A couple of years ago, Pope Francis said something to the effect that Catholics shouldn’t be obsessed with abortion and homosexuality. Nobody really knows exactly what he meant, but the most reasonable interpretation was a pretty simple one: pursue your pro-life or pro-marriage advocacy along with, not to the exclusion of, caring for the poor, the sick, etc.
Fair enough. Good advice.
Of course, Catholics on the Left tried to spin it completely differently. They tried to argue, hilariously, that Pope Francis doesn’t really think abortion and same-sex marriage are that big a deal. Much to their embarrassment, Pope Francis has several times since then voiced his opinion that yes, abortion and same-sex marriage are a big deal, and that he feels strongly about both of them. One could say very strongly.
This of course dashed the hopes of the Catholeftists, who had hoped they finally had a pope who was secretly pro-choice like they are. What? How dare you! Slander! Calumny! We aren’t pro-choice! We may get our ideas of social justice from Sandinista propaganda leaflets left over from 1983, but we are just as pro-life as any other good Catholic!
Sure, right up to the point where it conflicts with your blind, rabid, lock-step support for the Democratic Party.
Well as it turns out, the Pope turning out to be Catholic may have been a smattering of drizzle on the progressive parade, but it didn’t stop them from continuing to attack pro-life and pro-marriage bishops in America. Since they had already styled themselves “Pope Francis Catholics” and it wouldn’t do to go after their own mascot (and that’s really all he ever has been to them – useful only as a caricature on whom they could project their own ideologies), they instead became relentless in their campaign against bishops who defend the teaching of the Church.
For some of the more vicious Catholic commentators who do their scribbling from left field, it has become a favorite pastime to sneer at orthodox bishops who publicly defend life and marriage. These outspoken prelates who do their job and teach the Faith are derided as “partisan,” or as “culture warriors,” who are stepping outside their proper role as…dialoguers or something?…I don’t know, that’s never really made clear.
But of course it’s all just a disingenuous smear. Because wonder of wonders, only when a particular teaching of the Church contradicts the Democratic Party platform do these hacks seem to get upset over a bishop speaking about it publicly. They never seem to mind when a bishop speaks out about poverty, or immigration, or health care. No accusations of partisanship there. No labeling anybody a culture warrior. Funny that.
But not that funny.
Because the sad, glaring truth is that these fools are just that – wretched jesters in the court of their master, the Party of Death, to whom they are utterly beholden.
And one of the most popular, and outright dishonest, attacks employed by liberal Catholics against good bishops is to accuse them of somehow betraying Pope Francis, who, they would have us believe, strongly disapproves of bishops who speak out against abortion and same-sex marriage.
Because, you know, we aren’t supposed to be obsessed with such things.
Well, oops. Looks like the pontifical rain on the circular liberal parade (it only makes left turns) just became a downpour.
On Sunday, during his weekly blessing, Pope Francis specifically mentioned the current fight over same-sex marriage in Mexico, and gave his full support to Mexican bishops and citizens who are marching to protest the legalization of same-sex marriage.
From the Catholic Herald:
The Pontiff said he willingly joined their protest “in favor of family and life, which in these times require special pastoral and cultural attention around the world.”
Pastoral and cultural attention? To family and life? From bishops? And the rest of us?
Great, not only is Pope Francis a culture warrior, but he wants the rest of us to be also.
It’s like he’s obsessed or something.
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