Rolling Shoe

 

And it came to pass “Rolling Stone”, last time I looked not a beacon of political conservatism, put Francis on their cover.

Did they do it because they have become nearer to Catholicism? Nope. They did because Francis is rather similar to them, so they can’t avoid liking him.

The article explaining the choice has no qualms in telling us Francis has pleased the majority of Catholics, with which the pleasure of the majority officially becomes Rolling Stone’s metre of a Pope doing a good job. Congratulations. You are smart. Please throw away the joint.

The usual grounds are also mentioned: the “who am I to judge” stunt before all, the “stance” concerning homosexuality in particular, but also the populist drive with the “simplicity” of life; and again, that Francis keeps a simple background in order for him to shine the more in the foreground escapes the brilliant minds of “Rolling Stone”, of whom it can safely say that the dope hasn’t really improved their analytical faculties.

What does Francis do in all this? Is he not tired of being praised to the sky by obvious enemies of Catholic morals, whilst the criticism among Catholics becomes more and more vocal? Should he not react like everyone else would: giving a couple of very hard interviews, and making clear this nonsense of the “hippy Pope” has to stop? Please think this: just a couple of very obvious statements concerning very obvious Catholics truths (say: unless atheists repent before death they will go to hell; Muslims are infidels; Proddies are heretics; there is no salvation outside the Church; very, very basic stuff like that) would cure the planet very fast from any idea concerning the “hippy Pope”.

The problem is, he is a hippy Pope. Rolling Stone “gets” him far better than the Pollyannas of the Neocon fraction. Actually, it’s fair to say in the meantime the entire non-Catholic planet gets him, only the majority of Catholics still don’t. Notice that, in fact, the “Rolling Stone” journalist was given access to the Vatican so he could spin the man better.

Whenever something like that happens (Francis praised by fags; Francis praised by socialists; Francis praised by abortionists) ask yourself why they didn’t like Benedict, and they like Francis so much.

If they are so stupid that they can’t understand Francis’ message, why did they not do the same with Benedict? If Francis says the same Benedict always said, why have they now suddenly learnt to listen? And most of all: if they praise him, as they all do, for the wrong reasons, why does Francis refuse to set the record straight?

The answer is evident to everyone who is not entirely deluded and willfully blind: because Benedict was different in both style and content; because they are as able to listen now as they always were, and because Francis’ religion is his own popularity, with poverty and social justice a distant second and Catholic values and battles nowhere to be seen.

Francis wearing the Red Nose is more and more the perfect image of this pontificate. A pontificate that will hopefully be short and followed by someone who has read the Gospel in the last five decades, and has understood what it says.

Pray for Francis, that he may discover Catholicism. And pray for the Church, that she may be freed from him if he doesn’t.

Mundabor