Is Pope Francis Too Popular with Liberals?

Kelli - pelican

Kelli - pelican
Pope Francis took the U.S. by storm for 6 days. It was noteworthy that CNN, a secular station with liberalism in its DNA, broadcasted his final Mass and departure. After being glued to EWTN for days, I watched CNN, curious to see how they would treat the Pope.

The two commentators–one a recent Catholic revert thanks to the “Francis effect”–reported with unabashed love for Pope Francis. Their enthusiasm extended in an un-secular fashion to the Catholic Church, describing the Mass—it’s music, the ceremony, and even the Eucharist—in gushing terms.

Yet, it is that very enthusiasm for Pope Francis from liberal quarters that makes some Catholics nervous. After his address to the joint session of Congress, some loyal Catholics were disappointed. Why hadn’t he referred to the abortion battle raging after undercover videos exposed Planned Parenthood selling aborted baby parts?

The environment and social justice topics seemed to crowd out his reference to the sacredness of life in all stages. Pro-life advocates had hoped the Democrats would be scolded for having blocked a Senate bill to ban late-term abortions just the day prior.

What Was He Doing?

I’ve heard disappointment from faithful, daily Mass goers. I too wondered why his prolife remarks to Congress had been so brief. Is Pope Francis pandering to the liberals, focusing more on their pet causes than on protecting the unborn? Is he making it too easy for liberals to like him? After all, doesn’t God’s mercy demand repentance first?

The grumblings I heard against Pope Francis were unsettling. Like sports fans coaching from the stands, lay Catholics on the sidelines could not know best how Pope Francis should proceed. But still, what was he doing?

As the week unfolded, it seemed obvious what he was doing. He was leading with love; a contagious, irresistible love. It was a love that lined the streets with crowds and filled his Masses to overflowing. It was a love that surprised the homeless with his hugs when he lunched with them.  It was a love that entered a prison and that touched the victims of the priest sexual abuse scandal.   And it was a love that got the attention of even the secular media, usually more likely to ignore or criticize the Catholic Church than to admire it.

No Limits

At the final Mass in Philadelphia, Pope Francis warned against limiting God’s love not to include everyone. “To raise doubts about the working of the Spirit, to give the impression that it cannot take place in those who are not ‘part of the group’, who are not ‘like us’, is a dangerous temptation,” he said. “Not only does it block conversion to the faith; it is a perversion of the faith!”

Pope Francis, as the Vicar of Christ directed by the Holy Spirit, excludes no one from the group. Watching him interact with people is an encounter with Jesus. That is what the “Francis effect” is. Rather than scolding, Pope Francis loves first and that love is drawing people in so that they will be more likely to listen to what the Church is saying.

Love First

Last year, in an interview with Fox News contributor and author Fr. Jonathan Morris, he explained that Pope Francis has given a great example of how to lead with love in order to be heard. “Pope Francis taught me to explain Church teaching not just in a loving way, but also in a way that the person can experience the love of the Church,” Fr. Morris said. “Practically speaking, that can mean sharing common ground—what do we share in common? I want that person to know that I love them no matter what. That doesn’t mean I don’t ever speak out, but I don’t begin with that. In a true friendship, the other person should trust you to say what you believe.”

Pope Francis has chosen to start with the greatest: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1Cor 13:13).  Realize, however, that there was much. For instance, the Pope addressed religious liberty throughout his visit. According to the Washington Times, Pope Francis told President Obama at the White House arrival ceremony, that American Catholics are “concerned that efforts to build a just and wisely ordered society respect their deepest concerns and the right to religious liberty.” Later that day, the Pope made an unscheduled visit to the Little Sisters of the Poor, showing direct support for them against the Obama administration’s HHS mandate that all employers buy contraception for employees.

And lest anyone worry that his stance against abortion was not stressed enough to Congress, he also mentioned the sacredness of the “unborn” before the United Nations. He was clear enough on that message, that Planned Parenthood slammed the Pope’s prolife message.

During Pope Francis’s visit in a land where same-sex marriage is now law, he lamented the loss of traditional family values and emphasized “the importance and, above all, the richness and beauty of family life.” And aboard the plane back to Rome, Pope Francis was asked about Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused, to issue a marriage license to a gay couple on religious grounds. He stated that “conscientious objection is a right—it is a human right.”

In a culture that promotes all sorts of moral garbage, for six days, it promoted Pope Francis. Granted, it is still reticent to promote all of his messages. But if he has drawn people on the left a bit closer to the Church, then no doubt he prays, that it will be a step in the right direction for us all.

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9 thoughts on “Is Pope Francis Too Popular with Liberals?”

  1. It was the music that almost sent me, a revert, too, straight back to my local nearest Anglican parish. The liberals are already messing with the liturgy and now the music is even more dirge-like than ever imagined in our worst nightmares of what we’d face on waking up on Sunday mornings. I’m becoming far more liberal in other areas, but the least they could’ve done is to protect the Mass. That wasn’t music at the Pope’s Mass in Philly. That was noise. They would’ve been better off playing any of the more popular Rocky film theme songs than the noisy racket they decided to impose on the faithfull. And they wonder why so many Catholics in this country have a hard time dealing with depression and looking elsewhere to find a spiritual home where they won’t encounter more resistance from God’s servants; but a more welcoming and supportive environment for both spiritual and mental recovery.

