New pope, same old line

emblem of the Papacy: Triple tiara and keys Français : emblème pontifical Italiano: emblema del Papato Português: Emblema papal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pooped out on the Pope

Saturday, March 23, 2013By CLAIRE CASTAGNERA tneditortnonline.com
There's been a whole lot of hubbub surrounding the election and inauguration of the new Pope. And with good reason, I suppose; Pope Francis is a pretty progressive guy. At least, he's considered progressive in the Bermuda Triangle that is time in the Catholic Church, mostly because he deigns to ride in cars with other people rather than sit alone in his papal car like all the previous old fogies.
But after only seven days, I hear that the backlash against the new Pope is already beginning. People are calling his views "medieval" - as if that's a surprise, considering he works for one of the oldest and least adaptable institutions in the world. I mean really, can you trust a guy who is in a position of power that doesn't even accept resumes from female applicants? Just because Pope Francis rides on the bus with the cardinals doesn't mean he'll ever stoop to confab with the nuns.
Other folks with whom Pope Francis will not confab include: gay couples, people who would like contraception and sex education, and women who need abortions due to said lack of contraception and sex education. Sure, he'll make pleas for the poor, but he's only doing his due diligence there: he's aiding an institution that sets up the poor and undereducated to have scores of poor, undereducated babies. Then he calls gay adoption "discrimination against children" - children in need of homes and who, I imagine, would only be so lucky as to be adopted by a loving gay couple.
So yes, I guess it's nice that the Pope is shaking things up in his own way. The Catholic Church can only be improved, little by little, by any alterations. But let's not kid ourselves and think Pope Francis is really one of us simply because he's slightly less haughty than his predecessors. He's still sitting on high in his Papal throne, so far removed from the lives of anyone I know. If you're one of the poor and disadvantaged that he claims to want to help so badly, you're more likely to find assistance at your local Planned Parenthood than in the arms of Pope Francis.

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