Pope Francis addressing the White House gathering this morning, warning that "climate change is a problem that can no longer be left to future generations." He also emphasized his own immigrant origins.
As Pope Francis received a rock star welcome in Washington this morning, on his way to the White House, many of us turn our minds to his congressional address tomorrow and how that will be received - especially by Republicans. Already one GOOP has vowed to "boycott" the address - immature brat that he is - and also Okie Jim Inhofe has already made disparaging remarks about the Pope and his previous pronouncements on climate change.
The 'pukes are also skittish about Francis' previous stands against run amuck capitalism calling him a "leftist" and other nonsense, e.g.
http://brane-space.blogspot.com/2013/11/bravo-to-pope-francis-for-warning-of.html
Most of them don't grasp that the Pope's visit is based on his pastoral message, which is really addressed to the nation's 70 million Catholics but could also have meaning for many others -including those of us who are hardcore secularists, or even Muslims and evangelicals. A "pastoral" message is based on the question "What would Jesus do?" as pointed out by Monsignor Anthony Figueredo on CBS this morning. He noted, however, the pastoral can impinge on the political. Thus, we are obliged to act as stewards of the planet because it is "God's work". In a similar way, we are obliged to share its resources and not greedily shut the less fortunate out, recalling Christ's words: "Whatever ye do for these the least of my brethren that ye also do unto me."
In addition, this message applies to the refugee crisis now confronting the world. And we know Francis' stand here is to unambiguously help these teeming masses of destitute people yearning to breathe free. Indeed, 3 weeks ago while we were in Europe we heard Francis (over the BBC) ask every Catholic religious community and monastery in Europe to take in a refugee family - as well as parishioners.
The 'skinny' is that the Pope's main message tomorrow in his congressional address will be to ask the United States to do much more, perhaps to take in as many as a million or more Syrian and other refugees. This is given the U.S.A.'s much greater diversity of resources - far more than Europe -which will already have taken in over 1 million by year's end. Also, he'd be aware of the U.S. role in starting Mideast occupations and wars that prepared the way for al Qaeda and ISIS and the Syrian Civil War driving these millions far from their homes.
This is a message we fear the "raghead haters" amongst the Repukes will not wish to hear. They are, after all, stokers of anti-immigrant fever and rampant xenopbobia and are even too cowardly to call out Islamophobes as Trump's recent performance in NH showed. So many of us are wondering what will the gathered Repukes do if the Pope brings this issue up.
Will they give him a "Bronx cheer", or will they yelp out "Liar!" or "No way!" like one R-moron did during an Obama State of the Union address? We don't know. We do know many of them are Tea Party adherents and boors, and know nothing of propriety - which most of them deem ?irrelevant?.
But the Pope will likely put it to them, many self-proclaimed "Christians": "What would Jesus do?"
Would their self-described Lord and master shut these people out? Would he call them "ragheads" and tell them to "Go somewhere else". Hardly! And if they truly believe that they have no clue of what Christ's message in the scriptures was or how it is to be fulfilled. They are hollow men (and women) only given to subscribing to the outer forms of Christianity but not its deep message and substance.
Let us hope the Republicans behave themselves tomorrow and no matter what the Pope proposes including "welcoming the stranger with empathy and an open heart" - they receive it with civility and propriety and not as craven boors.
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