>> I HAVE A CONFESSION.
IT MAKES SENSE, GIVEN THAT I'M TALKING
ABOUT THE POPE: I KIND OF LOVE THIS GUY.
OF COURSE THERE ARE
THINGS I DISAGREE WITH HIM ON, WE HAVE A LOT OF POLICY
DISAGREEMENTS.
HE IS AGAINST PEOPLE HAVING A CHOICE ON THE
ISSUE OF ABORTION, WE DON'T AGREE ON CONTRACEPTION, A
MILLION THINGS THAT ARE ARCHAIC ABOUT THE CHURCH I DON'T AGREE
WITH.
DO WE MATCH UP EXACTLY ON POLICY?
NO.
IS HE FAR MORE
PROGRESSIVE THAN HIS CRITICS CHARGE HIM WITH?
HOW DARE YOU BE
PROGRESSIVE AND FORWARD-LOOKING?
YES, HE IS.
KEEP IT REAL,
OF COURSE HE IS.
BUT THAT IS NOT REALLY WHY I LIKE HIM SO MUCH.
IT IS BECAUSE HE STANDS FOR WHAT IS THE BEST IN CHRISTIANITY.
HE
STANDS FOR THE WEAK, THE POWERLESS, THE HUNGRY, AND HE,
THROUGH HIS SPEECHES AND ACTIONS, WANTS TO FIGHT FOR
THOSE GUYS.
THAT IS A MAN AFTER MY OWN HEART, EVEN IF I DISAGREE
WITH HIM ON A LOT OF POLICY ISSUES.
ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT IS,
AS HE IS IN WASHINGTON, DC TODAY, THE LEADERSHIP IN
WASHINGTON REACHED OUT TO HAVE LUNCH TOGETHER.
BOTH REPUBLICANS
AND DEMOCRATS, MCCONNELL, BOEHNER, ALSO PELOSI AND REID,
AND HE SAID TALK TO THE HAND.
TALK TO THE PAPAL HAND.
INSTEAD
HE WENT TO HAVE LUNCH WITH THE HOMELESS.
BUT NOT ONLY WITH THE
HOMELESS AT ST.
PATRICK'S CHURCH IN WASHINGTON, HE SERVED THE
HOMELESS.
HE CAME TO GIVE THEM FOOD AND SERVE THEIR MEAL.
I
GREW UP IN THIS COUNTRY, I WAS TAUGHT THAT THAT IS WHAT A
CHRISTIAN IS.
IN FACT, YOU WOULD SAY, THAT IS MIGHTY CHRISTIAN OF
HIM.
I AM AGNOSTIC, ATHEIST, I DON'T BELIEVE IN CHRISTIANITY, I
DO BELIEVE ANY OF THE RELIGIONS.
I DON'T THINK THAT GOD TALKED TO
JESUS OR THAT JESUS WALKED ON WATER.
I KNOW, GOD AND MOSES AND
THE BUSH -- I DON'T AGREE WITH ANY OF THAT.
BUT THERE IS A
GREAT KERNEL IN CHRISTIANITY, TRUE OR UNTRUE, THERE'S THIS
MESSAGE OF PEACE AND LOVE.
OF COURSE, AS ALL ATHEISTS KNOW,
THERE IS ALSO AN OPPOSITE MESSAGE IN THE BIBLE.
BUT IF YOU
HAVE PEOPLE WHO FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE MESSAGE, THAT IS
WONDERFUL.
THAT IS WHY THE HERO IS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
HE WAS A REVEREND AND HE FOCUSED ON THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THAT.
TODAY THE POPE TALKED ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER KING IN HIS
ADDRESS TO CONGRESS.
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS POPE IS DOING,
THIS PART WHERE WE HELP EACH OTHER, WORK TOGETHER, HELP THE
POOR AND THE NEEDY JUST LIKE JESUS TOLD US TO.
IF THAT IS
WHAT POPES ARE FOR, GREAT.
OBVIOUSLY THAT IS WHY
CONSERVATIVES ARE SO MAD.
LET ME GIVE YOU THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT
HE SAID IN THAT SPEECH, WHICH IS AMAZING.
FIRST, NICE AND EASY,
HE STARTS OUT BY SAYING A POLITICAL SOCIETY ENDURES WHEN
IT SEEKS, AS A VOCATION, TO SATISFY COMMON NEEDS BY
STIMULATING THE GROWTH OF ALL ITS MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN
SITUATIONS OF GREATER VULNERABILITY OR RISK.
NICE,
EASY START.
REPUBLICANS ALREADY HATE IT BECAUSE HE IS TALKING
ABOUT, HEY, WE SHOULD HELP THOSE WHO ARE VULNERABLE, LOOK OUT FOR
THEM, WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT THEIR WELL-BEING IN MANY DIFFERENT
WAYS.
