Rereading Francis....we just don't read the same thing.

Tim who is a great commenter and a fan of Pope Francis directed me to a blog post from a site called "Ethika Politika" which I had not heard of before. In this post the author makes light of those Catholics like me who have their doubts about this Pope and his penchant for proclamations and interviews that have to be reinterpreted because the media always twists and changes his plain meaning.

Here is the meat of her post:

"One line used to criticize Francis, which I saw in emails as soon as the subject of the encyclical was announced, has been to lament his failing to write on the persecution of Christians. “While the Holy Father has spoken eloquently about the present genocide of Christians in the Middle East,” writes Fr. George Rutler in his inevitably elegant way, “those who calculate priorities would have hoped for an encyclical about this fierce persecution, surpassing that of the emperor Decius. Pictures of martyrs being beheaded, gingerly filed away by the media, give the impression that their last concern on earth was not climate fluctuations.”

I normally read Fr. Rutler with pleasure, but this, I’m afraid, is a cheap shot. None of us, should we be blessed to be awake as we’re dying, will be thinking about the weather, but those we love and leave behind will care about it a great deal—especially if it gets worse, as the majority of scientists seem to say."

Talk about dismissing a legitimate issue. Climate change might be a very important issue. Or it might not. Scientists differ. Some want to blame everything on the free enterprise system that is the best thing that ever happened to the poor that should be the concern of the Holy Father. It is the surplus that our Western Industrialized society provides that serves to succor the poor and impoverished of the world. Not the failed socialist states like Cuba that seem to be the apple of the Pontiff's eyes.

Be that as it may I would think that the persecution of Christians and others by forces of Muslim extremism should be the focus of the Pope and all the resources of moral suasion he can wield. He must beat the drum each and every day and put pressure on Catholic politicians and people in power to do something to intervene and protect the innocent. You can't tell me that if he was on TV every day he would not marshal world opinion in some way. These are murders and persecutions not seen since the days of the Romans for crying out loud! How is this not the focus of the Church and it's leaders. Each and every day. Nonstop. Pushing and pushing until something is done to stop this genocide against Christians and other non Muslims. Why do people who are apologists for the Pope just shrug and say it is a "cheap shot" to mention this? Would it have been a cheap shot to call out Pope Pius for being silent about the fate of the Jews during World War 2?  Is the Pope immune to criticism and doubt? Should we just shut up and put our money in the collection basket so they can build a bigger cathedral?

It comes down to reading the Pope and listening to what he says. And what he doesn't say. Where he chooses to put his emphasis. His teaching. His moral suasion. He seems to want to talk about climate change and green house gases and curtailing industrialization and prosperity and the free  enterprise system. Instead of Christians who are being beheaded or made into sex slaves or throw off a boat on the way to Italy. I don't think you have to reread him. It is becoming pretty clear where his priorities lie.

I always aced the reading comprehension test.