It is sometimes interesting to take a look at how the far left views the events of the current pontificate. Australian journalist Emma-Kate Symons in an op ed in The Washington Post entitled How Pope Francis can Cleanse the Far Right Rot From the Catholic Church:
Pope Francis needs to take tougher action against the United States’ most influential Catholic in Rome, Cardinal Raymond “Breitbart” Burke. The renegade cleric is not only undermining Francis’s reformist, compassionate papacy, and gospel teaching as it applies to refugees and Muslims, but the rebel prince of the church is also using his position within the walls of the Vatican to legitimize extremist forces that want to bring down Western liberal democracy, Stephen K. Bannon-style. Simply put, the Vatican is facing a political war between the modernizing Pope Francis and a conservative wing that wants to reassert white Christian dominance.
Burke was reduced to a ceremonial patron role at the Knights of Malta after a power struggle at the ancient chivalric order, won by the pope last month, following a spat over its humanitarian wing’s alleged distribution of condoms. Losing the leadership battle and prestige at the secretive society headquartered in Rome — Francis is appointing his own special delegate above Burke — was seen as a papal rap on the knuckles for the cardinal leading the charge against Francis’s writings on communion for divorcees. But the virulently anti-Islam (“capitulating to Islam would be the death of Christianity”), migrant-phobic, Donald Trump-defending, Vladimir Putin-excusing Burke is unrepentant and even defiant, continuing to preside over a far-right, neo-fascist-normalizing cheer squad out of the Holy See.
Go here to read the rest. Leftists have traditionally viewed the Catholic Church as enemy number one. In Francis they have the Pope of their dreams, a Pope who shares many of their goals and can lend the prestige of the Catholic Church to their causes. Being leftists they are tone deaf as to religion and can only interpret conflicts within the Church in the delusional political categories that make up their world view. Thus Cardinal Burke cannot be opposing the Pope out of fidelity to Christ, but must be depicted as a neo-fascist, racist, Putin loving Trumpist! It would all be hilarious if Pope Francis were not dealing heavy damage each day to the faith of tens of millions as he leads the Church down a Witches Dance of leftist politics.
Wow- she says a mouthful- of tripe. Why does she get to do an op-ed? How do some of these natterers get such pulpits? I am so tired of them getting to have influence. What will have to happen for “the people” to see the truth of what is going on!
thinking of “the people” and populism I just read an article at http://magister.blogautore.espresso.repubblica.it/2017/02/10/this-time-“la-civilta-cattolica”-dissents-from-the-pope-on-populism/
it is hard to recognize the Divine Wind under the wings of populist movements when it doesn’t suit you
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-kate-symons-8638ba12/
Why does she get to do an op-ed? How do some of these natterers get such pulpits?
She’s a lapsed newspaper reporter from Australia. She lost her job > 2 years ago and has been keeping her hand in as an occasional contributor at sundry papers. Presumably, there’s a husband stationed in Washington paying the bills. Newspapers were still viable enterprises when she got into the business 20 years ago. She should be retooling at her age.
I don’t have the time or space to correct all the “fake news” contaminating that deceitful diatribe.
I’ll fall back on a favorite movie line from “My Cousin Vinnie.” Everything that guy just said is bullshit.”
That being said, here are the bases of the “tangled web the pope and assorted false news artists weave when first they practice to deceive.” They deploy some or all of the following: agit[prop (agitation and propaganda), calumny, character assassination, confirmation bias, confusion, distortion, exaggeration, false equivalency, non sequitur, omissions, repetitions, repetitions, repetitions, vitriol.
There is no more definitive litmus test of deficient orthodoxy than the dance with P. Francis of leftists. Oremus.
“delusional political categories that make up their world view”
Wow. That is spectacular phrasing. And dead on right. I am going to have to memorize that phraseology & use it to advantage!
“They deploy some or all of the following: agit[prop (agitation and propaganda), calumny, character assassination, confirmation bias, confusion, distortion, exaggeration, false equivalency, non sequitur, omissions, repetitions, repetitions, repetitions, vitriol.”
I wonder which category or categories the “I’m offended because you are being rude (or hostile or disrespectful or something similar) fits? I keep running into folks who get upset & cry foul when I tell them the truth or point out the logical end of a fallacy they are stating/defending. And these Leftists get even more befuddled when I tell them that staying the truth is not rude or indicate that I am not impressed by their offense taking. They are particularly perturbed by unapologetic stances with which they disagree & my stating that there is no reason for me to discuss things with people who only want to destroy me–that I intend to defeat them.