OBVIOUSLY FOR POLITICAL AND POLICY REASONS, SOME
REPUBLICANS HERE, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE WORSE PEOPLE, THOUGH
ONE COULD ARGUE -- ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF THAT.
THAT IS WELFARE,
I DON'T WANT TO HELP THE NEEDY.
THOSE WELFARE QUEENS.
TAX CUTS
FOR THE RICH.
AND NOT TAX CUTS FOR EVERYBODY, BY THE WAY.
IF
YOU DO TAX CUTS LIKE THE PAYROLL TAX CUT THAT OBAMA DID THAT GOES
TO THE MIDDLE CLASS, THEY ARE LIKE, NAH.
THEY FOUGHT AGAINST
IT AT THE BEGINNING.
I THOUGHT YOU LIKED TAX CUTS?
NO, ONLY FOR
THE WEALTHY AND CORPORATIONS.
THE POPE DOESN'T AGREE WITH
THAT, THAT IS WHY REPUBLICANS CAN'T STAND HIM.
THE GUYS WHO
SAID FOR THEIR ENTIRE EXISTENCE, YOU MUST ABIDE BY OUR RELIGION
-- HERE IS THE LEADER OF CATHOLICS, AT LEAST, 21% OF
AMERICA'S CATHOLIC.
AMAZINGLY, CONGRESS, 31% OF CONGRESS IS
CATHOLIC.
THE GUYS SITTING RIGHT BEHIND HIM FROM BOTH PARTIES,
JOE BIDEN AND JOHN BOEHNER, WERE BOTH FORMER ALTAR BOYS.
HERE IS
THE RELIGIOUS LEADER YOU TOLD US TO LISTEN TO OUR ENTIRE LIVES,
HE'S COMING HERE TO TALK TO YOU, ONE REPUBLICAN WHO IS A CATHOLIC
DID NOT EVEN SHOW UP.
I CAN'T BELIEVE HE WILL TALK ABOUT
THINGS I DON'T AGREE WITH.
HOW DARE HE?
WHO DOES HE THINK HE
IS?
HE THINKS HE IS THE POPE.
MORE FROM THE POPE HIMSELF.
OUR
WORLD IS FACING A REFUGEE CRISIS OF MAGNITUDE NOT SEEN SINCE THE
SECOND WORLD WAR.
THIS PRESENTS US WITH GREAT CHALLENGES AND
MANY HARD DECISIONS.
WE MUST NOT BE TAKEN ABACK BY THEIR NUMBERS,
BUT RATHER VIEW THEM AS PERSONS, SEEING THEIR FACES AND LISTENING
TO THEIR STORIES, TRYING TO RESPOND AS BEST WE CAN TO THEIR
SITUATION.
TO RESPOND IN A WAY WHICH IS ALWAYS HUMANE, JUST AND
FRATERNAL.
WE NEED TO AVOID A COMMON TEMPTATION NOWADAYS: TO
DISCARD WHATEVER PROVES TROUBLESOME.
LET US REMEMBER THE
GOLDEN RULE: DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO
YOU.
UNFORTUNATELY IT TOOK A POPE TO REMIND US OF THAT,
BECAUSE NOW PRESIDENT OBAMA WANTS TO ALLOW A TINY, TINY
FRACTION OF SYRIAN REFUGEES TO COME HERE, AND EVEN THAT HAS
CAUSED AN OUTRAGE WITH REPUBLICANS.
WE WILL BE
INFILTRATED BY ISIS, YOU WILL LET TERRORISTS IN, HOW DARE YOU?
HERE'S POPE FRANCIS SAYING, THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS.
WE ARE
SUPPOSED TO APPEAL TO OUR BETTER NATURE, OUR BETTER ANGELS, AS
CHRISTIANS WOULD SAY.
REMEMBER, DO UNTO THEM AS YOU WOULD HAVE
THEM DO UNTO YOU.
APPARENTLY WE NEED REMINDING OF THAT.
AND HE
PROBABLY WILL NOT WIN ON THAT ISSUE.
HE REMINDED THEM, WE ARE
ALL IMMIGRANTS.
HE TALKED ABOUT HOW HE HIMSELF WAS AN IMMIGRANT.
HE SAID IN RECENT CENTURIES, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE CAME TO THIS
LAND TO PURSUE THEIR DREAM OF BUILDING A FUTURE IN FREEDOM.
WE
PEOPLE OF THIS CONTINENT ARE NOT FEARFUL OF FOREIGNERS, BECAUSE
MOST OF US WERE ONCE FOREIGNERS.
OKAY.
AGAIN, A LOT OF
REPUBLICANS, NOT INTERESTED IN IMMIGRANTS.
IN FACT, HAVE STAKED
A LOT OF THEIR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY ON FIGHTING AGAINST
IMMIGRANTS.
THEY ARE NOT RECEPTIVE TO THIS MESSAGE ON THE
ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION.
