To my readers:
I have watched Pope Francis' speech to Congress with no small degree of consternation. In 1981 I opened a file and called it "War on Fundamentalism." It appears that the present Pope's speech fired a significant salvo in that war against "Fundamentalists" (those believing the fundamentals of Scripture and their religion to be true). The "we are all one and we are all inter-connected themes of Alice Bailey and other New Agers come through, albeit subtly. The "technological advances" to facilitate global wealth redistribution, ditto. And then there were the spiritual examples given by him, the most glaring in my opinion being that of Thomas Merton. Obviously, Thomas Merton was canonized long ago -- by the THEOSOPHISTS, the mothership of the New Age Movement."
I'm sharing with you the transcript of the Pope's speech. I honestly can't help but wonder if Pope Benedict XVI (Ratzinger) has been the victim of a literal Vatican coup. While there are some issues on which I applaud things this Pope has said -- asking every Catholic parish in Europe to adopt a refugee family -- the balance to me is presently VERY TROUBLING.
I have yellow highlighted some obvious areas of my own concern. I put a few of my comments in aqua highlighting. I value your opinions and please
STAY TUNED!
CONSTANCE
Honorable
Members of Congress,
Dear
Friends,
I am
most grateful for your invitation to address this Joint Session of Congress in
“the land of the free and the home of the brave”. I would like to think that
the reason for this is that I too am a son of this great continent, from which
we have all received so much and toward which we share a common responsibility.
Each
son or daughter of a given country has a mission, a personal and social
responsibility. Your own responsibility as members of Congress is to enable
this country, by your legislative activity, to grow as a nation. You are the
face of its people, their representatives. You are called to defend and
preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding
pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics. A political
society endures when it seeks, as a vocation, to satisfy common needs by
stimulating the growth of all its members, especially those in situations of
greater vulnerability or risk. Legislative activity is always based on care for
the people. To this you have been invited, called and convened by those who
elected you.
Yours
is a work which makes me reflect in two ways on the figure of Moses. On the one
hand, the patriarch and lawgiver of the people of Israel symbolizes the need of
peoples to keep alive their sense of unity by means of just legislation. On the
other, the figure of Moses leads us directly to God and thus to the
transcendent dignity of the human being. Moses provides us with a good
synthesis of your work: you are asked to protect, by means of the law, the
image and likeness fashioned by God on every human face.
Today I
would like not only to address you, but through you the entire people of the
United States. Here, together with their representatives, I would like to take
this opportunity to dialogue with the many thousands of men and women who
strive each day to do an honest day’s work, to bring home their daily bread, to
save money and –one step at a time – to build a better life for their families.
These are men and women who are not concerned simply with paying their taxes,
but in their own quiet way sustain the life of society. They generate
solidarity by their actions, and they create organizations which offer a
helping hand to those most in need.
I would
also like to enter into dialogue with the many elderly persons who are a
storehouse of wisdom forged by experience, and who seek in many ways,
especially through volunteer work, to share their stories and their insights. I
know that many of them are retired, but still active; they keep working to
build up this land. I also want to dialogue with all those young people who are
working to realize their great and noble aspirations, who are not led astray by
facile proposals, and who face difficult situations, often as a result of immaturity
on the part of many adults. I wish to dialogue with all of you, and I would
like to do so through the historical memory of your people.
My
visit takes place at a time when men and women of good will are marking the
anniversaries of several great Americans. The complexities of history and the
reality of human weakness notwithstanding, these men and women, for all their
many differences and limitations, were able by hard work and self-sacrifice –
some at the cost of their lives – to build a better future. They shaped
fundamental values which will endure forever in the spirit of the American
people. A people with this spirit can live through many crises, tensions and
conflicts, while always finding the resources to move forward, and to do so
with dignity. These men and women offer us a way of seeing and interpreting
reality. In honoring their memory, we are inspired, even amid conflicts, and in
the here and now of each day, to draw upon our deepest cultural reserves.
I would
like to mention four of these Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King,
Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton.
This
year marks the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of
President Abraham Lincoln, the guardian of liberty, who labored tirelessly that
“this nation, under God, [might] have a new birth of freedom”. Building a
future of freedom requires love of the common good and cooperation in a spirit
of subsidiarity and solidarity.
