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Pope derides Biden's abortion views, Catholic self-identity as 'incoherence'
Pope Francis said the president should check his conscience and consult his bishop or parish priest.
Pope Francis questioned President Biden's conscience on Tuesday in an interview during which he described the commander-in-chief's religious identity and views on abortion as incoherent.
"A month after conception, the DNA of the fetus is already there and the organs are aligned. There is human life," the pontiff said in the interview with Spanish-language outlet Univision.
Asked about Biden — a self-professed "devout Catholic" who supports blanket legalization of abortion on the federal level — the pope dismissed the president as incomprehensible.
"A month after conception, the DNA of the fetus is already there and the organs are aligned. There is human life," the pope said in the Univision interview. "Is it just to eliminate a human life?"
He added that Biden should instead question his own conscience and consult with his bishop.
"I leave it to [President Biden's] conscience and that he speaks to his bishop, his pastor, his parish priest about that incoherence," the pope remarked.
The pope has been hesitant to directly meddle in politics since the beginning of his papacy — afraid to devolve the Holy See into a normal, secular world power.
Instead, Pope Francis has taken a more pastoral role via his encyclicals and apostolic journeys — many historic in content.
The Holy Father is currently finishing preparations for a trip to Canada, after which he has committed to visiting the war-torn Ukraine. The first-ever apostolic journey to Moscow is also currently being discussed, should Russian authorities allow the visit.
Pope Francis's resistance to handing down orders to leaders of other nations is not a new concept.
According to Catholic Canon Law, bishops are the final governing authority in their diocese unless the pope personally intervenes.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, "A diocesan bishop in the diocese entrusted to him has all ordinary, proper, and immediate power which is required for the exercise of his pastoral function except for cases which the law or a decree of the Supreme Pontiff reserves to the supreme authority or to another ecclesiastical authority."
The office of bishop comes with extensive responsibilities and powers. Perhaps most prominent is the bishop's responsibility for the pastoral care of Catholics and ex-Catholics in his jurisdiction.
According to canon law, "A diocesan bishop, frequently preaching in person, is bound to propose and explain to the faithful the truths of the faith which are to be believed and applied to morals."
Canon law continues, "He is also to take care that the prescripts of the canons on the ministry of the word, especially those on the homily and catechetical instruction, are carefully observed so that the whole Christian doctrine is handed on to all."
However, the pope may not see the canonical corrections he desires for Biden without intervening — Biden and his family attend Holy Spirit Church in the Archdiocese of Washington, DC.
The archdiocese is overseen by Cardinal Wilton Gregory, who has gone on record saying that he would not excommunicate a politician for defending abortion rights.
The cardinal has been so averse to addressing the issue further that his office accidentally let slip that they are "ignoring" questions from the media.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., mistakenly emailed a reporter seeking comment on its position regarding the San Francisco archbishop's decision to bar House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., from receiving Holy Communion due to her stance on abortion after Pelosi reportedly took Communion in D.C. on Sunday.
"Just sharing for you to know what comes in," the email stated. "Email since Saturday, when I last checked the comms inbox has just been a couple of random people wanting to tell the Cardinal to bring down the hammer on Pelosi. Aside from Jack Jenkins at RNS, this is the only new media inquiry. It will be ignored, too."
Speaking about the responsibility of running one of the world's oldest living institutions and the politics that come with it, the pontiff was open about his exhaustion.
"The Holy Spirit gives you many fruits, but no one ever talks about the things that make you numb," the pope lamented. "And sometimes, you feel you are numb in the face of situations that should make you suffer greatly and make you move, without missing the opportunity".
I'm no fan of the Catholic church. I'm no fan of the pope. There isn't a lot that I like about Catholicism. But, it's long overdue for the church to call out it's hypocrites.
You cannot be a "devout Catholic", while advocating for abortion on demand. Democrats who try to do so are on par with the Republicans who voted against gay rights, then went to not-very-discrete locations to engage in homosexual relations.
Oh yeah, you can't be a "devout Catholic" and advocate for gay rights, gay marriage, gay adoption, either.
Wouldn't it be great if voters could key in on hypocritical lies told by politicians, and vote every hypocrite out of office? Both Biden and Pelosi would have been run out of Washington decades ago. Scores of others would have gone with them, from both sides of the aisle.
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 15 2022, @06:20AM (4 children)
It is more thought that counts. Ahab/janrinok would fain destroy SN, as let aristarchus/MobyDick continue to post as AC without an account. That is really what all this is about. APK is irrelevant. And so, just before the end?
https://americanliterature.com/author/herman-melville/book/moby-dick-or-the-whale/chapter-135-the-chase-third-day [americanliterature.com]
He always said he would die by hemp, assuming it meant being hanged. But a hempen harpoon line is what did him in. Seems you have to look carefully to the Law of Unintended Consequences, when you do thing like hunt albino whales, or try to censor Soylentils that annoy you. Call me Ishmael.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday July 15 2022, @11:26PM (3 children)
I wrote:
It remained well past its forecast closing date. It was only being used as a trolling place. How is any of that a 'fait accompli'? Now i have to correlate the responses and write the results. The spamming returned, so the AC posting embargo is back on again. If you won't learn the rules then you will not be allowed to play the game.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 16 2022, @04:52AM
The big man thinks he can rule over the mighty kingdom of Soyshit, known throughout the land as having the freeziest peaches of them all, by thawing the peaches and instead competing with Gab.
ICFI/SEP/IWA-RFC:
US Secret Service deleted text messages sent between January 5-6, 2021 [wsws.org]
Medical examiner’s report confirms Akron, Ohio police shot unarmed Jayland Walker 46 times [wsws.org]
Key hearing in case of former Grand Rapids cop who killed Patrick Lyoya delayed for two months [wsws.org]
Worker missing for two months determined to have fallen into industrial plastics shredder [wsws.org]
Ventra Evart workers vote to strike by 98 percent [wsws.org]
“It’s time to make the necessary changes”: Railroaders speak out as Biden announces emergency board to block a nationwide strike [wsws.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 16 2022, @05:45AM (1 child)
My understanding is that the decision will be made by SN's board. I don't know who the board members are, except that they're not the editors and other staff that users generally interact with on this site. That part of the process feels like a black box. I don't know who is making these decisions, their motivations, or what they would like SN to be. When they make their decision, I do hope they will take the time to explain their reasoning. I assume there will be a story announcing the decision, and I think a lot of users would appreciate if the board members would consider making a statement, talking to users directly, and perhaps taking questions in the comments.
I know who you are. I know who hubie, Fnord, and FatPhil are. I know who martyb is, but he's not around, and I very much wish him a quick recovery. I have some idea of who all of you are, I appreciate all of your hard work, and I understand why you make the decisions you do. I don't know who the board members are, and I think it would be helpful for them to interact with users and explain their reasoning when they make their decision, whatever that decision may be.
This is a friendly request made with good intentions, not a demand.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Saturday July 16 2022, @06:17AM
The decision will have to be approved by the board [soylentnews.org] I believe, but all the preparatory work will be done by the staff that you know. They may simply accept our suggestions. The board control all legal aspects of the site and, of course, the finances. If, for example, they decide that the site is no longer financially viable then they may well take a very different view of our future.
I think that you will find their names on the documents for the registration of SoylentNews PBC lodged in the state of Delaware, along with details of our accountant etc. Whether they wish to be known as board members on site or contactable by other site members is something I cannot say. They will be contactable, of course, via SoylentNews PBC.
One of the better known board members was of course NCommander [github.com] (and here [casadevall.pro]) who was one of the creators of this site but who resigned his post some time back, as I have explained elsewhere.