Today TIME magazine named Pope Francis 2013's Person of the Year, and it's a good pick. Certainly a breath of fresh air coming from the Vatican, nice to see the Church in the news in a positive light again. Contrast that with last many years where they seemed to only make news whenever another parish had another child rape scandal.

Personally I liked his reaction to the "Bishop Deluxe" scandal in Germany where a bishop used $30 million of church funds to renovate his house. Called him to the carpet in Rome and sent him back home (later suspended) with his tail between his legs...on Coach.

It's interesting watching how the ideologies react to him. He's not changed the Church's positions on hot topics Gay Marriage and abortion, yet liberals like him. (A new ABC poll showed that he has 75% favorable ratings with American moderates and liberals.) In fact its kinda weird going online and seeing some of them defend him from the right-wingers. Certainly his mantra against poverty and global income inequality is part of the reason, but I think it's also that he's not a raging asshole in public about the culture war. Regardless of ideology, he's immensely likeable, admirable in his pursuits of reforming the Church, specifically in its image. Consider for the first time ever recently, he publicly opened the books for the controversial Vatican Bank.

Yet the right wing, at least in America...they really don't like him. Fox News and Rush Limbaugh and that right wing news media compare him to Obama (err WHAT?) and call him a Marxist (which he isn't) who should be ignored by "real" Catholics. Which is weird because just a few years ago I remember when that same lot chided American "Cafeteria Catholics" for going to Church but ignoring the edicts from Benedict XVI and his bishops.

Why do they hate him? I think at the heart of it subconciously, they're pissed that the new Pope more or less told them to calm the fuck down on the Culture War stuff, a deep contrast with the previous Pope (and for that matter, John Paul II.) Not surrendering or calling it quits as they seemed t have interpreted, but simply more like "Hey guys, there might be more important and bigger shit to worry about than about a bunch of homosexuals getting married, m'OK? Priorities people!" Geez no wonder Maggie Gallagher was pissed.

The irony missed by their knee-jerk overreaction to his concern for poor people is that he's probably their best chance of recapturing those millions of Catholics who wanted nothing to do with the Church after the child abuse scandals and the Culture War bullshit, but haven't become athetist. For all the talk allegedly about the numbers of "Non-believers" growing in America, I think as an agonostic (or atheist in denial?) myself its more likely that big chunk of those just simply don't want to be publicly associated with the right wing religious assholes who wasted away their moral authority while turning a blind eye to their own gross excesses. (This is especially true for the Catholic Church.)

With my Catholic background, I remember fondly growing up watching the the Christmas rituals at the Vatican (on tape delay), seeing all the pomp and circumstance year after year. As an adult, I quit doing that as a pathetic protest against the Church, specifically under the last Pontiff (even if John Paul II before him was unfortunately also part of the institutionalized problem, especially with the child rape scandals).

I think I'll return to that tradition again this year.

Welcome home, Ronnie .

Fundamentalist Christian right-wingers have always been anti-Catholic. We're closer to Jews than Christians in their eyes anyway, and that suits me just fine because Christianity was borne of Judaism. Yet many of them (your KKK types) refuse to accept this indisputable fact .

So this isn't really news. But now that there's a Pope who's at least willing to accept and love gays, they're going apeshit. And that fat pig Limbaugh is a Methodist, so how would he know what makes a "real" Catholic?

You know that Miley Cyrus was the "people's choice" for Time person of the year, right?


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I'm not fully caught up on everything you're talking about in this thread but as the population of this country becomes more "Hispanic/Latino" it will also become more catholic.

Those who claim to represent and defend "American core values and principles" might feel a bit uncomfortable that % of Protestants will continue to shrink.

First large wave of Catholic immigrants bore the brunt of the anti-papist prejudice. Still exists though

http://poy.time.com/2013/12/02/miley-cyrus-leads-times-person-of-the-year-poll-with-3-days-left/

when I read about the Pope being named.....article said that Cyrus won the online vote....thought it was a joke but...it was true...
might be time trying to court younger audience but according to them she won online poll

Yeah, I was just responding to your witty reply. The reality is, there's nothing at all funny about that poll .

Pizza,

I thought they were joking,myself.

I laughed it off and then looked it up...then laughed it off

Miley Cyrus as Time Magazine person of the year would be an absolute disgrace. Thank god Time has editors who don't cave into popular pressure. Fuck that little twat and all she stands for

Joe, Although I personally wouldn't have chosen your vocabulary, I completely agree with the sentiment.

