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PopeWatch: Illusion and Reality

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Hattip to commenter Greg Mockeridge.  The Vatican doesn’t think much of some Polish politicians:

 

Vatican statement accuses Polish politicians of whipping up fear against Muslims,” by Christopher Lamb, La Stampa, July 23, 2016:

Just days before Pope Francis’ visit to Poland a Vatican statement has denounced an “artificially created fear of Muslims” which it says is being fed by some political parties in the country.

The press release, released by the Holy See but written by a spokesman for the Polish Bishops, describes Poland as “ethnically homogenous” and that immigration is a relatively new phenomenon seen as strange to the average Polish person.

“For this reason, even through the official statistics relating to foreign citizens legally resident in Poland show that they make up just 0.4 per cent of the population as a whole, great fears exist”, Fr Pawel Rytel-Andrianik writes in a statement issued just before the beginning of World Youth Day in Krakow and which he stressed was a summary of the media debate in Poland.

These fears, Fr Rytel-Andrianik explains, are due to a lack of public debate, complicated migration procedures and no public programme of teaching people in the country Polish about diversity of religion, race and culture.

But he writes: “Unfortunately these fears are fuelled by some political parties, and inappropriate statements made by politicians. There is an artificially created fear of Muslims understandable indeed in some ways (terrorist attacks). Poland borders Germany, which has a large Muslim population, and on the border they do not run some regular checks.” …

“Francis and Poland differ on migrants ahead of pope’s visit,” by Frances D’Emilio, AP, July 24, 2016:

VATICAN CITY — Support for migrants is so central to Pope Francis’ vision for the church that he has made welcoming them a potential test for those seeking entry to Heaven on Judgment Day.

The pontiff’s advocacy for refugee rights faces a diplomatic test Wednesday when he begins a five-day visit to Poland, where a populist government has slammed the door on most asylum-seekers.

Francis is scheduled to meet Polish President Andrzej Duda in Krakow’s millennium-old castle atop Wawel Hill where, in the neighboring cathedral, Polish national heroes for centuries have been laid to rest. He then will hold a question-and-answer session with Poland’s bishops behind closed doors.

Ahead of the pope’s arrival, Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak defended the ruling Law and Justice party’s opposition to immigration by citing the Bastille Day truck massacre of 84 people in Nice, France. Blaszczak argued that such violence was an inevitable consequence of multiculturalism.

The pope suggests that reluctance or refusal to shelter newcomers in need conflicts with the parable of the Good Samaritan, who offered aid to a robbed, wounded stranger.

Addressing the faithful earlier this month in St. Peter’s Square, Francis said that ultimately “we will be judged on the basis of works of mercy.”

“The Lord will be able to say to us: ‘Do you remember? That migrant, who so many wanted to kick out, was me.’”

Seeking to inspire by example, Francis in April brought 12 Syrians back with him to Rome after visiting a migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, where tens of thousands were stranded after perilous crossings from nearby Turkey in often overcrowded boats.

The Rev. David Hollenbach, a professor of ethics at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Affairs in Washington, said the pope’s championing of migrants is “politically important and socially important, but also religiously important to the identity of Christianity.” Hollenbach, who like Francis is a Jesuit, said in a telephone interview that the treatment of migrants and foreigners is “central in the Bible.”

It’s also intrinsic to the pope’s definition of a Christian.

Returning in February from a pilgrimage to Mexico, Francis told reporters aboard his plane: “I think that a person who thinks of building walls and not bridges isn’t Christian.” The pope was responding to a question about Donald Trump, the Republican U.S. presidential candidate, who says he wants to build a border wall to bar Mexicans from the United States.

A Polish commentator, Adam Szostkiewicz, said he expected the pope to raise Poland’s opposition to aiding refugees during this week’s visit because “this is the central theme of his pontificate in Europe. This is a European problem.”

Szostkiewicz said he expected the pope to argue against Poland’s policy, which he compared to Pontius Pilate’s attitude to the crucifixion of Jesus: “We wash our hands. This does not concern us.” But he forecast that any papal appeal would spark only a momentary stir, not any shift in government policy.

“It will be good if he says it, and it will be commented on, but it will soon be forgotten,” he said….

 

 

And here’s the reality:

“Iraqi man arrested in Poland ahead of Pope Francis’ visit,” DW, July 25, 2016:

A 48-year-old Iraqi man has been arrested on charges of possessing explosives in Poland. The arrest in Lodz comes just days ahead of Pope Francis’ visit to Poland for World Youth Day.

Small amounts of explosives, “not sufficient to make an explosion” were found on the man, according to Beata Marczak, spokeswoman for prosecutors in the central Polish city of Lodz said. He could face up to eight years in prison if convicted on charges of illegal possession of explosives, she added.

Explosive traces were found on the man’s luggage and clothes at hotels in Lodz and Krakow, news channel Polsat News reported. The man was reportedly arrested at a hotel in Lodz on Sunday and was reportedly in possession of notes on preparing terrorist acts against French supermarkets in Poland.

