Pope Francis slams culture of ‘perfect’ people shunning the disabled

[bemildred]

Vatican City • Pope Francis scathingly decried the pursuit for perfect bodies Sunday, saying such obsession leads to society hiding away the disabled to avoid offending sensibilities of what he termed "the privileged few."

In St. Peter's Square, Francis celebrated Mass dedicated to disabled people and their caregivers, then spent time chatting with and hugging many of them at the end of the service.

"It is thought that sick or disabled persons cannot be happy, since they cannot live the lifestyle held up by the culture of pleasure and entertainment," Francis said in his homily. "In an age when care for one's body has become an obsession and a big business, anything that is imperfect has to be hidden away, since it threatens the happiness and serenity of the privileged few and endangers the dominant model."

http://www.sltrib.com/home/3998254-155/pope-francis-slams-culture-of-perfect

[Silver_Witch]

1. Who cares what the Pope says.

Religion is the problem with the world.

Do these sound like the words of a caring man? Not to me!

This is just more attempts to divide and point fingers of shame at people.

The Pope can just go away with all other religious people as far as I am concerned.

When they stop hating and judging perhaps them I will listen.

[rjsquirrel]

2. As a Catholic born and raised I agree

What a strange and petty thing for a guy whose church discriminates against women and gays and protects pedophiles to proffer.

I see the pope as a phony with good PR. And I can recite the Latin mass.

[Silver_Witch]

9. Thank you RJSquirrel...

It does seem funny to speak out for anyone when their hatred of women is so very clear.

[FrodosPet]

3. ALL other religious people?

ALL other religious fundamentalists, or ALL believers period?

BTW, the handle Silver_Witch does not refer to Wiccan beliefs, does it?

[Silver_Witch]

8. Yes all religions including Pseudo Pagans

You know there is no such thing right - that it is all myth and fairy tales. Take away the W and Replace it with a B - they won't let me have that one.

[REP]

4. I'm disabled and I want the pope to leave me the fuck alone

I'm also a woman, so chances are he really doesn't give a shit about me anyway, since I'm not enjoying my suffering as a way to get closer to one of his gods.

Doesn't Pope Dreamy McPhoto-Op have some LGBT people to kick or some pedos to hide?

[Silver_Witch]

6. Thank you REP - that is exactly how I feel...exactly.

I am tired of their giving up their suffering for Jesus - Mother Fucking Theresa did that and then when she was dying went to the best hospital money could pay for!!

[Albertoo]

11. Well, the Pope would have to decide first if you have a soul ;)

There was a council where the bishops wondered if women had souls.
Seeing your disrespect for Francis here, I'd say you don't have one

[Odin2005]

14. You sound like an angry, bitter person.

[Silver_Witch]

17. Judging people is what irreligious do!

Thanks for proving my point you don't know me at all!

[Ilsa]

5. If he has the authority to call people out for

Being superficial and discriminatory, then great. People that are different in appearance and ability need as many as possible on their side.

[Silver_Witch]

7. Perhaps he should call out his church and...

take off those clothes and sell his buildings and do something to aid those who suffer rather than shaking his fingers at everyone else.

Greed and hubris - yuck

[Albertoo]

10. Whenever Francis talks, I have to facepalm

OK. I get it, this guy believes in saints who performed idiotic miracles (like the one at the death of which the sun didn't rise for 3 consecutive days). BUt must he add to it?

What is that logic? Praising fitness is rejecting the handicapped?
Honestly, he should rather fly back to Africa and tell his bishops that homophobia is wrong (something he omitted to do during his last trip there)

[LeftyMom]

12. Translated out of pope speak, this means stop aborting jacked up fetuses.

They're supposed to be born so they can die and teach us about Christ's suffering, or live so their poor mothers can teach us about Christ's suffering.

Duh.

[whatthehey]

13. Well it's nice he doesn't want me shunned for a couple decades more on earth

But just slightly overshadowed by the fact that he wants a being of perfect love and mercy to burn me in a fiery tortured hell for trillions of aeons because I don't buy into obviously syncretic folk myths of one particular tribe of ancient Levantine peasants. But hey Frankie thanks for the bit of non-shunning first.

[Odin2005]

15. The comments in this thread are terrible.

[bemildred]

16. Extreme poverty is a reality, not a faceless statistic, pope says

ROME (CNS) -- The key to ending extreme poverty and hunger is to recognize that behind every statistic, there is the face of a person who is suffering, Pope Francis said.

"Poverty has a face! It has the face of a child; it has the face of a family; it has the face of people, young and old. It has the face of widespread unemployment and lack of opportunity. It has the face of forced migrations, and of empty or destroyed homes," the pope said June 13 during a visit to the Rome headquarters of the U.N.'s World Food Program.

Advanced communications, while informing the world of the tragedy of poverty, has also resulted in a desensitized culture that has turned the real suffering of people into statistics, the pope told WFP executive board members.

The world is gradually "growing immune to other people's tragedies, seeing them as something 'natural,'" he said. "Without faces and stories, human lives become statistics and we run the risk of bureaucratizing the sufferings of others."

http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/extreme-poverty-is-a-reality-not-a-faceless-statistic-pope-says.cfm

[pnwmom]

18. Just 5 minutes ago Bernie was visiting the Pope and Bernie supporters were applauding.

I knew that wouldn't last.

[bemildred]

19. I assume you mean the reactions on this thread?

I think people get upset and worked up and then they will vent their spleen, so to speak. But I don't think it means much: "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing". That perfectly describes our elections, most of the time, at least "not signifying much".

I do it myself and then I have to walk away for a while.

I think the Pope is trying to reform the organization he represents from within, and I applaud him for trying. And he seems to be a brave and nice guy. Not a self-important prick. So I'm not Catholic or religious, but I don't have a problem with the Pope, and I don't have a problem with Catholicism as such, any more than Islam, it's the politics that sucks, not the religion.

I think people who have been harmed by the Church or its minions are naturally annoyed and have a beef with it, and will say so, and that's OK too, they have a right to speak, the Church does have issues.