The two greatest Commandments of Jesus Christ are complete love of God and love of neighbor. These two sum up the 10 Commandments. Only three are needed as it concerns loving God but 7 are needed as it concerns loving neighbor.
On blogs run by Catholics, be they clergy or laity, the love of neighbor, needing 7 Commandments, is often ignored. How many times do we see commenters and bloggers denigrating not just the positions of other commenters but then resorting to name-calling in the most sophomoric way. And what world leader is leading the way down this wide path to hell? President Donald J. Trump. He is the Trump of name-calling and denigrating those with whom he disagrees or who dare critique his policies and morals.
In the current and unprecedented brouhaha that is going on between the President of the USA and the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Catholics properly catechized and formed in the Faith and Morals of the Catholic Church know that they must be obedient to the pope when His Holiness teaches the Faith and Morals of the Church and even when His Holiness develops those morals described in high documents such as papal bulls and encyclicals. We must be obedient to canon laws, even those purely man-made, for the sake of order and stability in the Church.
Currently in the tensions between the pope and the president, are the moral teachings of the Church that affect not just the sexuality of individual people, but the politics of people and their affiliations. These teachings become specific in the areas of social justice, the distribution of wealth, just war, abortion, the death penalty and a whole lot more. Like the Church’s sexual morals, which touch a person’s personal sex life and challenges it in may cases, so too does the Church’s social teachings touch our politics in a very personal way challenging or confirming various aspects of our political positions and how these affect people, especially the poor, the innocent, the guilty and the unborn.
There is nothing Pope Leo has said or hasn’t said that should offend any Catholic. Even what a Pope might not say on the spot, popes have said it, as well as bishops in union with the pope and who the pope has appointed.
There is no defense for the manner in which the President of the USA and our Vice President have gone after Pope Leo for making them feel uncomfortable about their politics and how their positions are affecting the innocent and guilty, especially the wars being waged that have led to the slaughter of not just combatants and terrorists but thousands of innocent civilians—collateral damage.
Where I might offer respectful suggestions to Pope Leo and I did this in another post, is that His Holiness would be wise not to engage President Trump by name or inflame an easily inflamed President whose tweets and words are dangerously offensive to nations and institutions.
If Pope Leo is to bring unity to the Church and in specific countries, His Holiness would do well not to allow the divisions already existing within the bishops of the USA to be exacerbated. Three progressive Cardinals, Cupich, McElroy and Tobin should not be encouraged to sideline the USCCB and its president in order to promote themselves. These three are polarizing figures and do little to unite Catholics in these polarized political times in the Church. In addition to their politics, they have also proven themselves to be pushing the envelope toward heterodoxy in terms of women’s ordination and the embrace of LGBTQ+++ ideologies as promoted by Jesuit Father James Martin—coming as close as he can to heterodoxy in the manner in which he offers pastoral care to those who embrace that ideology.
That’s my 2 cents worth, or shall I say a nickel. Holy Father, don’t engage President Trump in a “tit for tat”! President Trump has no morals when it comes to treating his perceived opponents in a charitable way.
10 comments:
Father M, do you think it would be worthwhile to write to the Pope yourself? I see lots of commentary with varying amounts of merit and I wish that he would see some of it. I thought that since you do a lot of writing, you may have time, and he might be more likely to read something from a priest than from some random layman.
Just to add: I do think that someone should at least try to respectfully and accurately explain not only the political aspect but the ecclesiastical one, as he has put Cupich and Tobin (among other mostly liberal cardinals) in charge of vetting bishops. And while he meets with a lot of people, I suspect he may not hear from the other side that often. But not in a reactionary, harsh, or inaccurate manner. I think you. 'd be capable of it if you do it carefully. Just a suggestion!
Meanwhile, it is perfectly fine to call anyone a warmonger and MAGA puppet who is for taking nearly too long overdue direct action against a regime threatening and destabilizing the entire middle east and global energy supplies, and exporting terror worldwide.
I guess your suggestion is reasonable, but it's not really in line historically with what saintly bishops of Rome and other sees endured at the hands of temporal authorities for the sake of Christ.
Today, for example, we commemorate St Joseph the Hymnographer, who was imprisoned by the iconoclast authorities until the death of Emperor Leo the Armenian. He wasn't exactly one to roll over because his persecutors were mean.
In the modern age and immediate communication via social and other media, it might do well for the Pope to say what he says but without engaging Trump through medias. Face to face is better in that regard and perhaps behind closed doors just as long as the pope has the Swiss Guard to protect him from any black eyes. But we’re speaking about American politics and affiliations and that Catholics helped to get Trump elected twice. If the pope wants unity in the Church, at least in the USA, he might need to be a bit more diplomatic about the issues he rightly raises. I know many faulted Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Baron for engaging Trump on a more friendly basis—but isn’t that how doors of communication are kept open—friendly dialogue. So far Pope Leo hasn’t had that chance directly and in person with the president.
The main problem here is that Trump is a terrible person, which, from what I can tell, makes it essentially impossible to communicate with him.
I think it's good that Leo spoke out about this war. War is such a major issue that it doesn't seem prudent to "be more diplomatic" for the sake of unity, whatever that means in this instance.
In regard to his war against Iran:
I pray that President Trump secures a just peace — peace that benefits our country, Iran...the world. May President Trump's war against Iran end in peaceful fashion.
I pray that President Trump secures a just peace in regard to any war throughout the world which he intervenes as a peacemaker.
I pray that President Trump would at least act respectfully toward Pope Leo XIV — even should President Trump continue to disagree in various ways with His Holiness.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
February 18, 2016 A.D.
Then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump had been informed of certain comments that Pope Francis (requiescat in pace) had uttered supposedly against Mister Trump.
Later that night, via a CNN Town Hall Meeting, Donald Trump had noted that Pope Francis had been misrepresented.
Donald Trump: "And the Pope made the statement, and I think it was probably a little bit nicer statement than it was reported by you folks in the media, because after I read it, it was a little bit softer.
"No, I like him. I mean, I like him as a personality, I like what he represents and I certainly have great respect for the position."
From that night forward to Pope Francis having fallen asleep in the Lord, Donald Trump had spoken well of Pope Francis...he had treated Pope Francis respectfully.
Donald Trump had done so even though he rejected numerous Catholic teachings that Pope Francis had proclaimed.
Despite his continued rejection of various Catholic teachings, I pray that President Trump would at least interact with holy Pope Leo XIV in the respectful manner in which Mister Trump had interacted with Pope Francis.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Donald Trump's rhetoric is only slightly more injudicious and derisive than that of Jorge Bergoglio (of happy remembrance).
The meeting between Pope Leo and David Axelrod; plus his social media from before he was elected make it difficult for him to play the "I'm not political" card. He should stop engaging with the President because it will only fan the flames.
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