I think Pope Francis is a wonderful man of humility. He preaches Jesus Christ's message of love, tolerance and acceptance. Supposedly, John Paul I had similar leanings, and I hope that Francis meets a better fate.

First of all, nice to see you back RR.

I continue to be impressed with Pope Francis. I don't know where the term came from or who started it (I doubt it was the Pope), but the Bishop Ronnie mentioned, who got demoted (aka booted), is referred to as "The Bishop of Bling."

This Pope washes the feet of prisoners, leaves his home to go to talk to the poor, and purchased a used car to get around in, not being really fond of the "Popemobile." Maybe the Jesuit order taught him to live such a simple life. I don't know but geez, from what I've seen, if he isn't practicing as Jesus would, I don't what is. What's not to admire.

I saw a while back a young boy ran up to the stage he was speaking at and sat in the Pope's chair while he was speaking. Pope Francis smiled and embraced the boy and let him sit there.

All that being said, if this Pope even begins to look into, turn in, or give the boot to the pedophile priests, I will really be impressed.

TIS

I love Francis I. This guy is the real deal. Makes me proud to be Catholic.

He is the real deal, and because he preaches for economic justice the "Christian" right hates him.

I must admit I am a huge fan of Pope Francis. I didn't have high hopes for the Church electing a man like him but I have the utmost respect for this man. His humbleness is unprecedented and he focuses on loving others rather than scorning them. He tells people to love gays without actually changing the position of the church itself. Besides if anyone is really honest with themselves there will never be a Pope who condones abortion or homosexuality. But we got the next best thing and that's good enough for me.

The Christian right in this country, mostly protestant should really fuck off, simply because they aren't even Catholic and don't know a damn thing about being one. Also it just makes them look even more stuck up than they already are

I read Edward Snowden was the runner up for the Time Magazine cover and Person of the Year....i'm glad they decided to go with Pope Francis instead.

Un...fucking...believable.

Yup...i agree. But thats what one article said...not sure it's true...but they said there was alot of pressure to name Snowden.

edit: nevermind, someone else beat me to it

The person of the year is supposed to be whomever had the greatest influence on world affairs for better or for worse. That's why Hitler once got it, and its probably why Snowden was in contention.

Very true. It's not designed to be a celebration of the person(s), but recognition of the scope and weight of the effect, which the person(s) had on the news and world.

Pope Francis is an excellent choice. He is uniquely influencing religion, politics, economics and culture around the globe, and it is fascinating to consider what his papacy will accomplish in the coming years. He's making a lot of people uncomfortable, which is a good thing.

True enough, DT. True enough .

Don't pounce on me but I swear I heard Miley Cyrus was in the running too. Maybe it was a joke right?





TIS

They would have named her but the article would have been full of tongue twisters.

That would surely be a knee-twerk choice.......

CBS is reporting that officials are debating giving Snowden amnesty and allowing him to return without being charged with anything. But they want all the files and no more leaks.

There must be alot of good/bad stuff in those files that they don't want to come out.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nsa-leaders-split-on-giving-amnesty-to-snowden/

I guess it depends on what you mean by "accept and love." If accepting means condoning their lifestyle, I don't think the Pope means that. At least I hope not. But it seems liberals have taken a liking to him because his comments have been interpreted by some to suggest that homosexuality isn't that big of a deal. And that's music to the ears of secular liberals. If they can't get religions to do a 180 and view homosexuality as OK, the next best thing in their book is to get religions focused on other things. It isn't about a "culture war," but about doctrine.


“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien
As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

- Alexander Pope

Right wing news media?, right wing news media? Ronnie are you on drugs? The news media is in obama's back pocket he yells jump and they all fall over themselves to be the first. Perhaps you have not seen some of MSNBC's so called anchors hell they fall over each other to be the first to kiss the ground he walks one.

As for Pope Francis yeah I can see why the right wing doesn't like him he keeps talking about economic injustice he sure as the hell sounds like a marxist. Now as for religion it's one big scam and he's in charge of it.

Read the apostolic exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel. It might help you form an opinion. Reaction to media folks is like listening to the AFLAC duck. Be warned, its 244 pages.

There is only one news outlet which might be partially conservative and that is FOX. While I don't sit and watch news all day like some people, I haven't heard any negative comments with respect to the new Pope

Keep in mind that it is Time Magazine editors who choose the Person of the Year. Poll results are a novelty that only dates back to the latter 90s and Time has even removed some personalities who led the poll and others who were controversial. The poll stimulates interest in Time Magazine and its advertisers.