Well, he evidently pays attention to EWTN and responded in a rather nonpastoral way, in my opinion, so I think he is well aware of the Catholic political dilemma. I do so agree that he is choosing to maybe ignore the USA for other issues in the world, and I think his growing up in Argentina gave him a totally different world view of the Church and North American role. But I think that ignoring heretical Catholic politicians and also German Bishops is causing great confusion to many faithful Catholics. Maybe we are just being like the brothers of the prodigal son and feeling left out of the Mercy. He seems to be ignoring Eternal Truths for minutia.
The idea that the American Bishops should be looking to the Pope for how to address what is undeniably an American pastoral issue with all sorts of complicated cultural and political elements seems perverse to me. As long as they don't step outside the lines doctrine (like the Germans threaten to do), why would they be looking to the pope to intervene?
Of course this is a bit of a rhetorical question. We all know the reason is because the Church as almost fully internalized ultamontanism in its day to day workings. I suppose another reason is because there are certain bishops who seek to use the pope as a pawn to push their own agenda.
Well, he evidently pays attention to EWTN and responded in a rather nonpastoral way, in my opinion, so I think he is well aware of the Catholic political dilemma. I do so agree that he is choosing to maybe ignore the USA for other issues in the world, and I think his growing up in Argentina gave him a totally different world view of the Church and North American role. But I think that ignoring heretical Catholic politicians and also German Bishops is causing great confusion to many faithful Catholics. Maybe we are just being like the brothers of the prodigal son and feeling left out of the Mercy. He seems to be ignoring Eternal Truths for minutia.
The idea that the American Bishops should be looking to the Pope for how to address what is undeniably an American pastoral issue with all sorts of complicated cultural and political elements seems perverse to me. As long as they don't step outside the lines doctrine (like the Germans threaten to do), why would they be looking to the pope to intervene?
Of course this is a bit of a rhetorical question. We all know the reason is because the Church as almost fully internalized ultamontanism in its day to day workings. I suppose another reason is because there are certain bishops who seek to use the pope as a pawn to push their own agenda.