Pope Francis scolds rich in visit to muddy Brazilian slum

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Pope Francis on Thursday issued the first social manifesto of his young pontificate, telling slum dwellers that the world's rich must do much more to wipe out vast inequalities between the haves and the have-nots.

History's first Latin American pope, who has rallied the Church on behalf of the poor and who lives more austerely than predecessors, called for a "culture solidarity" to replace the "selfishness and individualism" prevailing in modern society.

"No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world," he told residents of Manguinhos, a sprawling shantytown, or favela, of ramshackle brick dwellings that until recently was overrun by violence and controlled by drug lords.

His speech, under rains that have persisted throughout most of his first trip abroad as pope, comes halfway through a week long visit around World Youth Day, a gathering of young Catholics that is expected to attract more than a million faithful to Rio de Janeiro and nearby sites.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/25/us-pope-brazil-idUSBRE96M18G20130725

[Xyzse]

1. Should be doing that in America too! I mean, the US.

Watch how fast he gets labeled an insane commie.

[FiveGoodMen]

4. Agreed

I'm no fan of religion or popes, but this guy, at the very least, talks a much better game.

He's bound to be a better influence on the world.

[CountAllVotes]

5. I'll have to go to mass

I am curious to hear what is being said about him by the local priest. I think (knowing the local priest) that he is liked a whole lot more than the prior pope.

I'll never forget the day I went to mass (the first Sunday of Lent this past year). The priest said, "Well we know what the pope gave up for Lent don't we?". The answer was, of course, his job, as pope Benedict resigned when Lent began.

I haven't been back since but I'll have to go check things out and see if the mood is any better at the Church these days. I'm not a frequent parishioner but admittedly, I do like to spy on them now and then just to keep up with things a bit ...

Interesting times in the Catholic Church these days no doubt!

[hifiguy]

11. Nice to see the new guy channelling a little John XXIII

instead of the likes of Pope Ratzi.

I don't have any skin in the game, as an atheist with a nominally Lutheran background, but it is a good thing when someone with such a high profile around the world says these things. They actually get heard when someone like a pope speaks. Good on Pope Francis, and keep it up.

[Democrats_win]

3. Sorry, religion and the rich have been collaborators.

The pope and his bishops are beholden to the rich. They talk endlessly about abortion and gays but never about greed. The love of money is the root of ALL evil. The sins of the church, one piled on top of another, have reached the heavens. Don't be fooled by the con-men of religion!

[NYC Liberal]

6. Oh the irony. The guy is an absolute monarch who

has countless riches of gold and otherwise in his palace.

[Beacool]

9. He doesn't live in his "palace" and the Vatican is mostly a museum.

[freshwest]

7. I wonder what kind of pressure he can really bring to bear on the rich? Curious if the Vatican bank

reforms and other changes are a threat to the wealth of those he is demanding to change their ways. Imagine the amount of data the Bank has on them. Not all wars are fought with guns. He is head of the RCC, but they have more control over the world than the RCC.

At the link he calls out the move to 'pacify' or end violence from the drug trade in the slums, as not dealing with the root of the matter. That's thinking ahead and seeing the whole.

Don't believe the wealthy will listen, don't believe they believe in Heaven or Hell, but in power in the present world. They fear nothing, AFAIK. But millions of Catholics may band together for what he is encouraging and discouraging and change their lives and force the rich to stop hoarding wealth, starving and killing these people. IDK.

.

[Beacool]

8. I'm loving this Pope.

[theHandpuppet]

10. That's nice.

As a gay DUer, I can no longer refrain from responding to posts and threads fawning over this Pope, one who is a known anti-gay crusader, who has called the very notion of gay marriage a threat to humanity. Where is this Pope while millions of GLBT people all over the world, including GLBT Catholics, are persecuted, oppressed, beaten, and murdered? Complaining again about the "gay lobby" at the Vatican? Giving another sermon about the sanctity of heterosexual marriage? How many prominent Catholic politicians in this very country cite their faith for the reason they continue to persecute GLBT citizens. Think Cuccinelli, Christie, DeWine, just for a few examples. Where is the Pope's leadership in that regard?

Do any of you even consider what the hell it feels like to read these posts? Well I just don't care anymore about not stepping on toes. I will not be silent.

And I won't even delve into the church's continued persecution and oppression of women.

[nomorenomore08]

12. Sadly, you're correct. As much as I try to see the good, I can't ignore the glaring negatives.

He sticks up for the poor? Good. But he sure as hell isn't sticking up for women or gays.

[Ken Burch]

13. If His Holiness really wants to help the poor, he needs to accept "Liberation Theology"

And end the Church's relentless attack on it(that attack was the worst thing his predecessor did, starting back when that predecessor was still the leader of the bureaucratic successor to the Inquisition).

The poor can only escape their plight if they are allowed to resist their oppressors from below.

[The Magistrate]

14. Here Is The Test Of Whether He Means It, Sir

When he instructs his clergy that sacraments are to be denied employers who do not pay a living wage, when he instructs his clergy that sacraments are to be denied politicians who vote against measures to rein in financial exploitation of working and poor people, when he instructs his clergy to deny sacraments to persons who engage in usury and destructive financial speculations and frauds. When he does this, you will know that he means this. So long as he does not do this, his statements are merest wind.

[jzodda]

15. Wow good stuff

I am glad to see him speaking like this. I would LOVE him to come here and go to an urban inner city here or a wallmart parking lot and make this speech here.

Tea Party heads would explode nationwide!