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Pope will dine with homeless, not politicians after addressing Congress

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D

Dalek

Member
Pope will dine with homeless, not politicians after addressing Congress

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- America may be in for some tough love from the Pope.

After a lifetime of watching the world's most affluent and powerful nation from afar, Pope Francis walked on U.S. soil for the first time Tuesday, at the age of 78, when he arrived in Washington from Cuba.

He's assured of a warm welcome from millions of U.S. Catholics, and his poll numbers -- which would be the envy of any politician -- suggest that curious adherents of other faiths and even the nondevout are also eagerly awaiting his visit.

But the first Latin American pope's blessings on America could also contain uncomfortable challenges as he addresses a country that encapsulates many of the ills he has denounced as the head of one of the world's largest religions. Though there are aspects of American life that Francis embraces, he has quickly become known for blunt critiques of contemporary society and global economics, and his criticism -- from capitalism to climate change to technology -- spans the political spectrum.

"Pope Francis is the ultimate Washington outsider. His priorities are not Washington's priorities," said John Carr, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University. "We think we are the center of the world. We are not the center of Pope Francis' world. He is frankly more comfortable in the slums of Argentina than in the corridors of power."

From the flurry of encyclicals, writings and other commentary that Francis has issued since his election two years ago, the United States, home to the world's mightiest market economy, a ravenous consumer culture and nurturer of the World Wide Web, appears to represent much of what he abhors.

The Pope's political challenge

That's why Francis faces a delicate political assignment as he meets President Barack Obama and addresses Congress, in addition to holding masses and other public events in Washington, Philadelphia and New York this week.

Francis is stepping into an intense domestic debate on issues close to his heart, including income inequality, climate change, abortion, the definition of marriage, religious freedom and immigration. Rival politicians are sure to exploit his visit for their own purposes, and the messages he imparts could potentially reshape how those issues figure in the presidential campaign.

One reason he may have little to lose: Unlike the lawmakers whom he will stand before during the first-ever address to a joint meeting of Congress by a Pope, Francis is accountable only to his faith and the Gospel and so is unlikely to hold back for political reasons.

"He is coming to the richest country in the world. I believe he is going to challenge us to say with that comes great responsibility," said Rudy Lopez, executive director of Interfaith Worker Justice.

Many observers expect Francis to implicitly rebuke Republicans -- some of whom deny a link between human behavior and climate change, a topic which he addressed in an encyclical in June -- for their reluctance to tackle global warming. The Pope may also wade into the raging debate about immigration in the United States, after warning earlier this year that nations that close the door on migrants should seek God's forgiveness.

But he's going to be an "equal opportunity disturber," said Rev. James Martin S.J., editor at large for America magazine, the journal of U.S. Jesuits.

Differences with Democrats

Democrats could find themselves criticized for support of abortion and same-sex marriage, policies that conflict with the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

And the gesture Francis will make by going directly to lunch with homeless people rather than with his congressional hosts after his speech on Capitol Hill will resonate on both sides of the aisle.

"He is a walking, talking parable," said Carr. "This is a Pope who looks at the world from the bottom up and from the outside in. I think he brings to Congress and the White House a different perspective than they are used to hearing."

And that perspective could be galling for both parties.
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Now this is my kind of Pope.
 
B

brian577

Banned
Love the guy, but he's going to get himself killed. As much as I appreciate his more hands on approach, it's not appropriate for the world's most important religious leader.
 
P

Pryce

Member
He's a socialist!

Fox News was basically saying that yesterday about Francis, and how horrible he is because of it.
 
V

Veritigo_X

Member
brian577 said:
The last attempted assassination saw the need for better security, which this pope has abandoned.
Click to expand...

I thought he just got rid of the Popemobile. I doubt security was cut back much besides that. Plus the cities he is visiting will have their own security.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
Veritigo_X said:
Republicans must hate this guy. Can't wait for him to address congress.
Click to expand...

He has gotten push back from some evangelicals about his talk about the poor.

I mean, the founder of the faith, talked more about the poor and money than heaven or hell lol. What Bible are they reading?
 
W

WedgeX

Banned
brian577 said:
Love the guy, but he's going to get himself killed. As much as I appreciate his more hands on approach, it's not appropriate for the world's most important religious leader.
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By people who are homeless who were selected by Catholic Charities to meet the Pope?

