- cross-posted to:
- europe@feddit.org
- cross-posted to:
- europe@feddit.org
VATICAN CITY, April 21 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday, ending an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the hidebound institution. He was 88, and had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican’s TV channel.
“At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, surprising many Church watchers who had seen the Argentine cleric, known for his concern for the poor, as an outsider.
He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his “psychological health”.
He inherited a Church that was under attack over a child sex abuse scandal and torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy, and was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.
But as his papacy progressed, he faced fierce criticism from conservatives, who accused him of trashing cherished traditions. He also drew the ire of progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2,000-year-old Church.
While he struggled with internal dissent, Francis became a global superstar, drawing huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he tirelessly promoted interfaith dialogue and peace, taking the side of the marginalised, such as migrants.
Unique in modern times, there were two men wearing white in the Vatican for much of Francis’ rule, with his predecessor Benedict opting to continue to live in the Holy See after his shock resignation in 2013 had opened the way for a new pontiff.
Benedict, a hero of the conservative cause, died in December 2022, finally leaving Francis alone on the papal stage.
Francis appointed nearly 80% of the cardinal electors who will choose the next pope correct as of February 2025, increasing the possibility that his successor will continue his progressive policies, despite the strong pushback from traditionalists.
If it wasn’t obvious, I recognize Catholics committed/commit terrible homophobia and other crimes. Things have improved a lot, but are still very bad. I don’t think the LGBT community and other victims of theocracy should be thrown under the bus. So how in the Earth is my argument equivalent to saying Palestinians can be genocided because they do not support Democrat causes enough?
My main motivation for converting from anticommunist to communist was the obscurantism of anticommunism. One who says atrociously idiotic things about science (such as global heating denial, ozone layer hole denial, tobacco harm denial etc.) lacks the mental clarity even for clear and objetive subjects, so I absolutely do not trust him for controversial subjects. Also, one who replies to arguments with puerile sarcasm, shouts and memes has no credibility.
Now I make a good-faith and informed argument and am greeted with idiotic childish memes saying “everyone who disagrees with me is a fed”. First, this is horribly fallacious, no different from anticommunist imbeciles who think anyone who doesn’t love Trump is a “cultural Marxist” who wants to destroy “Judeo-Christian civilization”. Second, would a fed defend Stalin and praise the awesome accomplishments of the USSR? Did you even think before posting?
As a cis Jew with minimal skin in the game I’ll say I see where you’re coming from. Francis did a lot better then most of his predecessors and regardless of the evil perpetrated by the Church™️ as a whole, to ignore such a globally pervasive religious organization as a “lost cause” is not productive.
However, after reading this thread, your insinuation that you’re coming with nothing but “good-faith” is laughable. To have the “cool” pope francis say “yeah trans people are like the worst danger ever” is divisive and condemning as hell. And, on a more personal note the idea that dead people must be respected is some absolute horse shit. “Good-faith” means attempting to understand the opposition (see first paragraph), it doesn’t mean being nice and holding hands.
Hi. I said my post was good faith. I just wanted to encourage comrades to focus their attack on theocracy instead of religion, and while I can understand trans people replying “no, I don’t respect this guy”, the guy who posted memes of me being a fed crosses the line into obscurantism. No different from far-right lunatics who say “everyone who disagrees with me is a cultural Marxist”.
https://x.com/noirangxl/status/1855693825475240213
I was referencing a meme. But I was implying you were fedposting.
The idea that we’d have to be respectful and like Christianity to be supportive of a worker’s movement that was primarily Christian is more childish than the meme. It is not terrible for class consciousness; to imply that we need a literal coming to Jesus moment about @Civility@hexbear.net sounds like we’re trying to earn good boy points so that some Evangelical will change their mind about whether workers deserve poverty or Palestenians deserve genocide.
Didn’t work for Kamala Harris; I don’t intend to try the same strategy to appeal to Christians in the wake of Ol’ Franky kickin’ the bucket.
Edit: if someone else wants to
me about how an honest-to-God Marxist movement that was… honest to God I’d be glad to learn more.