NY Times: Conservative Catholics Feel Left Out of Pope's Embrace

Fantine

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/u...l-left-out-of-the-popes-embrace.html?hp&_r=1&

In the eight months since he became pope, Francis has won affection worldwide for his humble mien and common touch. His approval numbers are skyrocketing. Even atheists are applauding.

But not everyone is so enchanted. Some Catholics in the church’s conservative wing in the United States say Francis has left them feeling abandoned and deeply unsettled. On the Internet and in conversations among themselves, they despair that after 35 years in which the previous popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, drew clear boundaries between right and wrong, Francis is muddying Catholic doctrine to appeal to the broadest possible audience.
 

Fantine

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I am actually glad that the conservatives are expressing their feelings. It's emotionally healthier--even if they have been conditioned to say, "The Pope is always right," all that repressed hostility would crop up in other areas. Heaven knows we have too much of it in politics...
 
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Michie

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Commentary from Greg Richter:

Conservative Catholics Grapple with Pope's Perceived Liberalism

While Pope Francis has successfully reached out to typical critics of the Catholic Church, including atheists, conservative members of his own flock feel left out, The New York Times reports.

"It seems he’s focusing on bringing back the left that’s fallen away, but what about the conservatives?" Bridget Kurt told The Times. "Even when it was discouraging working in pro-life, you always felt like Mother Teresa was on your side and the popes were encouraging you. Now I feel kind of thrown under the bus."

Many Catholic commentators were concerned about comments Francis gave in an interview the Jesuit publication La Civilta Cattolica two months ago. The newly elected pope seemed to downplay more conservative beliefs.

But much of what Francis said was misinterpreted by the secular press, those commentators argued at the time.

Francis urged the church's pastoral ministry to "find a new balance" and said it "cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage, and the use of contraceptive methods."

In October, Francis told an Italian atheist, "Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is good . . . Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place."

He also referred to proselytizing as "solemn nonsense."

That was enough for the website beforeitsnews.com to headline the article: "OH SNAP! Pope Says NO Moral Absolutes!"

Defenders say that wasn't the intent at all, but it has left American conservatives in the church unhappy nonetheless.

Conservative Catholic blogger Steve Skojec wrote of the statements: "Are they explicitly heretical? No. Are they dangerously close? Absolutely. What kind of a Christian tells an atheist he has no intention to convert him? That alone should disturb Catholics everywhere."

Other conservatives have examined his words and say that none of them go against Catholic teaching, The Times reported, but many of them call what he has said "naive" and "imprudent."

Two Catholic state legislators in Illinois who recently voted in favor of same-sex marriage quoted Francis' words' "Who am I to judge?" when speaking of their votes.

"When a pope makes a statement off the cuff or in an interview, it’s not an infallible statement," Chris Baran, who is on the board of a preganancy center run by nuns in Georgia, told The Times.

"I’m not sure if he cares about being accurate," Robert Royal, president of the D.C. think tank Faith & Reason, told The Washington Post. "He gets into an [evangelizing] dynamic with people and that seems to be the most important thing. . . . In some ways it makes people very anxious. If you do this, what’s the next thing?”

Conservative Catholics Grapple with Pope's Perceived Liberalism
 
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Second Phoenix

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What a horrible article.

"But not everyone is so enchanted. Some Catholics in the church’s conservative wing in the United States say Francis has left them feeling abandoned and deeply unsettled. On the Internet and in conversations among themselves, they despair that after 35 years in which the previous popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, drew clear boundaries between right and wrong, Francis is muddying Catholic doctrine to appeal to the broadest possible audience."

Some Catholics? Which Catholics? What study is this from?

Where is he muddying Catholic doctrine?

This is propaganda, not journalism.
 
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Michie

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What a horrible article.

"But not everyone is so enchanted. Some Catholics in the church’s conservative wing in the United States say Francis has left them feeling abandoned and deeply unsettled. On the Internet and in conversations among themselves, they despair that after 35 years in which the previous popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, drew clear boundaries between right and wrong, Francis is muddying Catholic doctrine to appeal to the broadest possible audience."

Some Catholics? Which Catholics? What study is this from?

Where is he muddying Catholic doctrine?

This is propaganda, not journalism.

Awwww you're no fun. They got keep stirring the stink. ;)
 
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Michie

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Media circus, anyone? The National Catholic Register has even made note about the media's distortion over the Pope. As in, everything he says.
True.

National Catholic Reporter was saying the Vatican was polling Catholics. Another distortion of the third degree.


I'm sitting here just watching the circus.

I'm waiting for the bookies to show up next. :p
 
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MikeK

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National Catholic Reporter was saying the Vatican was polling Catholics. Another distortion of the third degree.

The Vatican did order the polling of Catholics. The definition of polling was even given to you. I'm not sure how you can deny this basic truth.
 
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Fantine

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I always get the feeling that Pope Francis speaks and "handlers" scurry around trying to do damage control to mute, stifle, soft-pedal, or alter his words.

I'm not so sure it's the media that has them wrong...I think it's his "handlers."
 
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MikeK

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I don't think the Pope's handlers are to blame for anything, liberal and conservative media are. The good man means what he says, but liberals in the media twist his intent and conservative in the media assert that he didn't mean anything at all but to maintain the status quo. They are a bunch of liars, and I don't understand why professed Catholics enable them by drawing attention to their articles or blogposts.
 
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Fantine

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Catholics have traditionally been told they need to have everything interpreted for them...

The Bible, for example. Heaven help us if a Bible verse has an individual meaning for us that is different from what the "official" meaning is supposed to be.

But maybe some of us take the Pope's words at face value.

And maybe some of us agree with the media's interpretation--and it's not as if his actual words aren't listed most of the time.

Maybe some of us don't want to wait for some holdover from Pope Benedict's era to come out and say, "Wait--he didn't mean that. He meant, "Bravo status quo."

Maybe he didn't mean that.
 
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TravisK

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What a horrible article.

"But not everyone is so enchanted. Some Catholics in the church’s conservative wing in the United States say Francis has left them feeling abandoned and deeply unsettled. On the Internet and in conversations among themselves, they despair that after 35 years in which the previous popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, drew clear boundaries between right and wrong, Francis is muddying Catholic doctrine to appeal to the broadest possible audience."

Some Catholics? Which Catholics? What study is this from?

Where is he muddying Catholic doctrine?

This is propaganda, not journalism.

Haha...good point.
 
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