The prophetically important visit by the pope is ongoing now. America is gushing over him. If the pope had attempted to come to 230 years ago, no doubt he would have been sent to prison for being the instigator of the worst crimes to humanity and enemy of freedom everywhere.
How things have changed! It seems that the whole world is wondering after this man.
Here are some quotes from his address to Congress which seemed especially interesting, followed by some comments of mine. ===========================
I too am a son of this great continent,
We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms. But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners. The contemporary world, with its open wounds which affect so many of our brothers and sisters, demands that we confront every form of polarization which would divide it into these two camps.
new forms of social consensus.
Politics is, instead, an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: that of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life.
We, the people of this continent,
On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children?
'This Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves.
The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.
'This conviction has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to advocate at different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty
'In Laudato Si', I call for a courageous and responsible effort to "redirect our steps" (ibid., 61), and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity.
Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. ===================
---The pope holds up Dorothy Day as a great example. Here is a quote of hers: " "I was only eighteen, so I wavered between my allegiance to Socialism, Syndicalism (the Industrial Workers of the World - a radical labor union) and Anarchism. When I read Tolstoy I was an Anarchist. My allegiance to The Call kept me a Socialist, although a left-wing one, and my Americanism inclined me to the I.W.W. movement.""
---The pope also holds up Thomas Merton as a great example. Thomas Merton studied Eastern religions extensively, and is known as an important "mystic".
---The pope basically praises President Obama for opening up to Cuba. He also tries to make it that he himself is a citizen of North America, when he is not. That is very strange, and the only reason I can think he is doing that, is that he is trying to make it look like since no one is making him go back to his home country, Americans should open their borders and allow all other citizens of countries in the western hemisphere to come and live in America.
---Of course the pope has many good things to say too - he is against arms sales, he supports those in the womb, he calls for justice, mercy, etc. But overall, his call is for the end of capitalism, and a new world order where everyone is on exactly the same level, without borders, and definitely without "religious fundamentalists". The "no buy or sell" prophecy is looking a bit different to me now.....
Let's be among the 144,000 fundamentalists who "keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus".
The prophetically important visit by the pope is ongoing now. America is gushing over him. If the pope had attempted to come to 230 years ago, no doubt he would have been sent to prison for being the instigator of the worst crimes to humanity and enemy of freedom everywhere.
How things have changed! It seems that the whole world is wondering after this man.
Here are some quotes from his address to Congress which seemed especially interesting, followed by some comments of mine. ===========================
I too am a son of this great continent,
We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms. But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners. The contemporary world, with its open wounds which affect so many of our brothers and sisters, demands that we confront every form of polarization which would divide it into these two camps.
new forms of social consensus.
Politics is, instead, an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: that of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life.
We, the people of this continent,
On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children?
'This Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves.
The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.
'This conviction has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to advocate at different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty
'In Laudato Si', I call for a courageous and responsible effort to "redirect our steps" (ibid., 61), and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity.
Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. ===================
---The pope holds up Dorothy Day as a great example. Here is a quote of hers: " "I was only eighteen, so I wavered between my allegiance to Socialism, Syndicalism (the Industrial Workers of the World - a radical labor union) and Anarchism. When I read Tolstoy I was an Anarchist. My allegiance to The Call kept me a Socialist, although a left-wing one, and my Americanism inclined me to the I.W.W. movement.""
---The pope also holds up Thomas Merton as a great example. Thomas Merton studied Eastern religions extensively, and is known as an important "mystic".
---The pope basically praises President Obama for opening up to Cuba. He also tries to make it that he himself is a citizen of North America, when he is not. That is very strange, and the only reason I can think he is doing that, is that he is trying to make it look like since no one is making him go back to his home country, Americans should open their borders and allow all other citizens of countries in the western hemisphere to come and live in America.
---Of course the pope has many good things to say too - he is against arms sales, he supports those in the womb, he calls for justice, mercy, etc. But overall, his call is for the end of capitalism, and a new world order where everyone is on exactly the same level, without borders, and definitely without "religious fundamentalists". The "no buy or sell" prophecy is looking a bit different to me now.....
Let's be among the 144,000 fundamentalists who "keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus".
