Politicians of all faiths – but especially Catholics – love to meet the Pope. They think photos with the Holy Father provide a mantel of morality to their public services. Of course, that is blatantly political BS.
It is all about optics – not issues or policies. They are not there to negotiate with His Holiness over the Pope’s anti-American immigration statements … homelessness … wars … or (Heaven forbid) abortion. Nope! They are there for the photos and papal endorsements — something they can use in their campaign advertising.
Remember how President Biden traveled to Rome to meet Pope Francis? According to Biden, the Pope said the President was a “good Catholic.” Personally, I think that is malarky. True, Francis is more than a little weak on imposing the Church’s official opposition to abortion, but to actually call Biden a “good Catholic” would require his Holiness to … well … lie.
Now it is the Catholic governor of California Gavin Newsom who traveled to Rome to appear at a climate change confab and to kiss Francis’ … ah … ring. The outspoken advocate of abortion on demand was invited by Francis to speak at a Vatican conference. The takeaway for Newsom is papal praise for suspending the death penalty in the Golden State … mishandling a homeless crisis … supporting open borders … and embracing the radical left’s policies on climate change. Newsom also used the occasion to take political campaign shots at Trump.
As with Biden, there was no reported discussion between Newsom and Francis on one of the hottest issues this American campaign season — abortion. Nothing. It appears Francis again avoided the troublesome topic altogether. But that is how the Peronist Pope deals with issues. They are informed more by his left-wing politics than his Catholic morality and his duty as the “keeper of the faith.”
It is no wonder that Francis is the darling of the radical left – which usually despises the Vicar of Rome. But that was when the Pope actually stood up for Catholic doctrine and morality – and was a friend of democratic institutions and an opponent of the godless authoritarians. But this Pope, however, is the left’s go-to guy.
While the Pope does not uphold the Church’s position on abortion, he is not hesitant to inject himself into American domestic politics if it comports with his radical left-wing views. In a recent and rare sit-down interview with CNN, Francis condemned efforts to secure the American border. He is one of the world’s leading advocates of open borders.
Francis is at odds with much of the Catholic hierarchy on abortion – cardinals and theologians. They have called out Catholic politicians who support abortion-on-demand – and demanded that Biden be barred from the sacrament of Communion. No President has fought for unfettered abortions more than Biden – but he is a “good Catholic” in the words of the Pope — alleged words.
Several cardinals recently blasted Biden for making “the sign of the cross” at an abortion rally – describing it as “blasphemy.” Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Springfield, Illinois diocese says Biden’s sign-of-the-cross at the pro-abortion campaign event made “a mockery of our Catholic faith.”
I do not expect American Catholic politicians to take orders from the Pope. I personally disagree with a lot of Catholic theology – and did so even when I was a Catholic. After disagreeing on all-male clergy, gay rights, contraception, and a bunch of other activities judged sinful by the Church, I politely withdrew.
My issue with Biden and Newsom — atop my disagreement on abortion — is their hypocrisy. Playing up their Catholicism as a badge of morality while violating one of the core moralities of that Church is … hypocrisy. My issue with Pope Francis is that he engages in his own hypocrisy by offering his blessing and imprimatur to left-wing politicians like Biden and Newsom even as they reject the Church’s moral requirements. Francis proves himself to be more of a member of a global political establishment than a defender of the faith over which he presides.
And as far as those photos are concerned, they should be viewed as nothing more than celebrity tourism pics for the family album. That should not be seen as political canonization.
So, there ‘tis.