Whenever Pope Francis holds an interview on a plane, Catholics have learned to buckle up for turbulence. But on his way back from Singapore last Friday, after a lengthy trip to Southeast Asia and Oceania, the Holy Father answered a question pertaining to American politics with uncharacteristic and refreshing clarity—though not without a touch of his off-the-cuffism, which often seems to cover more ground than orthodoxy does.
Francis shot straight in telling Catholic America it has a choice between two evils this election, for both candidates hold an evil position regarding human life. This is absolutely the case with Kamala Harris and not necessarily the case with Donald Trump—but the pope has spoken truly regarding the American culture of death and the Catholic political attitude.
The pope’s rough critique of Trump and Harris has really made the rounds in the news platforms with a swirling that we haven’t seen since “Who am I to judge?” And it is strange, since what Francis said directly contradicts the prevalent messaging on abortion. But what he also said about migration, second only to abortion, may have been enough to further the Left’s narrative, and hence their strategy, to secure the White House.
Included here is the entire exchange between Anna Matranga of CBS News and Pope Francis, as most sources are simply quoting it in fragments throughout their columns:
AM: Your Holiness, you have always spoken in defense of the dignity of life. In Timor-Leste, which has a high birth rate, you said you felt life pulsing and exploding with so many children. In Singapore, you defended migrant workers. With the US elections coming up, what advice would you give a Catholic voter faced with a candidate who supports ending a pregnancy and another who wants to deport 11 million migrants?
PF: Both are against life: the one that throws out migrants and the one that kills children. Both are against life. I can’t decide; I’m not American and won’t go to vote there. But let it be clear: denying migrants the ability to work and receive hospitality is a sin, a grave sin. The Old Testament speaks repeatedly of the orphan, the widow, and the stranger—migrants. These are the three that Israel must care for. Failing to care for migrants is a sin, a sin against life and humanity.
I celebrated Mass at the border, near the diocese of El Paso. There were many shoes from migrants, who ended poorly there. Today, there is a flow of migration within Central America, and many times they are treated like slaves because people take advantage of the situation. Migration is a right, and it was already present in Sacred Scripture and in the Old Testament. The stranger, the orphan, and the widow—do not forget this.
Then, abortion. Science says that at one month after conception, all the organs of a human being are present. Everything. Having an abortion is killing a human being. Whether you like the word or not, it’s murder. The Church is not closed-minded because it forbids abortion; the Church forbids abortion because it kills. It is murder; it is murder!
And we need to be clear about this: sending migrants away, not allowing them to grow, not letting them have life is something wrong, it is cruelty. Sending a child away from the womb of the mother is murder because there is life. And we must speak clearly about these things. “No, but however…” No “but however.” Both things are clear. The orphan, the stranger, and the widow—do not forget this.
AM: In your opinion, Your Holiness, are there circumstances in which it is morally permissible to vote for a candidate who is in favor of abortion?
PF: In political morality, it is generally said that not voting is ugly, it’s not good. One must vote. And one must choose the lesser evil. Which is the lesser evil? That lady or that gentleman? I don’t know; each person must think and decide according to their own conscience.
Contrary to what some Catholics are arguing on social media, the pope gives solid answers here, and all Catholic Americans should take note as this regards the moral choice between our more-or-less evil presidential candidates. A strong adjective there—to be clear, the choice involves evil, which is not to say that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are necessarily evil people (that is for the Lord to judge), but evil lurks on their tickets.
Pope Francis called that spade a spade, with advice according to the Church’s long-standing position. When faced with two political candidates who are not aligned with Catholic fundamentals, it is permissible to cast a vote against the candidate who would do the most harm. Pope Francis is reminding us of our religious and civic duty, therefore, to act against the greater evil by choosing the lesser.
Thankfully, our pope has spoken unconditionally and forcefully about the abortion crisis. You don’t hear people call abortion murder every day, and it is invigorating to hear it from the pope. His stance on immigration is also largely correct, though he may go too far suggesting the position of the Trump campaign is gravely sinful. Context is obviously important in weighing immigration cases and situations. While abortion is always evil, immigration laws can be good.
