Pope Francis Insists Church Must Help Poor, Not 'Speak Of Theology'

[OmahaBlueDog]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/18/pope-church-must-help-the-poor_n_3299764.html

"If we step outside of ourselves, we will find poverty," he said, repeating his call for Catholics to do more to seek out those on the fringes of society who need help the most," he said from the steps of St. Peter's Basilica

"Today, and it breaks my heart to say it, finding a homeless person who has died of cold, is not news. Today, the news is scandals, that is news, but the many children who don't have food - that's not news. This is grave. We can't rest easy while things are this way."

The crowd, most of whom are already involved in charity work, interrupted him often with applause.

"We cannot become starched Christians, too polite, who speak of theology calmly over tea. We have to become courageous Christians and seek out those (who need help most)," he said.

[Deep13]

1. Applaud the new focus, but...

...part of fighting poverty is allowing women to control their own sexuality and reproduction. Without birth control, we can never hope to end poverty.

[Phillip McCleod]

2. all i hear is talk.

his words mean nothing as long as the institution and its hierarchy remain bigoted, this is empty P.R., and it's insulting to think some democrats think we should all drop our jaws in amazement that the vatican's latest spin-doctor in a funny hat would pander to the poor.

[intheflow]

7. Yes, 2013 years of global bad behavior should have been changed

in the two months since he's been elected. Try bringing your expectations back into the reality zone.

[Katashi_itto]

10. +11000!!!

[Phillip McCleod]

18. i am in the reality zone.

It's the gullible tools who think he's going to change that 1600 year history.. the RCC is *not* 2013 years old.. at all. Not in 2 months or 2 years or 2 decades.

Get this straight.. he is a conservative. Period.

[Katashi_itto]

11. You sound just like the Republicans 60 Days after Obama took office

[Occulus]

14. Both you and intheflow sound like you think the Vatican is a democracy like ours

[intheflow]

17. It's not a democracy.

But it's not an all-powerful Oz, either. They don't have a standing army to physically force all their churches/priests/followers to shift gears overnight. No organization can do that, democratic or otherwise.

[Phillip McCleod]

19. more importantly they don't have the *will* to change..

..and the better example would be not cutting Bush any slack in his 1st 60 days.

[Javaman]

15. it's been nothing but a massive PR spin since he took office...

ah hmm, got selected.

They are trying like hell to scrape off the sex scandal, financial scandal, the "butler did it" sandal, and any and all other scandals that have built up over the last 2 centuries.

it's the case of the shiny object distraction ruse to keep people from focusing on, you know, the actual cause of the problems.

[uriel1972]

3. Get back to me when they change their stance on women and LGBTQI people...nt

[ErikJ]

4. Church's opposition for global family planning might have a bit to do with that!

HYPOCRITE!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

5. Sounds like a pitch for a new fund raising drive...

They'll make a visible effort,...and see that it gets good PR.

[pennylane100]

6. I cannot believe I am saying this, but here goes:

This guy seems really concerned about the poor. I still realize that the church continues to regard women to be second class people with no right to control their own bodies, and their record on child abuse is beyond criminal. However, this new man really does seem to have a very compassionate view about the millions of poor people that need help and is definitely, IMHO, the best one for the job in a long whille.

[Berlum]

8. "We can't rest easy while things are this way." - Pope F

[ananda]

9. So ..

.. how much Vatican/church money is Pope Frank donating to the poor now?

Also.. how much energy is Pope Frank expending to make sure that nuns and priests who work for the poor and for peace are getting ALL the support they need?

This enquiring mind wants to know...

[OmahaBlueDog]

12. I'll cite this post upthread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022869665#post7

It's been two months.

[Javaman]

16. Right you are! He's been busy with other things!

Pope Francis Names 800 New Saints In One Go

http://news.yahoo.com/pope-francis-names-800-saints-one-235904106.html

once the papacy got rid of the devils advocate, it appears as if the free pass to sainthood has been streamlined.

[Phillip McCleod]

20. yep and scolding nuns for leaning left..

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/15/world/la-fg-pope-nuns-20130416

[dembotoz]

13. positive if true--if the next step is to excommunicate republicans???

then we might have something