If Ukraine puts down arms, Putin will kill every last one of them.
If I know that, Pope Francis must know that. The entire concept behind the statement is a non-starter.
And the world has demonstrated we do nothing to stop genocide.
It is, apparently, the human way, to stand back and flutter our hands in dismay, because it is not us who are dying, so we can still flutter our hands.
As expected, end of 1942, the #pope & the #Vatican knew about the #holocaust , in very precise details .(where and how)
The similarities with Ukraine and #PopeFrancis aka Jorge Mario Bergoglio attitude and support for orc terrorist are simply staggering.
A letter from the priest, the Rev Lothar Koenig, to Pius’s secretary, a fellow German Jesuit named the Rev Robert Leiber, is dated 14 December 1942. Written in German, the letter addresses Leiber as “Dear friend”, and goes on to report that the Nazis were killing up to 6,000 Jews and Poles daily from Rava Ruska, a town in prewar Poland that is today located in Ukraine and transporting them to the Belzec death camp.
Catholic church complicit in the murder of many thousands. And in recent times the rape of thousands of our children.
It is simply a criminal organization, that I was born and raised in.
"In a new statement about #ClimateChange, #PopeFrancis criticized #FossilFuel companies and said the transition toward renewable energy is 'not progressing at the necessary speed.' And you know you're in trouble when the #CatholicChurch thinks you're stuck in the past." ~Seth Meyers, 5-Oct-2023
This week, @prismnpen's #LGBTQ writers cry out our human right to the dignity religious leaders, journalists and other elements of society seem determined to withhold from #gay, #transgender, and other #queer humans.
We are not depraved, #PopeFrancis, despite your Church’s dignity-destroying assertion!
In case we need reminding that a huge source of opposition to attempts to reform the Catholic church, especially under the current pope, is right-wing Catholic megadollars in the US.
Loup Besmond de Senneville reports on a secret meeting of Catholic bishops and cardinals that took place at a posh hotel in Prague in September, ostensibly to organize against the bogus threat of "gender ideology."
But the subtext of the meeting is clear: they see that Francis's days are numbered and are already organizing to try push through a hard-right successor. Gender issues are a useful tool for dividing the church and keeping it on the straight and narrow in its social teachings, especially about wealth and capitalism — the real issue that concerns the US right-wing megadonors spearheading the attempt to undermine Francis.
Openly gay Catholic journalist Robert Mickens offers an interesting take on Pope Francis' permission to priesst to bless same-sex couples:
It's Francis lancing the boil of homophobia in the Catholic clergy and hierarchy, Mickens proposes. It's less about same-sex couples than it is about the large numbers of priests and bishops who are gay — but often closeted and in many cases self-loathing.
The Catholic church moves one more baby-step toward same-sex marriage:
“Pope Francis has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, with a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God's love and mercy shouldn't be subject to "an exhaustive moral analysis" to receive it.
‘This is not war. This is terrorism’: Pope Francis
The Israel-Hamas conflict has gone beyond war to become “terrorism”, Pope Francis says, after the deaths of more than 14,100 Palestinians in Gaza and about 1,200 in Israel since October 7.
“This is what wars do. But here we have gone beyond wars. This is not war. This is terrorism,” he said.
As Francis DeBernardo notes, the move of the Catholic church to sanction blessing same-sex marriages — but not performing same-sex marriages — is rooted in the view of Pope Francis that the fundamental mission of the church is to welcome all. Not to pass moral judgment. Not to exclude sinners on moral grounds, since, if it takes that tack, who will NOT be excluded?
Pope deplores 'desperate humanitarian situation' in Gaza, calls for immediate ceasefire
Pope Francis on Monday deplored the desperate humanitarian situation of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire and the freeing of hostages in his Christmas message.
The Guardian on why Pope Francis' attempt to reform the Catholic church deserves attention not just from Catholics:
"At a time when Christianity is being used as a weapon to promote toxic divisions in western politics, the battles being played out in the Vatican are part of a wider struggle to defend and develop a politics of generosity and inclusion."
Robert Mickens on how there's no there there, when it comes to the "feminism" the media attribute to Pope Francis:
"There is still no major office or agency that has a woman at the top of what remains a pyramidal and hierarchical structure. And that is completely out of step with life and reality in the Western world and most other places on earth with the exception of extremist theocracies, like Iran, for instance."
"African bishops, with Pope Francis’ agreement, declare ‘No blessing for homosexual couples'":
"The message, titled 'No blessing for homosexual couples in the African churches,' was signed by Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, or SECAM, and a member of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals. "
I deleted my earlier rant about the Pope suggesting that Ukraine should have the courage to surrender to Russia because upon re-reading, it wasn't quite what he meant. His comments were poorly worded. He went on to clarify that negotiating isn't the same as surrendering.
What he said was only guilty of being tone deaf... very tone deaf and ill-advised.
Foreign Minister Kuleba replies to #PopeFrancis call on #Ukraine to have "courage to raise white flag" & negotiate #Russia invasion, occupation, & mass killings
"Our flag is yellow & blue one. This is flag by which we live, die, & prevail. We shall never raise any other flags"
Vatican spokesman: #PopeFrancis did not mean that #Ukraine should surrender to #Russia, in February interview posted on Sat.
Pope: "The stronger one is the one who sees the situation, the one who thinks about people, the one who has courage to raise the white flag and negotiate"