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.
I link those two ideologies together, woman’s ordination and LGBTQ+++, because these are interrelated and connected and are promoted to bring about the collapse of the Church’s use of natural law and the anthropological roots of our sacramental system, quite pernicious to say the least.
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.
17 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.
Does the Pope teach about Islam with authority?
Baroin and Dolan were not merely "engaged" with Trump. "On the Wednesday of Holy Week — Bishop Barron was at the White House, seated among administration loyalists at what was billed as an Easter prayer luncheon. The Trump team accidentally broadcast the event to the public, and what the video captured over 64 minutes will follow the Bishop for the rest of his episcopate. 
Let us be precise, because precision matters when a bishop’s integrity is at stake.
The president opened with approximately 45 minutes of political commentary before a single prayer was offered — attacking Democratic judges, mocking allied heads of state by name, and urging his audience of clergy to mobilize for the 2026 midterms.  Bishop Barron is the shepherd of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota. The president attacked Representative Ilhan Omar by name and denounced the governor and attorney general of Minnesota as “crooked” and “stupid.” The Bishop sat through every word and said nothing. 
Then came what can only be described as a theological catastrophe. Paula White-Cain told Trump directly: “No one has paid the price like you have paid the price. You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us. Because of His resurrection, you rose up.”  These are not merely imprecise words. They are a Christological inversion — a blasphemous conflation of the passion of the Son of God with the political travails of an elected official. Bishop Barron stood on the stage. He said nothing. He then rose and offered his blessing.
I am not naive about the long tradition of Catholic bishops engaging the political order. The critical distinction is always this: does the Church speak to Caesar, or does it speak for Caesar? Does the bishop bring the Gospel into the hall of power, or does he lend the hall of power the legitimacy of the Gospel?
What the leaked video reveals is that there is not a scintilla of prophetic tension in Bishop Barron’s engagement with this administration."
Quite frankly, I'm annoyed with both President Trump and His Holiness. Trump was characteristically disrespectful and His Holiness has not been fair in his one sided criticism. And His Holiness is either hopelessly naive in his further comments regarding the Muslim invasion of Europe...'can't we all just get along?' or he is beyond ignorant of reality having spent too long in South America. Francis 2.0 is on full display here; open borders, more or less, socialism, liberation theology, etc. It's all there if one looks with open eyes.
Previous quotation is from Msgr. Arthur Holquin
Amen! The “Papal Posse” - Fr. Gerald Murray, Canon Lawyer, Robert Royal, Editor in Chief of theCatholicthing.org and Raymond Arroyo gives an excellent analysis of this “the most sustained public clash between a sitting American President and a reigning Pontiff”!
First 30 mins.
https://youtu.be/f19bSzM5Uj0
Father Kavanaugh:
I did see the remarks from Paula White-Cain and Bishop Barron's prayer shortly after the event. Prompted by your post, I have now watched the entire event. For those who want to do the same, here is the YouTube link [you will need to rewind it back to the beginning; for some reason it starts in the middle]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds_cXiFVJNs
Readers may want to play a game: How many lies can you spot in Trump’s remarks? Tip: Do some fact checking while you watch. Despite these gross violations of the Eighth Commandment, not to mention multiple sins against charity, all these faith leaders nevertheless anoint President Trump as God’s appointed and favored leader. Can it be a coincidence that the event occurred on April 1? Or, more seriously, that Trump only a few days later shares an AI image of himself as Jesus Christ?
Mark J.
As the “nones” grow, and they are many, they latch onto something to fill the void of true faith and morals. For the fanatics of politics, it is politics and the “moral” positions they hold and promote. For Democrats, it’s all about abortion, euthanasia and the Orwellian “gender affirmation care.” All of these are presented as health care and thus moral goodness, not the offense to God that these are. Prayer at abortion clinics for those who have and offer abortions is see as good. For MAGAs, a hawkishness that goes beyond war mongering occurs and the video indicates the hawkish language of the president and others of his moral ilk. But it isn’t true religion “moral ilk” but that of this particular expression of the Republican Party. What is worse, is the elevation of the leader to a cult status equivalent to the true worship that must be offered to God alone. True religion challenges both Democrats and Republicans/MAGAs, thus these parties manipulate religion for political purposes. MAGA has nothing on Democrats except MAGA’s language is more hawkish (uncharitable) and a bit more honest about the cult leader. This is what Pope Leo said in Africa and it applies here too: This calls us to foster inculturation of the Gospel. It also calls us to be vigilant, even regarding our own religious practices, so as not to fall into the trap of mixing the Catholic faith with other beliefs and traditions of an esoteric or Gnostic nature, which in reality often serve political and economic ends. Only God sets us free; only his word opens paths to freedom; only his Spirit makes us new people capable of changing this country.
Post a Comment