November 27, 2020, 10:48 am
Pope Francis is sometimes labeled as the “cool pope” because he has marginally more progressive views than any popes who have preceded him. He’s still the head of the Catholic Church, a notoriously conservative organization. When Amy Coney Barrett was placed on the Supreme Court much was made of her Catholicism and the possibility that she would make her decisions influenced by her religion. Well, it doesn’t seem like it.
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Pope Francis wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times about how limiting religious gatherings during coronavirus was the responsible and Godly thing to do.
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In the op-ed, Pope Francis condemned lockdown protesters:
“With some exceptions, governments have made great efforts to put the well-being of their people first, acting decisively to protect health and to save lives. The exceptions have been some governments that shrugged off the painful evidence of mounting deaths, with inevitable, grievous consequences. But most governments acted responsibly, imposing strict measures to contain the outbreak.
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Yet some groups protested, refusing to keep their distance, marching against travel restrictions — as if measures that governments must impose for the good of their people constitute some kind of political assault on autonomy or personal freedom!”
Not long before, the Supreme Court, including new fervently Catholic Justice Amy Coney Barrett, voted against restrictions at religious gatherings. Why would she do such a thing?
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Well, because many religious organizations, especially in the U.S., seem more attached to the politicization of religion than its actual teachings. Just check out this tweet from Robby Starbuck that quickly got dragged:
“I was raised Catholic and 96% of the Catholics I know can’t stand the Pope,” Starbuck wrote. “He despises individual freedom. He’s a socialist who believes in doing things for the ‘greater good’ (who decides that?). His stance against freedom means he hates the foundational value of America.”
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Well, he’s not American and according to the rules of Catholicism, THE POPE decides the greater good (along with, you know, his boss). A lot of people quickly pointed out that rejecting the Pope’s authority is the basis of Protestantism, not Catholicism. So, maybe Starbuck needs to look for another church:
It’s pretty funny that the Catholic Church had massive pedophilia coverups, backed and promoted fascist govts, helped the Nazis, etc. And what makes them mad is the Pope saying something mildly progressive.
— Brian
(@Lefty_Jew) November 27, 2020
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The Pope and Jesus are not supposed to be agents for the Murdochs and Fox News, nor are they interested in the toxic individualism of the U.S. that has people refusing to wear masks.
Or in the words of Pope Francis, “It is all too easy for some to take an idea — in this case, for example, personal freedom — and turn it into an ideology, creating a prism through which they judge everything.”
*First Published: November 27, 2020, 10:48 am
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