By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Hey guys, just back from my trip to San Francisco and what do I find on my return? Well it looks like that most calcified of religious institutions has gone California, too? The first Pope from South America seems to have veered the church leftward with two recent messages to the faithful that said, in essence, that capitalism isn’t all that. First, in a scathing speech on Wednesday, Pope Francis slammed the type of predatory capitalism that results in the tragedy of the Bangladesh sweatshop collapse. Catering to western desires for cheap but swanky department store clothing, the human mill in Bangladesh cranked out fashion for consumers at a feverish pace. The shortcut to achieve this profit was a thrown-together building constructed of toothpicks and sealing wax. Not really — but close enough for 400 people to die and scores of others to be maimed when the structure fell. Francis took dead aim at the greed and the greedy that caused these deaths calling it “slave labor”:
“Not paying a just (wage), not providing work, focusing exclusively on the balance books, on financial statements, only looking at making personal profit. That goes against God!”
Second, on Thursday, this thoroughly modern pontiff took to social media to hammer the point. Tweeting his message, Pope Francis said “My thoughts turn to all who are unemployed, often as a result of a self-centred mindset bent on profit at any cost.” Two and a half million followers on Twitter and over one billion Catholics got the message. Five thousand of them re-tweeted.
In fairness, both previous Pope Benedict and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have made similar, if half-hearted, appeals for economic fairness but this pontiff from Argentina has put the matter front and center. Francis harkens back to one of the most discredited of regional Catholic movements – liberation theology. This blast from the 60s -70s contended that religion provided a political as well as spiritual path to salvation. It said poverty was the work of sin and that sin was greed and exploitation of the weak and poor by the politically and hence economically powerful. Specifically, catholic clergy throughout Central and South America preached that their faith was to be “an interpretation … through the poor’s suffering, their struggle and hope, and a critique of society and the Catholic faith and Christianity through the eyes of the poor.” The sine qua non was social justice aimed at lifting the poor from their grinding poverty. Predictably, conservative detractors in the Holy See called it “Christianized Marxism” and got their buds at the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (that’s right the once and rightly named Holy Inquisition run by none other than the guy we now call Pope Benedict) to condemn the whole philosophy for portraying the wealthy Catholic leadership in South America as members of the same economic class as the political oppressors of the day. Talk about speaking truth to power … power don’t like it much.
But this Argentine pope, born in a barrio to a father who fled his native Italy to avoid the fascists, could be the worst nightmare for the church’s now dominant right-wing. As someone willing to take on the fight for the poor and oppressed, he stands in stark contrast to the ancien régime who said all the right things about fighting poverty but who did so over tea with some of the world’s most exploitive governments. This pope, who eschewed the trappings of wealth and privilege while a cardinal in Buenos Aries, might actually be willing to get his hands dirty and put boots on the ground in this seemingly unending war. With his actions over the past few days, he has certainly taken on the mantle. If so, the church might be heading for as cataclysmic a schism as the day Martin Luther nailed those 95 theses on the door to All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg.
And Martin Luther is an apt symbol for what is going on here. The 16th century German monk, who railed against the practice of the wealthy purchasing pardons from the
Church to exonerate their sins on earth and grease the skids for their ride to Heaven, may have been more prescient of future events than anyone knew when he wrote:
Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;
Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.
Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.
Source: CNN
Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Talk is cheap. From time to time the Catholic hierarchy has spoken about the poor but it has consistently sided with the rich. In this country while happily taking millions from the federal government it has consistently supported republican candidates whose interest in the poor has been less than Christian. The Bishops directed parish priests to advise their parishioners from the Pulpit that a vote for a democrat would require a visit to the confessional with the implication that forgiveness might be problematic.
I have no interest in the Church taking an active role in policy setting for our government or any government. Theocracies are dangerous to humans. Anyone who believes their policies choices are dictated by god rarely stop at the obvious good things. They prefer to tell everyone how to live, what to study and pretty soon how to worship. The founding fathers knew what they were talking about when they rejected a theocracy and went for a separation of church and state. The religious wars weren’t all that kind to the humans in Europe or England.