  2. Mother Teresa was an icon of love, mercy and compassion but she was very clear on the sin of abortion
    I wonder how many people are actually going to return to the Church pews after all this display of love? I’m in my forties…Most of my life, I’ve heard priests speak of love and mercy coming from the homilies. What’s been missing is clarity and substance. What the Church does not clarify on hot button items believe me the secular outlets make very clear! I’m very involved with the youth and adults at my parish. Thanks to this overplay of love and mercy, it has given rise to Cafeteria Catholics and many don’t feel the need to go inside the church to repent or receive Jesus in the Eucharist because…He understands! Jesus’ love accepts us but it also challenges- where we are at. Speaking the Truth in love is where we need to begin. there are so many New age ideologies out there… we have to be careful the Truth doesn’t go into one big melting pot. I think this is a great time to look into St. Padre Pio and many lives of Saints for clarity, endurance, encouragement and the urgency to save souls!

  3. It is important to write a post which is mirrored by reality:

    Pope Francis was asked about Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused, to issue a marriage license to a gay couple on religious grounds. He stated that “conscientious objection is a right—it is a human right.”

    When asked the question about Kim Davis, the journalist did not mention her by name and the Pope did not seem familiar with her case. Now the Vatican is distancing itself from news reports about her meeting the Pope alone and his comments to her. It is clear that the Vatican does not consider her the model of a conscientious objector. In an very unusual gesture the Vatican is repudiating the Davis attorney’s state that she met alone wit the Pope and he told her to her strong, etc. Simple lies….

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/02/vatican-pope-kim-davis-same-sex-marriage

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/03/world/europe/pope-francis-kim-davis-meeting.html?_r=0

    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/10/02/vatican-kim-davis-pope-francis/73193194/

    You go on to say”

    “Why hadn’t he referred to the abortion battle raging after undercover videos exposed Planned Parenthood selling aborted baby parts?”

    Maybe because:

    1. What PP did in respect to fetal tissue was not illegal

    2. All state investigations of the allegations found no wrong doing

    3. The videos were highly edited

    4. The “infamous fetus” was actually a stillborn baby named Walter and confirmed by the mother ans the pictures used without her permission

    5, The fetus with beating heart…not from PP and but the Grantham Collection and the heart beat was a muscular reflex obtained by tapping the chest

    6. In a lawsuit against CMP…the plaintiff wanted documents and evidence of the videos veracity and the CMP tired to use the plea of the 5th amendment against self-discrimination so as not to turn over the proof if it ever existed.

    Maybe that’s why…the video by CMP was not a mirror of reality

    http://news.yahoo.com/undercover-anti-abortion-video-showed-images-of-127289829487.html

    http://www.law360.com/articles/702133/abortion-opponents-denied-blanket-5th-amendment-claim

    So why would CMP want to plead the 5th?

    So I am a liberal and ex-Catholic….I must say I like much of what the Pope says, especially here in the US….what I have not seen is a translation of words into definitive action.
    He spoke with abuse survivors and was clear that bishops who shuffled molesting priests would be held accountable. Right? Well, in MA you have Cardinal Bernie Law, the infamous protector of abusers, The Boston archdiocese was the hotbed of abuse and protection of abusive clerics. Bernie was investigated by a Grand Jury convened by the State Attorney General, Scores of deposition of Law in the many, many abuse settlements, a target of a petition by his own priests to get rid of him. What happened? After the Grand Jury, he was shuttled to Rome, made on archpriest and lives comfortably in retirement….the Church never held him accountable. How about Springfield Bishop Tom Dupree…grand jury indicts for 2 cases of sexual molestation, shuttled away to St Luke’s that day, and living a comfortable retirement in a monastery with nuns…accountable. Again, words and no one is accountable.
    I love most of Francis words and admire his lifesyle and outreach to the marginalized….all very Christ-like,,,,,but I am waiting for actions to match words. Won’t happen…
    Just the musings of a liberal, ex-Catholic….setting the record straight!

    1. So you still approve of killing babies in the womb and selling their parts. Nothing in your diatribe rebuts a thing that the videos show, it just shows that you are desperately spinning, spinnnig spinning.

      Also, the statement from the Vatican was merely to indicate the Pope does not support Kim Davis in ALL the particulars of her case. presumably, he does still believe that she has a human right to conscientiously object.

      Really, your attempt at spin is disingenuous, to say the least.

  4. Love – the greatest gift of God – the very essence of God. Yesterday morning when I asked those who were attending my Current Events Class what they thought of the Pope’s visit – everyone wanted to make a comment. The discussion stopped when people began to reflect upon what I said – the Message of this Pope is simple – Love thy Neighbor. Listening to all that he has to say through a lens of Love reveals a clarity. It makes everything new – just like Christ promised.

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