Discussion for article #231406
I’m starting to like this guy.
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" Oh look , a loose thread , let’s see where this goes to … " .
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I’ve seen a number of people refer to him as the “PR Pope,” and not in a positive light. However, it occurs to me that Francis knows how to use the PR to best effect, and not just as window-dressing.
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So add the Curia to the Mafia, the Miami patrones, the American Catholic plutocrats, and Ross Douthat–clearly the Pope has no illusions of immortality. They’re probably all shaking their heads in disbelief: “He actually believes this crap?”
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“Merry Fricken’ Christmas to all you fakers and crooked bastards.” Wow, what a sermon.
The Church must be in far worse shape than even Francis thought it might. One year in as pope and he’s still disgusted with the filth that he’s still having to wash out of the Vatican. How corrupt could it and the Christian Wrong be? Just ask the guy that God sent to clean it up.
Religion used to be about the joy of finding one’s way again. Now sin has become institutionalized inside with everything being about greed and using unlimited power to make the lives of the helpless a *ell on earth. Jesus was supposed to be our Savior. Instead we’ve ended up commercializing Him for the most perverted personal reasons and convenient political ones.
Let’s hope God sends one such as Francis to clean up Islam as well. The world longs for the joy that only comes from peace and prosperity for all. Thy Will will be done…eventually. Let there be Light…again. That is my Christmas prayer. Let that little Light shine.
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He doesn’t seem to care. He’s on a mission from God. Who ever thought the Blues Brothers had it so right?
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the “ailment of feeling immortal, immune or even indispensable.”
Then one-by-one he went on: Being vain. Wanting to accumulate things. Having a “hardened heart.” Wooing superiors for personal gain. Having a “funereal face” and being too “rigid, tough and arrogant,” especially toward underlings
Wow, it’s like Francis has worked in the Federal government and corporate America for years…
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Hope he has hired a food taster. Even though I’m an atheist, I might be tempted to take the job just to make sure his life is a little more secure. I know he has some faults, but geez, he really is trying to make things better.
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I’m telling you, if this guy doesn’t stop trying to get this “Jesus” person he keeps talking about all up in Church business, there’s going to be trouble.
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That will teach the arrogant cardinals of the Vatican to elect a Pope from South America. It’s like electing an Irish God Father. I’ve been disgusted with the Catholic Church for 45 years since I walked out the door and never looked back.
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I say this as a non-believer with great respect for religious sensibilities and practices: there is no one “Islam” to be “cleaned up,” any more than Francis is going to be the savior of Christianity or even of Roman Catholicism specifically.
Most or all of the social problems laid at the feet of Islam writ large (violence, complicity with regressive political regimes, retrograde stances on women’s place in society, etc.) are really economic and political issues. People shoot at schoolgirls and blow themselves up not because “Islam” demanded it, but because of desperation born of circumstances having no particular root in Islam or any other religion.
Put another way, Denmark does not produce fewer religious extremists per capita than Egypt simply because its state (Lutheran) church really has its act together.
I’m not trying to step on your point, or say that Francis isn’t preferable from where you and I stand to a lot of other potential Popes. I just think it’s worth emphasizing that when he’s done things that American liberals of whatever religious or non-religious background tend to approve of, he’s been acting as an agent of social change, not a spiritual leader. And that’s fine.
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I do worry that the Cardinals are all saying “WTF were we thinking picking a Jesuit for this gig?” Francis was chosen in reaction to the reactionary clusterfrak Benedict engineered in a few years. Now I’m scared they’ll decide what the church needs to recover from what the Curia smear and gossip machine will shortly be calling the “chaos” and “administrative disorder” of Francis’ “naive” reforms is some thoroughly corrupt conservative extremist pedophile shelterer.
I wonder if the College of Cardinals knew what they were unleashing when they chose this man? In any event - he seems to be honestly trying to fix the church. Its a breath of fresh air. Who knows - maybe I’ll eventually go back? 
(Next, I’d like to see priests be able to marry - but doubt that will be in my lifetime…
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LOL sandyh. That was perfect. I howled out loud. I so love this guy.
And he was the runner up last time to Nazi Benedict
He needs to watch his back. I am becoming fearful they will try to off him
I did the same many years ago but this guy is very special
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I know- I feel the same
He’s a 78 year old man with one lung. They can wait him out.