If the pope wants the Church to help he should focus on teaching Christ’s message: what you do to the least of these you do to me. Empathy and compassion would be a good message. I don’t want Bishops involved in policy setting. Their history is mean spirited prayer marches at women’s health care clinics and tacit approval of “abortion providers” murders. Their track record for the last 20 or so is anti women, anti poor and anti democracy and their appetite for tax payer dollars has grown. Popes in the past have viewed blasphemy prosecutions or the murder of a film maker on grounds of religious offense as “understandable”.
This pope isn’t the first to rail against obvious capitalists over reach. I will wait and see if he actually changes the actions of the Church and his rapacious bishops before I stand up and cheer. When he takes the position that Catholics who steal from the poor might also have trouble in the confessional rather than lauding their success, I take more notice. Talk is cheap.
Arthur Randolph Erb 1, May 5, 2013 at 8:36 am
The president of Republic Airlines is a sanctimonious Catholic who sent out his Christian messages as part of his posts to the employees. This pope will undoubtedly give him a real pain in the rear. I think that the preachings will go over his head though, and he will continue to screw over the pilots and other employees to make more money for himself. Either that or he will become a Southern Baptist since they approve of slavery, and were formed to fight for it.
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The part about the Southern Baptist approval of slavery is an outdated notion:
(Wikipedia, Southern Baptist Convention). IMO the Pope is likely to have more trouble with the 1% than with the 99% if he continues the style and flavor Mark posted about.
Sorry Dredd, i missed the d at the end of a word. I knew that they had repudiated slavery and segregation, but it is scant comfort to know that they took over a century and a half to do so. They are bigots still and act on that bigotry, and thus they deserve nothing but scorn and contempt by honest people.
I wouldn’t count the rich and powerful out, just yet. The Church needs money. The wealthy have the money. If the wealthy decide to turn off the spigots, things will quickly revert.
Bron, There’s blame to be spread around on more than on party, as there usually is when corruption of this magnitude is revealed. I’m still waiting for the owners or managers of the Texas chemical plant to be arrested here, or the Deepwater Horizon rig or ExxonMobil in Arkansas. Where is that oil they can’t find going?. I’m just glad some profit-before-safety jerks are being arrested somewhere.
“Authorities also suspended the mayor of Savar, Mohammad Refatullah, for alleged negligence, said Abu Alam, a top official of the local government ministry.
Alam said an official investigation had found that the mayor ignored rules in approving the design and layout of the doomed building. The mayor is from the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which has criticized his suspension as politically motivated.
The government also effectively suspended Kabir Hossain Sardar, the top government administrator at Savar, following reports that he declared the building safe after inspecting the cracks a day before the collapse. Sardar had close links with Rana. Alam said the government was taking action against everyone involved with Rana and his building.
Rana was arrested earlier and is expected to be charged with negligence, illegal construction and forcing workers to join work, crimes punishable by a maximum of seven years in jail. Authorities have not said if more serious crimes will be added.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/02/bangladesh-death-toll-tops-500_n_3199568.html
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/05/02/1952171/exxon-spills-tar-sands-oil-again-in-missouri-cant-find-126000-gallons-spilled-in-arkansas/
I wish Pope Francis well in this on going battle within the Church. His election was a bold move but thoroughly necessary given the successful proselytizing by Evangelical Protestants of Catholics in Central and South America. He strikes me as a sincere believer who is quite skilled in Vatican politics. He’s capable of accomplishing great things.
Mark,
Glad you’re you back….. Good food I saw you ate… Good for you….
To the topic….. As I have read everything I could about this new pope… He is upsetting the current apple cart…. Principle over profit….. seems to go against the way all country’s are going…… He is a person of great humility…. and not afraid to put words into action….
I do have concern about Benedict returning to Vatican City and taking up residence in a place known as a former convent…. Yes, all at the RCC expense…but hey….maybe he needs the security of the exiled leader…..
I really appreciate a quote OS put out a couple of days ago of one of his compatriots…. it went like this…”Don’t tell me what you believe, show me what you do and I’ll know what you believe”….. great words to live by….gave me pause for reflection…..