Read the Whole Article
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The post <a href=https://www.lewrockwell.com/2024/09/no_author/picking-our-poison-with-pope-francis/ target=_blank >Picking Our Poison With Pope Francis</a> appeared first on Conservative Angle | Conservative Angle - Conservative News Clearing House
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Francis shot straight in telling Catholic America it has a choice between two evils this election, for both candidates hold an evil position regarding human life. This is absolutely the case with Kamala Harris and not necessarily the case with Donald Trump—but the pope has spoken truly regarding the American culture of death and the Catholic political attitude.
The pope’s rough critique of Trump and Harris has really made the rounds in the news platforms with a swirling that we haven’t seen since “Who am I to judge?” And it is strange, since what Francis said directly contradicts the prevalent messaging on abortion. But what he also said about migration, second only to abortion, may have been enough to further the Left’s narrative, and hence their strategy, to secure the White House.
Included here is the entire exchange between Anna Matranga of CBS News and Pope Francis, as most sources are simply quoting it in fragments throughout their columns:
AM: Your Holiness, you have always spoken in defense of the dignity of life. In Timor-Leste, which has a high birth rate, you said you felt life pulsing and exploding with so many children. In Singapore, you defended migrant workers. With the US elections coming up, what advice would you give a Catholic voter faced with a candidate who supports ending a pregnancy and another who wants to deport 11 million migrants?
PF: Both are against life: the one that throws out migrants and the one that kills children. Both are against life. I can’t decide; I’m not American and won’t go to vote there. But let it be clear: denying migrants the ability to work and receive hospitality is a sin, a grave sin. The Old Testament speaks repeatedly of the orphan, the widow, and the stranger—migrants. These are the three that Israel must care for. Failing to care for migrants is a sin, a sin against life and humanity.
I celebrated Mass at the border, near the diocese of El Paso. There were many shoes from migrants, who ended poorly there. Today, there is a flow of migration within Central America, and many times they are treated like slaves because people take advantage of the situation. Migration is a right, and it was already present in Sacred Scripture and in the Old Testament. The stranger, the orphan, and the widow—do not forget this.
Then, abortion. Science says that at one month after conception, all the organs of a human being are present. Everything. Having an abortion is killing a human being. Whether you like the word or not, it’s murder. The Church is not closed-minded because it forbids abortion; the Church forbids abortion because it kills. It is murder; it is murder!
And we need to be clear about this: sending migrants away, not allowing them to grow, not letting them have life is something wrong, it is cruelty. Sending a child away from the womb of the mother is murder because there is life. And we must speak clearly about these things. “No, but however…” No “but however.” Both things are clear. The orphan, the stranger, and the widow—do not forget this.
AM: In your opinion, Your Holiness, are there circumstances in which it is morally permissible to vote for a candidate who is in favor of abortion?
PF: In political morality, it is generally said that not voting is ugly, it’s not good. One must vote. And one must choose the lesser evil. Which is the lesser evil? That lady or that gentleman? I don’t know; each person must think and decide according to their own conscience.
Contrary to what some Catholics are arguing on social media, the pope gives solid answers here, and all Catholic Americans should take note as this regards the moral choice between our more-or-less evil presidential candidates. A strong adjective there—to be clear, the choice involves evil, which is not to say that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are necessarily evil people (that is for the Lord to judge), but evil lurks on their tickets.
Pope Francis called that spade a spade, with advice according to the Church’s long-standing position. When faced with two political candidates who are not aligned with Catholic fundamentals, it is permissible to cast a vote against the candidate who would do the most harm. Pope Francis is reminding us of our religious and civic duty, therefore, to act against the greater evil by choosing the lesser.
Thankfully, our pope has spoken unconditionally and forcefully about the abortion crisis. You don’t hear people call abortion murder every day, and it is invigorating to hear it from the pope. His stance on immigration is also largely correct, though he may go too far suggesting the position of the Trump campaign is gravely sinful. Context is obviously important in weighing immigration cases and situations. While abortion is always evil, immigration laws can be good.
Read the Whole Article
The post Picking Our Poison With Pope Francis appeared first on LewRockwell.
The post <a href=https://www.lewrockwell.com/2024/09/no_author/picking-our-poison-with-pope-francis/ target=_blank >Picking Our Poison With Pope Francis</a> appeared first on Conservative Angle | Conservative Angle - Conservative News Clearing House
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