Do you think people who are homeless are actually different than anyone else?
 
E

Enzom21

Member
He should invite some politicians to his lunch with the homeless. Maybe they wouldn't be such shitheads if they actually interacted with some homeless people... yeah right.
 
S

Sayter

Member
How dare he follow in the footsteps of my Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God for faux to tell me what Jesus would really do.
 
C

Cagey

Banned
A random person on CNN (on in the background) last night put it best: when a sitting Pope speaks on an issue and the politician agrees with the Pope, it's the Pope speaking from a well-spring of spirituality; when same Pope speaks and the politician disagrees, it's the Pope getting gritty and speaking on politics.

Meaning the former is objective truth from a higher calling, and the latter, well that's just some silly non-expert's opinion so who gives a fuck.
 
G

Grym

Member
Femmeworth said:
When's the last time a pope was assassinated?
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The last attempt: January 2015 maybe? The last serious remembered attempt though was John Paul II in 1981.

The last successful one? Gregory V in 999. Though there are conspiracy theories about far more recent pope's deaths such as John Paul I (1978) and Pius (1939)
 
V

Veritigo_X

Member
FlyinJ said:
That is putting it mildly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBNs_6_FXc4
Click to expand...

Wow, that's disgusting. I expect the right to get way more vocal over the next couple days.

Kanik said:
Yup, barricades and police all over Manhattan and he's not even here yet.
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He's making like 6 stops in Manhattan alone, from the 9/11 memorial to central park. It's going to be crazy over the next few days.

Iksenpets said:
I think at least one Republican is already boycotting his speech in Congress. It's nuts.
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Rep. Paul Gosar from Arizona. He calls himself a Catholic too.
"I don't need to be lectured by the Pope about climate change," Gosar said in an interview off the House floor. "When he wants to take a political position, I will tell you: He is free and clear to be criticized like the rest of us."
Click to expand...
 
B

brian577

Banned
Veritigo_X said:
I thought he just got rid of the Popemobile. I doubt security was cut back much besides that. Plus the cities he is visiting will have their own security.
Click to expand...

No amount security is going to help if he's walking into crowds, which he has a habit of doing without warning.
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
FlyinJ said:
That is putting it mildly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBNs_6_FXc4
Click to expand...
loooooool

eToRp0W.gif
 
L

linkboy

Member
FlyinJ said:
That is putting it mildly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBNs_6_FXc4
Click to expand...

Faux news (and the idiots in the Republican party, including my family) are seriously making me consider moving out of the US for good.

I'm sick and tired of everything, it's pushing me to my breaking point.

I've cut my family off because everything is so political with them that you can even hold a conversation (throw in the racist bullshit from my dad makes it worse).

Fuck that shit stain of a TV channel and everything it stands for.
 
Z

Ziltoidia 9

Member
The newest thing is to try and label as what he says to be political, not having to do with his religion. I'm like, then what IS religion if you can't talk about giving?

If that's the case, then all the churches that give money to charity in the US are being political?

Their asses tighten up anytime someone mentions the income gap between rich and poor, because they KNOW how fast it can take for them to end up like everyone else. And they KNOW there is no mobility anymore in our country to rise out of poverty.
 
F

fuzzyset

Member
WeAreStarStuff said:
Republicans are straight up losing their minds; it's amazing to witness.
Click to expand...

Are any of those talking heads Catholic? It's not that surprising, if they're Protestant, given the history of Catholic/Prot relations in America. Still sad though. If any of those people are practicing Catholics though, they're saying that God made a mistake in picking this man.
 
M

Mael

Member
It's incredible to behold the Pope is actually a catholic!
I'm speechless.
There is no sarcasm, I'm actually speechless.
fuzzyset said:
Are any of those talking heads Catholic? It's not that surprising, if they're Protestant, given the history of Catholic/Prot relations in America. Still sad though. If any of those people are practicing Catholics though, they're saying that God made a mistake in picking this man.
Click to expand...

If they have a disagreement on what the Pope is saying as far as poverty and spirituality they might as well ask to be excommunicated.
These people are CINO and dirtbags to boot.
 
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