Mark,
This is good news. While there is much in Catholicism with which I disagree, in some ways it has been the most aware of the varied Christian faiths. I well remember Pope John Roncalli and the Berrigan brothers from the 60’s. Liberation theology was a breath of fresh air. The counter-reaction to it by reactionaries in the Church in the years after Pope John’s death has been disturbing. Pope Benjamin and his unlamented predecessor to me at least seemed hell-bent on turning the clock a hundred years. Maybe the ongoing pedophile scandals have broken Opus Dei’s hold. In today’s tumultuous times with the ongoing attempt to stifle science via religion, the RCC has led the way in accepting evolutionary theory.
mespo, I’m now hungry!
Bron, Yeah..that and the peace not war preaching.
nick:
Had a great time in North Beach. Ate wonderful meals at Sotto Mare (cioppino) and Contadina Trattoria (Pasta Carlesimo — Rigatoncelli, pancetta, porcini mushrooms, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, spicy tomato cream sauce).
nick:
I guess Francis is the pope from Evita.
Only time Catholics are praised is when they start talking about spreading the wealth. Any other time they are just fundamentally evil.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/bangladesh-building-collapse-death-toll-/664108.html
“Rana, a local leader of the ruling Awami League political party, was arrested after a four-day hunt as he tried to flee to India.”
“as Bangladesh faces pressure from Western brands to clean up an industry with a shocking accident record.”
From Wikipedia:
“The Bangladesh Awami League styles itself as the leader of the “pro-liberation” forces in Bangladesh, promoting secular and social democratic sections of the political establishment in the country which played the leading role during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. The party constitution states, and in two cases defines the reason for, four fundamental principles in guiding its philosophy and policies.[3] They include:
Democracy, Republican system with representation of people
Socialism, establishing an exploitation-free society and social justice
Secularism, non-communal politics and separation of religion and public life
Bengali nationalism, protection of Bangladesh’s identity as a nation state for Bengali people.”
I guess maybe that there pope ought to start calling out his own.
Did you get to North Beach and eat some great Italian food? SF is second only to NYC and Boston IMHO.
Jesuits teach you HOW to think, not WHAT to think. That was a point often made by the character Frank Pemberton[Andre Braugher] in the great tv series, Homocide.
mespo, He’s a Jesuit. They hear their own drummer and that’s why there has never been a Jesuit pope before him.
lottakatz,
Your comment as well as Mark’s “the church might be heading for as cataclysmic a schism as the day Martin Luther nailed those 95 theses on the door to All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg” remind me of the movie Angels & Demons.
We have a political schism in the U.S. Congress and in the U.S.eh?
So Mark’s post today has some perplexing content.
A schism is the least of his worries IMO. Pope John Paul I seemed to be willing to expand Vatican II’s reforms and would have been a fine liberal Pope, except for that whole dying after 33 days thing. It’s dangerous to threaten the vested interests inside as well as outside of the Church.
ARE,
I think that is correct.
If they won’t respond to stopping deadly pollution because the “end is coming” they have the infamous doublespeak infection:
(link in my comment above). What adds to the notion of doublespeak is that they are also warmongers but are at odds with military leaders:
(All Weather is Local),
Their views are likely to be “Jesus is coming to save the people who need work and good jobs” so we don’t need to, and “Jesus is coming to fix the planet so we don’t have to stop breaking it.”
Their minds are divided against themselves, so the poor and oppressed among them, who the Pope was addressing, will often vote against their own interests.
The president of Republic Airlines is a sanctimonious Catholic who sent out his Christian messages as part of his posts to the employees. This pope will undoubtedly give him a real pain in the rear. I think that the preachings will go over his head though, and he will continue to screw over the pilots and other employees to make more money for himself. Either that or he will become a Southern Baptist since they approve of slavery, and were formed to fight for it.
These events really create a stark contrast between the Pope’s declarations and those of right wing Christianity:
(http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/01/belief-in-end-times-stifling-climate-change-action-in-u-s-study/“>Climate Change vs. End of Days). What a contrast.
I think that the Pope has the better vision.