Well, the Pope sure gave it to the
Americans !
At least he said to the American
Bishops, when he addressed them, that they must do everything in
their power to prevent these sexual transgressions on children,
perpetrated by some of his priests.
This really upset him. Even more than
the horror treatment native Americans received from the Missionaries.
Well, actually, this couldn't have been so bad after all.
In fact he promoted one of the worst
culprits, Junipero Serra, to Sainthood.
Catholic apologists will tell you that
„these transgressions happened a long time ago“ and the
perpetrators were „children of their time“.
Was torture and persecution not a sin
then ? Of course it was. Just read the teachings of Jesus. Well some of them, anyway.
Saint Junipero Serra must have known
that what he did was sinful.
Did he confess these sins, or did he
die without confession ?
If so, according to the teachings of
the Catholic Church, he now roasts in Hell. Burning with fire and
brimstone. For ever !!!
But wait a minute! How can a Saint
roast in hell ? Or, how can a soul in Hell be promoted to Sainthood ?
Something is very strange here.
************************
If the Pope's statements, made so far
in America, are a true expression of his opinions, then I disagree
with him on almost nothing.
Some of the America haters, of which
there are many, must be very disappointed.
They had hoped, in their stubborn
refusal to look facts straight in the eye, that the Pope would
chastise the American Government and the American people for all the
real and imagined transgressions.
As German speaking people say: „The
Pope will read the chapters of Leviticus to the Americans.“
Well, to the great chagrin of those who
see America as the impersonation of all that is wrong with the world,
here are a few excerpts of the Pope's address to the Congress of the
USA:
Respecting the many American voluntary
help organisations Pope Franciskus had this to say.
„I would like to take this
opportunity to dialogue with the many thousands of men and women who
strive each day to do an honest day's work, to bring home their daily
bread, to save money and, one step at a time, to build a better life
for their families. These are men and women who are not concerned
simply with paying their taxes, but in their own quiet way sustain
the life of society. They generate solidarity by their actions and
they create organizations which offer a helping hand to those most in
need.“
Then, speaking of
ideas which ultimately helped in shaping the fundament of American
society, the Pope said this:
„My visit
takes place at a time when men and women of good will are marking the
anniversaries of several great Americans. The complexities of history
and the reality of human weakness notwithstanding, these men and
women, for all their many differences and limitations, were able by
hard work and self-sacrifice – some at the cost of their lives –
to build a better future. They shaped fundamental values which will
endure forever in the spirit of the American people.
A people with this spirit can live
through many crises, tensions and conflicts, while always finding the
resources to move forward, and to do so with dignity. These men and
women offer us a way of seeing and interpreting reality.
In honouring their memory, we are
inspired, even amid conflicts, and in the here and now of each day,
to draw upon our deepest cultural reserves.
I would like to mention four of
these Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day and
Thomas Merton.
….Lincoln, liberty; Martin Luther
King, liberty in plurality and non-exclusion;
Dorothy Day, social justice and the
rights of persons; and Thomas Merton, the capacity for dialogue and
openness to God.
He then spoke of
the refugee crisis and urged to remember the Golden Rule:
„Do unto others as you would have
them do unto you.“ Let us treat others with the same passion and
compassion with which we want to be treated.
He spoke out
against capital punishment.
It may be of some
interest to note that 19 of the 50 States have already abolished this
antediluvian retribution of society.
And then he also
said this:
„The fight against hunger and
poverty must be fought constantly and on many fronts....
...It goes without saying that part
of this great effort is the creation and distribution of wealth.....
...Business is a noble vocation,
directed to producing wealth and improving the world. It can be a
fruitful source of prosperity for the area in which it operates,
especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of
its service to the common good.....
Pope Franciskus
ended his remarks by saying:
A nation can be considered great
when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture
which enables people to dream of full rights for all their brothers
and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for
justice and the cause of the oppressed.....
In these remarks I have sought to
present some of the richness of your cultural heritage, of the spirit
of the American people. It is my desire that this spirit continue to
develop and grow, so that as many young people as possible can
inherit and dwell in a land which has inspired so many people to
dream.
God bless America!
Up to now I have
been more critical than laudatory in respect to Franciskus.
This speech,
however, has caused me to think more positively of this man.
Bertstravels
urges all to read the entire text
of the Pope's addresses to Congress
and to the United Nations
