Political Wire

Pope’s Visit May Be Uncomfortable for Republicans

July 20, 2015 at 6:47 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 14 Comments

New York Times: “When Pope Francis comes to Capitol Hill in September, he will be the first pontiff to address a joint meeting of Congress, where more than 30 percent of the members are Catholic. The visit will fulfill a long-held dream of Mr. Boehner, who says only his working-class roots as a bar owner’s son are more essential to his core than his Catholic upbringing. He has extended offers to popes for the last 20 years, and Francis, after taking nearly a year to consider, was the first to accept.”

“The pope’s visit comes with inherent tension for many Republicans, including those who are Catholic. While he has made no changes in church doctrine, Francis has forcefully staked out ideological ground opposite that of Mr. Boehner and his party. He has excoriated the excesses of capitalism as the “dung of the devil,” pleaded for action to stop global warming and enthusiastically supported the new nuclear accord with Iran.”

Pope Says Those in Weapons Industry Aren’t Christian

June 21, 2015 at 9:51 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 46 Comments

Pope Francis said that people who manufacture weapons or invest in weapons industries are hypocrites if they call themselves Christian, the Guardian reports.

“Francis issued his toughest condemnation to date of the weapons industry at a rally of thousands of young people at the end of the first day of his trip to the Italian city of Turin.”

Pope Calls for Swift Action on Climate Change

June 18, 2015 at 6:41 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 15 Comments

Pope Francis “called for a radical transformation of politics, economics and individual lifestyles to confront environmental degradation and climate change, as his much-awaited papal encyclical blended a biting critique of consumerism and irresponsible development with a plea for swift and unified global action,” the New York Times reports.

“The vision that Francis outlined in the 184-page encyclical is sweeping in ambition and scope: He described a relentless exploitation and destruction of the environment, which he blamed on apathy, the reckless pursuit of profits, excessive faith in technology, and political shortsightedness. The most vulnerable victims are the world’s poorest people, he declared, who are being dislocated and disregarded.”

Wall Street Journal: “The pontiff also denounced in bold and uncompromising terms what he described as the sinful plundering of the earth by powerful political and economic interests at the expense of the poor and future generations.”

Wonk Wire: Catholics divided over global warming

Pope Makes Trouble for Republicans

May 26, 2015 at 6:55 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 25 Comments

Politico: “Catholic Republicans are developing a pope problem. Earlier this month, Francis recognized Palestinian statehood. This summer, he’s going to issue an encyclical condemning environmental degradation. And in September, just as the GOP primary race heats up, Francis will travel to Washington to address Congress on climate change.”

“Francis may be popular with the general public, but key Republican primary constituencies — hawks, climate-change skeptics and religious conservatives, including some Catholics, are wary of the pope’s progressivism.”

Pope Backs Equal Pay for Women

April 29, 2015 at 10:48 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 64 Comments

Pope Francis backed efforts for equal pay for men and women who perform the same work, saying that continuing disparities in pay for women are a “pure scandal,” according to the National Catholic Reporter.

Said Francis: “Why is it expected that women must earn less than men? No! They have the same rights. The disparity is a pure scandal.”

Pope Says His Tenure Will Likely Be Short

March 13, 2015 at 4:33 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 80 Comments

Pope Francis said in an interview that he believes his pontificate will be short and that he would be ready to resign like his predecessor rather than ruling for life, Reuters reports.

Francis also said he “did not mind” being pope but would like to be able to go out in Rome unrecognized for a pizza.

Santorum Confused by Pope’s Comments

January 21, 2015 at 2:29 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 77 Comments

Rick Santorum is baffled by recent remarks by Pope Francis suggesting that faithful Catholics need not “procreate like rabbits,” TPM reports.

Said Santorum: “Sometimes very difficult to listen to the Pope and some of the things he says off the cuff, and this is one of them. When he speaks as the leader of the Catholic Church, I’ll certainly pay attention. But when he speaks in interviews, he’s giving his own opinions, which I certainly will listen to, but from my perspective, that doesn’t reflect the idea that people shouldn’t be fruitful and multiply, and that people should be open to life as something that is a core value of the faith and of the Catholic Church.”

He added: “I don’t know what the Pope was referring to here.”

Pope Francis Might Address Congress

January 21, 2015 at 9:43 am EST By Taegan Goddard 53 Comments

“Expectations are growing that Pope Francis will be ascending the House rostrum this fall, becoming the first pontiff ever to visit the Capitol and the most important voice of worldwide moral authority to address lawmakers in person since Nelson Mandela two decades ago,” Roll Call reports.

“If the congressional appearance comes off, the pope would be guaranteed more than an enormous American television audience — likely surpassing the numbers that tuned in for this year’s State of the Union address. More importantly, Francis would gain a unique opportunity to present his ideas for a more socially just society while making direct eye contact with one of the world’s most influential groups. For all its partisan dysfunction, Congress has an unequaled capacity to either impede or manifest the papal vision with the legislative proposals it chooses to rebuff or enact.”

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