Pope to make climate action a moral obligation

(Vincent C., always indulgent toward my foibles, seems to think I’ve gone too far this time. See below.)

From the Independent:

The Pope is expected to use his first address to the United Nations to deliver a powerful warning over climate change in a move to adopt protection of the environment as a “moral” cause for the Catholic Church and its billion-strong following.

Ha ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

- end of initial entry -

Gintas J. writes:

I have to admit that, even at this stage, I entertained a naive hope that maybe, just maybe, the Pope could come to his senses, given the right circumstances. Yet, he drunkenly lurches ever leftward, and that hope fades like a mirage on closer inspection. But we are still in the desert, and what mirage is next??

LA writes:

There was a time when the Church led society. Now the Church follows the society, two steps behind, eager to catch up and be accepted by the big guys.

Tom S. writes:

I will repeat what I said six months ago; has any public figure of the last twenty years been as genuinely disappointing as Pope Benedict? I say this not with any malice or schadenfreude, but with genuine sadness.

Vincent Chiarello writes:

At the point of being judged too sensitive, which I most assuredly am not, I write to express my disappointment regarding your recent thread about the pope’s upcoming appearance before the U.N. But what really startled me was the string of “Ha ha ha…” that covered the page. I am fully aware that there was no anti-Catholic sentiment intended; far from it, but, to my mind, that kind of verbal mockery really has no place on your blog.

Let me be clear about one thing: you and your readers are perfectly free to criticize the pope regarding his decision to speak of the Church’s moral obligation regarding the environment, which was done a few, although “…drunkenly lurches ever leftward” are inappropriate words in describing the pontiff’s actions. I would, however, like to remind your readers that this pope has undertaken, on issues that are his true domain and of far greater importance, a series of steps that will result in a major transformation of the Church’s liturgy and ecclesiology, while trying to hold his recalcitrant liberal bishops in line. If his actions do not satisfy those who believe that he should be more active in other non-religious matters, I remind your readers that the previous pope was, indeed, involved in such adventures which greatly weakened the institutional Church, some of which are slowly—but surely—being addressed and corrected by Benedict XVI.

That verbal restriction may not be acceptable to many, and that is their prerogative, but, in the process of legitimate criticism, one should, I believe, not lose sight of the importance of keeping a civil tongue—and pen.

LA replies:

Maybe I’m just plain in the wrong on this and don’t see it. Maybe I’m exhibiting a serious character flaw. But it seems to me that when the pope enters the field of politics, indeed, the most contemptible part of that field, the UN, speaking liberal slogans, he is no more deserving of respect than any other political figure. I was not mocking him in his spiritual and teaching function as the leader of the Church. I was mocking his ridiculous political behavior. I was responding spontaneously to the sheer desperate absurdity of this spectacle. Maybe by mocking it and showing it no respect, I’m the one who is really defending the dignity of the Church.

LA continues:

I think I was too hard on myself in the previous comment. Those “ha ha’s” were not a calculated expression of mockery, but an exact transcription of my actual reaction when I read about the pope’s planned speech.

Generally I think the pope oversteps the bounds and diminishes his true role and authority when he involves himself in political issues. All the more so when the issue is something as hot-button and controversial as climate change, in which people on one side insist that this is an established fact and no disagreement can be allowed. I also strongly feel that the pope should have nothing to do with the United Nations, the epitome of secular man’s attempt to make himself the ruler of the universe. It was the combination of both things, climate change, the speech at the UN, that struck me as over the top and I burst out laughing.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at September 24, 2007 04:43 PM | Send