and family.  Because he has engaged in the hot button issues of the day, people look for specific words or phrases uttered by the pope to cite the fact that he agrees with them on a particular point, but then overlook the full context of his remarks, and choose to ignore whatever they disagree with.   The pope’s actions, such as riding in a small car, also reflect the way of life he espouses.  For example, immediately following his visit to the White House, Pope Francis visited the Little Sisters of the Poor whose religious freedom is under attack by the Obama administration; and after his UN speech to the most powerful political leaders in the world, he visited the poor in New York City. 

Here are some of the quotes you did not hear from the media coverage of the pope’s visit to Congress. After citing the important accomplishments of famous Americans, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton, the pope said, “It is important today that the voice of faith continue to be heard, for it is the voice of fraternity and love.” Remember, it was religious groups whose voice was heard clearly after the Dredd Scott decision, igniting the Civil War and the end of slavery; and the religious views of MLK that led to the success of the Civil Rights movement.  In contrast, at the White House the day before, President Obama boasted about religious freedom in America, which he described as the “freedom to worship,” but denying the rightful place of religious views in public dialogue or in action.  Knowing that the president and Congress overturned the Defense of Marriage Act, and the Supreme Court has redefined marriage, the pope said this: “How essential the family has been to the building of this country, and how worthy it remains of our support and encouragement.  Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family which is so threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without.  Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family.  I can only reiterate the importance and above all the richness and beauty of family life.”  He was referring of course to the traditional definition of family: father, mother, and children. 

These points were made even more clear in the pope’s remarks to the UN.  Referring to his encyclical on the environment, Pope Francis said, “We Christians believe that the universe is the fruit of a loving decision by the Creator, who permits man respectfully to use creation for the good of his fellow men.  Our world demands of government leaders, concrete steps  and immediate measures for putting an end to human trafficking, the marketing of human organs, sexual exploitation of boys and girls, slave trade, including prostitution, drug and weapons trade, terrorism and international organized crime.   This presupposes and requires the right to education, ensured first and foremost by respecting the primary right of the family to educate its children as well as the right of churches and social groups to support and assist families in educating children.”  Here the Pope was referring to a UN resolution passed just a few weeks before his visit. The resolution, called The 2030 Agenda, cites the importance of the right of parents to be the primary teachers of their children.  However, the USA and several Western European nations voted against the resolution, which passed only because Moslem, African, and Eastern European countries had enough votes to get it passed. 

Addressing the issues of marriage and family again, he said, “Man does not create himself.  He is spirit and will, but also nature.  The misuse of human beings begins when we no longer recognize any authority above ourselves.  Creation is compromised where we ourselves have the final word.  Consequently, the defense of the environment demands that we recognize a moral law written into human nature itself, one which includes the natural difference between man and woman, and absolute respect for life in all stages and dimensions.  Without the recognition of certain uncontestable natural ethical limits, the idea of saving succeeding generation becomes an unattainable illusion, or worse, idle chatter which serves as a cover for all kinds of abuse and corruption, or for carrying out an ideological colonization by imposition of anomalous models and lifestyles which are alien to people’s identity.”    In other words, unless we face the Truth that God made men and women different and complementary, we risk the degradation of human dignity and further undermine the safety and security of future generations.  The pope’s words should serve as a warning against the ideological war being waged against Christianity.  Sadly, people deeply immersed in their own political agendas are likely to overlook this stern warning, much like the so-called “cafeteria Catholics” pick and choose which of the Church’s teachings to ignore.

C.S. Lewis once said, “The important thing about religion is not whether or not it makes you feel good, but whether or not it is True.”  In my view, much of the progressive, liberal agenda is aimed at wanting to feel good.  Liberals feel good about assisting the poor, offering legal status to illegal immigrants, along with welfare benefits, free health care, free education, free food, easy credit for student loans, and legitimizing gay marriage.  But the truth is, these programs often do more harm than good by creating a welfare trap and running up unsustainable debt.  They undermine marriage and deny children their natural right to be raised by both father and mother.   One of the reasons people love the pope is that he exemplifies a way of life that is authentically Christian.  By his words and actions, he demonstrates compassion, love, and forgiveness which is very attractive, as should be the witness of every authentic Christian.  He also speaks the Truth about our human and spiritual nature, the importance of religious freedom, and the essential nature of marriage and family.   By engaging wholeheartedly in the hot-button issues of the age, hopefully his full message about these natural and moral truths will be heard by more people, and perhaps even acted on by our governments.