The Patriot Post® · Pope Francis: More Politician Than Pontiff
In traditional Catholic parlance, the Latin monogram IHS means Iesus Hominum Salvator, or “Jesus Savior of Mankind.” But in the 21 century pop culture world — where empty-headed Kim Kardashian is inexplicably famous (“The pope is dope”) and an aloof, talk show-junkie U.S. president is “too cool” to respect constitutional limits — to this oddball triumvirate we add pope-turned-politician Francis. As with Mr. Obama’s ever-intrusive interference, likewise for Francis, apparently focusing on religion and spiritual matters are not enough. For him, IHS translates into: “I’m Hypocritical, Seriously.” Indeed, has any pope in modern times been so agenda-driven or inserted himself so readily into the election of a future American president?
Hours after praying for Mexican migrants who died trying to reach the United States illegally, the pope took the opportunity to bring attention to his pro-illegal alien stance in violation of U.S. secular law by answering a question related to Donald Trump’s promised U.S. border wall (paid for by Mexico). His response:
“A person who thinks only about building walls — wherever they may be — and not building bridges, is not Christian.” Francis added, “I’d just say that this man is not Christian if he said it this way.”
That’s quite an interesting position. So anybody who wants to build border walls “is not Christian,” is that it? How about someone already living safely ensconced behind them? Naturally, I refer to the 39-foot walled city, the Vatican. Granted the fortifications were there well before March 13, 2013, when this 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church came to power. However, if he’s serious on this subject, why hasn’t he already done a Reaganesque “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”?
Living in Europe, surely this “intercessor for God” is well aware of the 60 million displaced migrants literally flooding into Europe from the war-torn Middle East. Of course, I jest about the need to remove walls (or prevent them like “bridge-building” Pope Francis). Yet, as he is the Holy Father, what’s to stop him from dismissing the Swiss guard and throwing open the gates to the downtrodden? (Imagine how many thousands the thick, protective walls of the Vatican could accommodate!)
My point: He’s not serious, beyond the lip service of saying and doing the things that cast the Catholic Church in a positive light. Living in a palatial fortress that is literally its own country, he’s a limousine liberal chauffeured instead in a Fiat 500L. A superficial demonstration of his “regular guy” status. Importantly, recognize the equivalent Obama-like hypocrisy. Francis’s version of “teachable moment” political optics: publicly scolding another with migrant advice he is loath to personally practice. Specifically, Pope Francis’s outspoken MSM-reported condemnation of the l'enfant terrible political phenomenon that is Donald Trump is intended (as everything he does) to constantly burnish the Church’s historically dubious reputation in the wider court of public opinion. To reference Scripture, Mark 12:17: “And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Simply put, too much politician’s gamesmanship — not enough pope.
Up until this latest dust-up, crossing swords with Republican front-runner Donald Trump, Pope Francis had been coasting with Obama 2008-like popularity and “newness.” To relate his position to Obama’s in today’s America, the honeymoon is officially over. All thanks to the uncensored buzz saw who may very well be the next president of the United States.
David L. Hunter is on Twitter and blogs at davidlhunter.blogspot.com. He has previously been published in multiple in The Washington Post, The Washington Times, FrontPage Mag, and extensively in Canada Free Press and American Thinker.