Is Pope Francis The Antichrist?

While to most ordinary folk, Pope Francis seems a refreshing change, there are many on the right both in politics and in the Church who are most assuredly not happy with the Pontiff.? As the has been said by Catholics on the Right ??Catholics must learn to resist their popes ? even Pope Francis?. What has he done that is so wrong? Many things apparently but some seem to upset the right more than others.? His views on the very rich and trickle down economics, which we all know to be such a massive success for the poor, on the 1% owning more than the 50%. People like Rush Limbaugh are most upset, the Pope is a Marxist, a Communist, how dare he comment on our oh so fair economic system says Rush, it’s not his place to comment on such things. If the Pope cannot comment on poverty and inequality, who can? From right wing politicians to Conservative Catholics, Fundamental Christians to Anti LBGR movements, he has upset them all.

Why? I come from the UK, one of the most secular countries in the world; in fact it’s been called the first post Christian country, so I grew up in a very non-religious environment. The Reformation changed the UK and the world forever. But I am a Christian and despite being a protestant living in a Catholic country [Ireland] I have watched the last 2 Popes with interest, really looking on from the outside. ?In an article by Graeme Reid for Human Rights Watch’s Dispatches, (?A Subtle but Important Shift by Pope Francis?). Francis indicated in the interview that that the Catholic Church puts too much emphasis on questions? of sexual ethics ? for example homosexuality, abortion and also contraception. Pope Francis is sending a clear message: LGBT people ? all people ? deserve to be treated with dignity and respect by everyone, not just? the Church. This is total anathema, to conservative Catholics, the right wing, fundamentalist Christians and everyone out there who is against what is fit, decent and humane. What is Pope Francis saying? Simply that everyone, no matter, gender, wealth, religion, everyone deserves to be treated as a decent human being, with dignity, with rights and with a future, why is this so wrong, to so many people? Has the right to live a decent life, work for a decent wage, enjoying life, entitled to healthcare and decent education, through wherever ability leads you. What Pope Francis is essentially asking or calling for is very similar to another truly great liberal FDR [ President Franklin Delano Roosevelt]. Look at FDR’s proposed second bill of rights.

  • The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
  • The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
  • The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
  • The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
  • The right of every family to a decent home;
  • The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
  • The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
  • The right to a good education.
  • We must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

Is what Pope Francis asking for so radical, so different? These truly great men, want, believe that these very basic things are essential for a decent society, for a fair and just world. For 30 years the right has been dismantling everything that our ancestors fought for in WWII and later, all the social changes and hope, the new world, this is being crushed and destroyed in the pursuit of money, by he very few. I see Pope Francis as a force for change, a powerful voice for those who need a voice and so far he is proving to be just that. This is what really upsets and scares the right, the elite and the fundamentalists so much about this Pope.

Francis-Comments

I think the answer is actually quite simple, if you look back over Pope Francis’s life, he has been nothing if not consistent. His dislike of pomp, of wasted money, of ceremony and his belief in looking after the poor and those in need, both physically and spiritually has been his guiding light. He is a truly pious man, living his life by Christian values. Unlike many popes Francis has known life, love and the “normal” things in life, but he gave them up, as his calling, his vocation, was stronger. ?What really upsets the right is I think, that we have a Pope, who acts far more like people would expect Jesus Christ to act, with fairness, caring, pointing out exploitation [Rich man, eye of a needle anyone? Overturning the tables of the moneylenders?]. On all aspects of his life since his to calling to become a priest, he has lived his life, helping and working, not turning away from the gross or the needy,? going to those most in need and doing what I always imagined Jesus actually doing. While this may seem simplistic and there are ample who believe it to be just that, I truly believe, that we are seeing one of the few times in history, where the right person is in the right place, at the right time. Maybe, just this once what we need is simple, just this once its those basic human values that were preached by Jesus Christ, that we truly need to become aware of again, to become a society that cares again. We have lost that view of life, we look for complication, conspiracy, where truly the answer is very simple!

The right wing politicians are running rampant in many countries, the poor are getting ever poorer, while the tiny elite get ever richer. All the social revolutions of the working class are being slowly undone. Reforms, rights, laws that too our ancestors generations to achieve are being undermined. People are being treated in ever more brutal ways in many countries in the supposed civilised Western World. Many things such as a decent education, health care, basic human rights are being gradually removed, or altered. Most spend their lives, living just to live, not to enjoy life, not to take fun and pleasure out of life, but working at jobs where the pay gets less and the hours longer. Unions in many places are no longer allowed, workers rights to organise are curtailed, large meetings of everyday people are seen as threatening by the establishment. If ever a leader was needed who transcends national boundaries, who speaks and cares for the poor, the underprivileged, who rails against the elite, even within his own church, who gives voice to what should be said, its now, I believe that Pope Francis is that man, a catalyst for what is right and just, leading by example and living as he sees it, a good and righteous life, following, I believe the true teachings of Christ, within the framework of his own church, which itself he is changing.

