Amy Goodman's Democracy Now! Features Pope Francis's Upcoming Encyclical on Climate Change. (VIDEO BELOW)
"Human rights are not only violated by terrorism, repression or assassination,
but also by unfair economic
structures that creates huge inequalities."
-- Pope Francis
-- Pope Francis
"To say that you can kill in the name of God is blasphemy."
--Pope Francis
Although there are scores of Catholics that make it to my list of favorite Saints, Seers and Sages, it's been quite awhile since the Holy See and I saw eye to eye. In fact, after John the 23rd shook things up with Vatican II back in the day, it's been pretty clear that the not-so-good old boy's club of conservatives grabbed the reins again to run the show -- and there was hell to pay.
Rather than foster the Liberation Theology that had emerged in South America, where the church was actually ministering to the poor and actively challenging the forces of oppression, rope a dope popes quashed that movement, then just hung back and let the masters of mammon and their political minions do their thing. (Although, admittedly, Pope John Paul II did speak out against both Iraq Wars, he didn't really pull out the stops to put his money where his mouth was. )
--Pope Francis
 |
| Pope Francis |
Rather than foster the Liberation Theology that had emerged in South America, where the church was actually ministering to the poor and actively challenging the forces of oppression, rope a dope popes quashed that movement, then just hung back and let the masters of mammon and their political minions do their thing. (Although, admittedly, Pope John Paul II did speak out against both Iraq Wars, he didn't really pull out the stops to put his money where his mouth was. )
Now, finally, it seems that the Good Guys have prevailed once again. When the College of Cardinals sent up those white puffs and I learned that Argentina's Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio. S.J., had become the first Pontiff to choose Saint Francis as his namesake, I thought "Holy Smokes! The Hippies Won!"
Saint Francis of Assisi, with his pantheistic and inclusive Love of Creation in all it's myriad forms (Brother Sun, Sister Moon, etc.), his uncompromising vow of solidarity with the poor, and his legendary bout of public nudity was a Hippie icon, our kinda fella.
Of course I don't expect Pope Francis to go skinny dipping with the Vatican Press Corps, but from all I've seen and heard so far, this guy really does get it. A man of insight, humility and compassion, a Christian who clearly understands the Inclusiveness of the One Love, he seems to be the Real Deal.
With him at the helm, this could be an interesting ride.
Of course, the Catholic Church is an incredibly massive ship. Even with this Good Dude's hands on the wheel, making course corrections isn't gonna be quick and easy. (Think: thousands of pissed off clerics and bureaucrats wanting to hold onto their pride, power, and possessions...)
(CLICK FOR MORE AND THE VIDEO)
So, I'm actually gonna spend some time praying that nobody's going to knock him off for rocking the damn boat. (If you're so inclined, help me out here. This stuff does work.)
Pope Francis, like Dr. Martin Luther King and countless others, some of whose names we will never hear, all know the deal. When they pick up their Cross to do the Right Thing it may well put them in some sick soul's cross hairs -- or bring on a lynch mob (legal or illegal). There is no doubt that Pope Francis knows he may get nailed for telling it like it IS -- and he's doing it anyway. (Writing that brought on tears. Sigh. Once again, this ole S.O.B. sobs in appreciation of True Nobility.)
So here is what's Up:
Confronting the Beast directly, Pope Francis is set to call for meaningful action on Global Warming. In a Papal Encyclical to be issued this spring, he will clearly denounce the utter ecological havoc that the Pervasive Greed of Craven Capitalism (and it's illegitimate child, Crass Consumerism) continue to wreak on this planet. As well as proclaiming the Official Teachings of the Church on Climate Change (which gets passed along to the 1.2 billion Catholics in the world), Pope Francis will also use his Papal bully pulpit to address the UN General Assembly, and convene a Summit of the World's Religions on the matter as well. His is a serious effort -- and the timing is right. He'll be weighing in with these three actions during the send up to the UN Climate Change Summit in Paris scheduled for November.
You thought the People's Climate March in NYC this past fall was a Hoot? Stay Tuned!
I've only scratched the surface here. Check Out The Democracy Now! Videos Below!
With her inimitable skill and radical zeal, Amy Goodman produced and anchored an inspiring piece of broadcast journalism on Pope Francis as the final segment of Democracy Now! for 2014. The two video clips below cover the entire feature, including an interview with Austen Ivereigh, the author of a new biography entitled "The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope." (I particularly loved their treatment of the Pope's "opening remarks" to the Vatican last March.)
I'd forgotten just how much fun Radical Catholics can be !
Saint Francis of Assisi, with his pantheistic and inclusive Love of Creation in all it's myriad forms (Brother Sun, Sister Moon, etc.), his uncompromising vow of solidarity with the poor, and his legendary bout of public nudity was a Hippie icon, our kinda fella.
 |
| Rather than cruise in the Limo, Francis opted for a Renault |
With him at the helm, this could be an interesting ride.
Of course, the Catholic Church is an incredibly massive ship. Even with this Good Dude's hands on the wheel, making course corrections isn't gonna be quick and easy. (Think: thousands of pissed off clerics and bureaucrats wanting to hold onto their pride, power, and possessions...)
(CLICK FOR MORE AND THE VIDEO)
So, I'm actually gonna spend some time praying that nobody's going to knock him off for rocking the damn boat. (If you're so inclined, help me out here. This stuff does work.)
Pope Francis, like Dr. Martin Luther King and countless others, some of whose names we will never hear, all know the deal. When they pick up their Cross to do the Right Thing it may well put them in some sick soul's cross hairs -- or bring on a lynch mob (legal or illegal). There is no doubt that Pope Francis knows he may get nailed for telling it like it IS -- and he's doing it anyway. (Writing that brought on tears. Sigh. Once again, this ole S.O.B. sobs in appreciation of True Nobility.)
So here is what's Up:
Confronting the Beast directly, Pope Francis is set to call for meaningful action on Global Warming. In a Papal Encyclical to be issued this spring, he will clearly denounce the utter ecological havoc that the Pervasive Greed of Craven Capitalism (and it's illegitimate child, Crass Consumerism) continue to wreak on this planet. As well as proclaiming the Official Teachings of the Church on Climate Change (which gets passed along to the 1.2 billion Catholics in the world), Pope Francis will also use his Papal bully pulpit to address the UN General Assembly, and convene a Summit of the World's Religions on the matter as well. His is a serious effort -- and the timing is right. He'll be weighing in with these three actions during the send up to the UN Climate Change Summit in Paris scheduled for November.
You thought the People's Climate March in NYC this past fall was a Hoot? Stay Tuned!
I've only scratched the surface here. Check Out The Democracy Now! Videos Below!
With her inimitable skill and radical zeal, Amy Goodman produced and anchored an inspiring piece of broadcast journalism on Pope Francis as the final segment of Democracy Now! for 2014. The two video clips below cover the entire feature, including an interview with Austen Ivereigh, the author of a new biography entitled "The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope." (I particularly loved their treatment of the Pope's "opening remarks" to the Vatican last March.)
I'd forgotten just how much fun Radical Catholics can be !
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