All of
us are quite aware of, and deeply worried by, the disturbing social and
political situation of the world today. Our world is increasingly a place of
violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of
God and of religion. We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual
delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially
attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other
kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name
of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding
religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms. But there is
another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic
reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and
sinners. The contemporary world, with its open wounds which affect so many of
our brothers and sisters, demands that we confront every form of polarization
which would divide it into these two camps. We know that in the attempt to be
freed of the enemy without, we can be tempted to feed the enemy within. To
imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to
take their place. That is something which you, as a people, reject.
Our
response must instead be one of hope and healing, of peace and justice. We are
asked to summon the courage and the intelligence to resolve today’s many
geopolitical and economic crises. Even in the developed world, the effects of
unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our efforts must aim at
restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments, and thus promoting
the well-being of individuals and of peoples. We must move forward together, as
one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously
for the common good.
The
challenges facing us today call for a renewal of that spirit of cooperation,
which has accomplished so much good throughout the history of the United
States. The complexity, the gravity and the urgency of these challenges demand
that we pool our resources and talents, and resolve to support one another,
with respect for our differences and our convictions of conscience.
In this
land, the various religious denominations have greatly contributed to building
and strengthening society. It is important that today, as in the past, the
voice of faith continue to be heard, for it is a voice of fraternity and love,
which tries to bring out the best in each person and in each society. Such
cooperation is a powerful resource in the battle to eliminate new global forms
of slavery, born of grave injustices which can be overcome only through new
policies and new forms of social consensus.
Politics
is, instead, an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to
build as one the greatest common good: that of a community which sacrifices
particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its
interests, its social life. I do not underestimate the difficulty that this
involves, but I encourage you in this effort.
Here
too I think of the march which Martin Luther King led from Selma to Montgomery
fifty years ago as part of the campaign to fulfill his “dream” of full civil
and political rights for African Americans. That dream continues to inspire us
all. I am happy that America continues to be, for many, a land of “dreams”.
Dreams which lead to action, to participation, to commitment. Dreams which
awaken what is deepest and truest in the life of a people.
In
recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of
building a future in freedom. We, the people of this continent, are not fearful
of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners. I say this to you as
the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants.
Tragically, the rights of those who were here long before us were not always
respected. For those peoples and their nations, from the heart of American
democracy, I wish to reaffirm my highest esteem and appreciation. Those first
contacts were often turbulent and violent, but it is difficult to judge the
past by the criteria of the present. Nonetheless, when the stranger in our
midst appeals to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past. We
must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new
generations not to turn their back on our “neighbors” and everything around us.
Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to
others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal
subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best. I am confident that we can
do this.
Our
world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World
War. This presents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this
continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a
better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater
opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be
taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their
faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their
situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We
need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves
troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have
them do unto you” (Mt 7:12).
This
Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion
and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the
same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as
we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us
give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let
us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick
which time will use for us. The Golden Rule also reminds us of our
responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its
development.
This
conviction has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to advocate at
different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty. I am convinced
that this way is the best, since every life is sacred, every human person is
endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the
rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes. Recently my brother bishops here
in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of the death penalty.
Not only do I support them, but I also offer encouragement to all those who are
convinced that a just and necessary punishment must never exclude the dimension
of hope and the goal of rehabilitation.
In
these times when social concerns are so important, I cannot fail to mention the
Servant of God Dorothy Day, who founded the Catholic Worker Movement. Her
social activism, her passion for justice and for the cause of the oppressed,
were inspired by the Gospel, her faith, and the example of the saints.
How
much progress has been made in this area in so many parts of the world! How
much has been done in these first years of the third millennium to raise people
out of extreme poverty! I know that you share my conviction that much more
still needs to be done, and that in times of crisis and economic hardship a spirit
of global solidarity must not be lost. At the same time I would encourage you
to keep in mind all those people around us who are trapped in a cycle of
poverty. They too need to be given hope. The fight against poverty and hunger
must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its causes. I know
that many Americans today, as in the past, are working to deal with this
problem.
It goes
without saying that part of this great effort is the creation and distribution
of wealth. The right use of natural resources, the proper application of
technology and the harnessing of the spirit of enterprise are essential
elements of an economy which seeks to be modern, inclusive and sustainable.
“Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving the
world. It can be a fruitful source
of prosperity for the area in which it operates, especially if it sees the
creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good”
(Laudato Si’, 129). This common good also includes the earth, a central theme
of the encyclical which I recently wrote in order to “enter into dialogue with
all people about our common home” (ibid., 3). “We need a conversation which
includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its
human roots, concern and affect us all” (ibid., 14).
In
Laudato Si’, I call for a courageous and responsible effort to “redirect our
steps” (ibid., 61), and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental
deterioration caused by human activity. I am convinced that we can make a
difference and I have no doubt that the United States – and this Congress –
have an important role to play. Now is the time for courageous actions and
strategies, aimed at implementing a “culture of care” (ibid., 231) and “an integrated
approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the
same time protecting nature” (ibid., 139). “We have the freedom needed to limit
and direct technology” (ibid., 112); “to devise intelligent ways of… developing
and limiting our power” (ibid., 78); and to put technology “at the service of
another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more
integral” (ibid., 112). In this regard, I am confident that America’s
outstanding academic and research institutions can make a vital contribution in
the years ahead. [QUERY: wouldn't the system warned of in Revelation 13 fill the bill here?]
A
century ago, at the beginning of the Great War, which Pope Benedict XV termed a
“pointless slaughter”, another notable American was born: the Cistercian monk
Thomas Merton. He remains a source of spiritual inspiration and a guide for
many people. In his autobiography he wrote: “I came into the world. Free by
nature, in the image of God, I was nevertheless the prisoner of my own violence
and my own selfishness, in the image of the world into which I was born. That
world was the picture of Hell, full of men like myself, loving God, and yet
hating him; born to love him, living instead in fear of hopeless
self-contradictory hungers”. Merton was above all a man of prayer, a thinker
who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and
for the Church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between
peoples and religions. [Doesn't Pope Francis know that Thomas Merton was in effect 'canonized a long time ago -- by the Theosophists and their fellow travelers, including but not limited to Matthew Fox's crowd and Lucis Trust? Merton was one of Matthew Fox's early mentors!]
From
this perspective of dialogue, I would like to recognize the efforts made in
recent months to help overcome historic differences linked to painful episodes
of the past. It is my duty to build bridges and to help all men and women, in
any way possible, to do the same. When countries which have been at odds resume
the path of dialogue – a dialogue which may have been interrupted for the most
legitimate of reasons – new opportunities open up for all. This has required,
and requires, courage and daring, which is not the same as irresponsibility. A
good political leader is one who, with the interests of all in mind, seizes the
moment in a spirit of openness and pragmatism. A good political leader always
opts to initiate processes rather than possessing spaces (cf. Evangelii
Gaudium, 222-223).
Being
at the service of dialogue and peace also means being truly determined to
minimize and, in the long term, to end the many armed conflicts throughout our
world. Here we have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to
those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly,
the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in
blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence,
it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade.
Three
sons and a daughter of this land, four individuals and four dreams: Lincoln,
liberty; Martin Luther King, liberty in plurality and non-exclusion; Dorothy
Day, social justice and the rights of persons; and Thomas Merton, the capacity
for dialogue and openness to God.
Four
representatives of the American people.
I will
end my visit to your country in Philadelphia, where I will take part in the
World Meeting of Families. It is my wish that throughout my visit the family
should be a recurrent theme. How essential the family has been to the building
of this country! And how worthy it remains of our support and encouragement!
Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as
never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being
called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can
only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of
family life.
In
particular, I would like to call attention to those family members who are the
most vulnerable, the young. For many of them, a future filled with countless
possibilities beckons, yet so many others seem disoriented and aimless, trapped
in a hopeless maze of violence, abuse and despair. Their problems are our
problems. We cannot avoid them. We need to face them together, to talk about
them and to seek effective solutions rather than getting bogged down in
discussions. At the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a
culture which pressures young people not to start a family, because they lack
possibilities for the future. Yet this same culture presents others with so
many options that they too are dissuaded from starting a family.
A
nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it
fosters a culture which enables people to “dream” of full rights for all their
brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for
justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless
work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the
contemplative style of Thomas Merton.
In
these remarks I have sought to present some of the richness of your cultural
heritage, of the spirit of the American people. It is my desire that this
spirit continue to develop and grow, so that as many young people as possible
can inherit and dwell in a land which has inspired so many people to dream.
God
bless America!