Go here to read the rest.  Rather than give up his illusions about Islam and Islamic immigrants, the Pope would prefer to have a situation where innocents are slain by Islamic terrorists continue.  The Pope has a rather peculiar view of his task as Shepherd of the Church.   The Shepherd is not supposed to help wolves get into the sheepfold.

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Philip
Philip
Tuesday, July 26, AD 2016 4:16am

In the parable of the good Samaritan, the victim was beaten and left for dead. The victims today are displaced souls seeking asylum, true. The victims of radical Islam is also a truth. Where is the good Samaritan that seeks to protect his neighbor from bandits?
Does or doesn’t he exist? Poland’s choice is merciful for the inhabitants of Poland. Unmerciful for refugees that only seek shelter and a new life in peace.

If we had the chance to shelter Jews from the genocidal actions of Nazis, we wouldn’t hesitate.

Unfortunately the real threat of harboring terrorists while trying to help our neighbors is a dilemma in this era of Jihad.

Would Jesus turn his back on cautious civilians trying to protect their loved ones?
The injured and bleeding man in the parable above wasn’t strapped to five pounds of C-4.

bill bannon
bill bannon
Tuesday, July 26, AD 2016 5:52am

86 year old Catholic priest murdered by two men near Rouen and four laymen taken hostage…perps neutralized….France’s terrorism unit is handling it which means it’s not robbery. They must know from the freed hostages if it’s Islamists and the ny times like the bbc is silent on that matter. Did they mention allah or not…how could the hostages not have filled them in on that detail?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36892785

bill bannon
bill bannon
Tuesday, July 26, AD 2016 6:07am

LOL…..Pope Francis forgets that this time immgration is different. God will judge him Pope Francis for fomenting indiscriminate immigration in the context of a religion which arguably permits terrorism in its Koran and hadiths varying with the interpretation of violent passages from muslim school to mslim school. God will judge him, Pope Francis for having school children recite after him…” immigrants are not a danger….immigrants are in danger”. He lied to children and had them recite a lie. Trump wants severe vetting…perfect answer. The Vatican and the Pope should want that same thing. Saint Pius V would agree with Trump in this one area…and would think the Vatican is effeminate. When Trump…a very defective man…. is wiser in any issue than a Pope and the Vatican, we are as a Church in a low point of intellect and political morals. Imagine if Rome put this same energy into decrying abortion….you remember abortion….don’t you?

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Tuesday, July 26, AD 2016 11:27am

“The Lord will be able to say to us: ‘Do you remember? That migrant, who so many wanted to kick out, was me.’”

The actual scenario playing regularly is that souls are arriving at Christ’s judgment seat because they were murdered by the migrant that wasn’t kicked out!

Penguin Fan
Penguin Fan
Tuesday, July 26, AD 2016 1:50pm

This Pontiff is obviously completely ignorant of Poland’s very long history of fighting the Ottoman Empire.
If Bergoglio thinks he is going to give Duda a lecture then Bergoglio is going to get it thrown back on his face like no other time in his life.
Poland has been attacked by Lutherans, Muslims, Eastern Orthodox, pagans and atheists….and the heroes of radtrads, the Hapsburgs. There is no way on God’s green Earth Poland is going to allow Muslim immigration and they don’t need a lecture from an Argentine Jesuit who NEVER faced the threats and oppression Poles have faced.
I suggest this Pontiff make a pilgrimage to Czestochowa and ask the Blessed Virgin to help him open his eyes and ears and close his mouth.
I am American……but I take it personally when ANYONE questions the Catholicism of the land of my ancestors.
By the way the sleazebag Bill Clinton smeared Poland and Hungary for the same reason.

Mary De Voe
Wednesday, July 27, AD 2016 7:21am

Penguins Fan: My feelings exactly. Anyone coming into the City of Vienna with a Polish passport to this day comes in and everything Vienna has to offer is free, so grateful are they for being freed from the curse of the Ottomans by the Polish King John Sobieski III. My ancestors have been in Poland since 950

CAM
CAM
Thursday, July 28, AD 2016 8:23am

I am very upset, no outraged – the old French priest’s throat is slashed while celebrating Mass by Islamist thugs and German kinder are targeted at McDonald’s, etc., etc.
The Pope arrives in Poland for World Youth Meeting where thousands of Christian children and their chaperons from all over earth are congregating in Krakow and he lectures the Polish government on immigration!! Meanwhile a Muslim man has been apprehended with explosives; sure it was a small amount the press says but there was enough for the police to find traces of it in his hotel rooms in two Polish cities. It’s almost as if the pope is providing a rationale for the Islamist to hit Poland.
Is it hubris or is he just an old fool who is completely ignorant of the history of Western civilization?

Penguins Fan
Penguins Fan
Thursday, July 28, AD 2016 2:40pm

When is this Pontiff going to demand Argentina let in Muslims? We all know Argentina let in Nazis at the end of WWII.

When is this Pontiff going to go to France, German, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Germany, etc. and demand that they stop abortion, homosexual marriage and adoption, legalized prostitution, pornography and other threats to the family?

He won’t because he doesn’t give a damn.

No, he goes to Poland and shoves his finger in the face of the Polish people. If I were in Krakow now I would tell him to his face that the finger he points leaves four fingers pointed back at himself.

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