He is trying to make the Catholic church more moderate, looking at things almost unheard of by other Pontiffs,? Condoms and contraception,? Gay and Lesbian rights, the exploitation of the poor [many] by the few, women’s roles within the church, divorce, married clergy, corruption, bigotry, all these things Francis has spoken about and in a very new way. We have a pope, who is I think living his life as he believed Jesus would have lived it, to the best of his fallible human ability, guided by the true teachings of Jesus, not making it fit some fundamentalist anti everything agenda, not to gain money, certainly not to gain popularity with the people who run this world, who look to greed and profit as good, as caring for your fellow man a sign of weakness.? Their dislike stems from the very fact that he acts in a very liberal way, as the Jesus Christ, I always imagined would act within the constraints of his position, which it seems he may even manage to change. He wants and believes in change, in looking after each other, in a caring society, in a more equitable society, this to the right and many vested interests makes him a very dangerous and very scary figure. Who really on the right or in Fundamental Christianity wants the reality of Jesus, not being able to manipulate his words and being shown up as the hypocrites and bigots that they are. For a Pope who has been pope for such a short time, Francis, at least to this Protestant seems to usher in a new era, an era of true Christianity, liberal ideals and maybe a return to what Christ taught!

Below Are Some Comments By Pundits Right and Left, It Seems He Upsets them All.

LIMBAUGH

Rush Limbaugh
“Pope Francis attacked unfettered capitalism as ‘a new tyranny’ and beseeched global leaders to fight poverty and growing inequality, in a document on Tuesday setting out a platform for his papacy and calling for a renewal of the Catholic Church. … In it, Francis went further than previous comments criticizing the global economic system, attacking the ‘idolatry of money.'” But regardless, what this is, somebody has either written this for him or gotten to him. This is just pure Marxism coming out of the mouth of the pope.? Unfettered capitalism?? That doesn’t exist anywhere.

RUSH Again in May 2014: The pope, ladies and gentlemen, is back saying, demanding a legitimate redistribution of wealth. Il Papa, Pope Francis, “called Friday for governments to redistribute wealth to the poor in a new spirit of generosity to help curb the ‘economy of exclusion’ that is taking hold today.” The pope is describing charity, and that’s what the church is for. And the Vatican is a country. But the pope is demanding that the United Nations somehow use it’s influence to get member states to redistribute wealth. That’s Marxism. That’s socialism. That’s not charity.? “Francis had a similar message to the World Economic Forum in January and in h is apostolic exhortation ‘The Joy of the Gospel.’ That document, which denounced trickle-down economic theories as unproven and naive.
Read More Idiocy From Rush Man Here:
Article November 2013
Article From May 2014

 
Stuart Varney – Fox News
Not even the pope is safe from the wrath of Fox. How dare the pope attack ?deified markets? and the idolatry of money? Who does he think he is? God? Fox Business host Stuart Varney was just stewing about the pontiff’s remarks. ?Capitalism, in my opinion, is a liberator,? he lectured Pope Francis from his television pulpit. ?The free choice of millions of people is the essence of freedom. In my opinion, society benefits most when people are free to pursue their own self-interest. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but it is not.? Stuart Varney Again: ?I go to church to save my soul. It’s got nothing to do with my vote. Pope Francis has linked the two. He has offered direct criticism of a specific political system. He has characterized negatively that system. I think he wants to influence my politics.?

Pam Geller – Right Wing Political Commentator:
Islamophobic blogger/activist Pam Geller is worried about with Pope Francis. It’s how nice he is to Muslims. It’s downright unchristian of him to imply that there might be Muslims who don’t want to kill the rest of us. He obviously condones the killing of Christians. Talk about a leap of faith. ?At a time when Christianity worldwide is under siege by Islamic jihadists, the leader of the Catholic Church claims that the Quran teaches non-violence. As Christians across the Muslim world live in abject terror and fear kidnapping, rape and slaughter to the bloodcurdling cries of ?Allahu akbar,? the pope gives papal sanction to the savage,?
Read About Pope Francis the Jihadist Here

Foot Washing With Pope Francis – Women – No Way ……..
Traditionalist Catholics were dismayed by the decision of Pope Francis to include young women in the traditional foot-washing ritual at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. Distinguished traditional Catholic Jeffrey Mirus immediately issued a multipage analysis to calm the Catholics who felt the new pope violated the “mandatum,” as the foot-washing ritual is known, and revealed his “true colours,” those of Vatican II rather? than Vatican I. Mirus reassures Catholics that the pope’s modification of the men-only foot washing is within his power but concludes, like a juror still holding out, “whether the pope intends to change the norm remains to be seen.” But the men’s-feet-only mandatum, he insists, remains officially in place. The ceremony represents Jesus’s final act of humility towards his disciples.

NOTE:
Since writing this, Pope Francis has indicated he may only have 2 or 3 years to live or before ill health forces him to resign. This I believe will be a huge blow for the poor, the oppressed, a blow for humanity! I for one will be praying for his continued good health!

Read the Article Here:?Pope Francis says he expects to live two or three more years, and may retire

Sources:
The Guardian
Human Rights Watch
The Week
Independent
The Telegraph
How American Christians can stop being bullies and start winning converts – It’s time we all made sure to practice what we preach
Patheos
NCRegister Here
Rights Watch’s Dispatches