ON THE ENVIRONMENT, REPORTERS ON THE
SCENE DESCRIBED REPUBLICANS AS SITTING ON THEIR HANDS.
WHEN HE
TALKED ABOUT FOR EXAMPLE PRO-LIFE ISSUES, WHICH HE DID, I
WILL GET TO THAT, REPUBLICANS ARE LIKE, YES!
THEY APPLAUD LIKE
CRAZY.
HELPING THE POOR AND THE NEEDY, IMMIGRANTS?
YUCK.
I
DIDN'T THINK CHRISTIANITY WAS ABOUT THAT, SO I DON'T APPLAUD.
UNDER THE ENVIRONMENT, A BIG PART OF HIS SPEECH.
HE CALLED
FOR A COURAGEOUS AND RESPONSIBLE EFFORT TO AVERT THE MOST SERIOUS
EFFECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DETERIORATION CAUSED BY HUMAN
ACTIVITY.
NOT MUCH REACTION FROM REPUBLICANS ON THAT, OBVIOUSLY
DEMOCRATS CHEERED.
HE WENT ON TO TALK ABOUT PRO-LIFE ISSUES.
HE
DID NOT SAY ABORTION BY NAME, BUT THAT IS CLEARLY WHAT HE
REFERRED TO AT THE BEGINNING.
FOR REPUBLICANS IT'S A HUGE APPLAUSE
LINE, AND WHILE THEY ARE APPLAUDING HE SAID, REMEMBER, BEING PRO-LIFE
ALSO MEANS BEING FOR "GLOBAL ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY."
THEY ARE LIKE, WHAT?
POLITICAL REPORTERS, MAINSTREAM REPORTERS,
ARE LIKE, YES!
NO, NOT THE CRIMINALS.
I AM FOR THE DEATH
PENALTY, I WAS NOT APPLAUDING.
HE TRICKED ME.
THIS IS NOT A NEW
POSITION BY THE LIBERAL POPE.
CATHOLICS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN
AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY.
EVERY POPE IN MY LIFETIME HAS BEEN
AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY.
ONE OF THE POPES GOT SHOT -- LUCKILY
HE DID NOT DIE.
HE WAS AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY.
I LOVE THAT
THIS TAKES THEM BY SURPRISE.
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO ABIDE BY OUR
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY.
THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT BEING FOR ALL OF
LIFE?
NO, WE ARE AGAINST THEIR LIFE.
WE ARE ONLY FOR THE LIFE
WE LIKE.
THEY HATE THAT HE IS NOT GOING ALONG WITH THEIR
PROPAGANDA.
THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THIS PROPAGANDA FOR 30, 40, 50
YEARS IN THIS COUNTRY.
RELIGION IS WITH US, CHRISTIANITY IS WITH
US, THE POPE IS WITH US.
APPARENTLY HE IS NOT, ON A LOT OF
ISSUES, AND THAT HAS THROWN THEM FOR A LOOP.
SPEAKING OF LOOPS,
GET A LOAD OF WHAT HE SAID NEXT.
POPE FRANCIS SAYS, WE KNOW THAT
NO RELIGION IS IMMUNE FROM FORMS OF INDIVIDUAL DELUSION OR
IDEOLOGICAL EXTREMISM.
THIS MEANS WE MUST ESPECIALLY BE
ATTENTIVE TO EVERY TYPE OF FUNDAMENTALISM, WHETHER
RELIGIOUS OR OF ANY OTHER KIND.
HE IS TALKING ABOUT ISIS AND
RADICAL ISLAM, THAT IS THE PART OF THE SPEECH THE REPUBLICANS
LOVE, BUT HE SAYS WE SHOULD BE GUARDED AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM
IN ALL THE RELIGIONS, AND ALSO NONRELIGIOUS VERSIONS.
I COULD
NOT AGREE WITH THAT MORE, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT REPUBLICANS ARE
LIKE, NO!
WE LOVE OUR EXTREMISM, WE ARE AGAINST THEIR EXTREMISM.
THEY ARE THE BAD GUYS, WE ARE THE GOOD GUYS.
HE'S LIKE, NO,
FUNDAMENTALISTS ARE THE BAD GUYS.
I LOVE THIS POPE.
HOW DO
YOU NOT LOVE THIS POPE?
HE SAID ABOUT BEING AS VICIOUS AS THE
ENEMY, TO IMITATE THE HATRED AND VIOLENCE OF PIRATES AND
MURDERERS IS THE BEST WAY TO TAKE THEIR PLACE.
TO WHICH I
SAY, DAMN.
OFTEN THE EXCUSE WE WILL GET, OF COURSE WE HAVE TO
TORTURE THEM, BOMB THEM.
YES WE KILL CIVILIANS, BUT WE HAVE TO
DO THAT, TORTURE THEM AND DO ALL THESE THINGS TO THEM BECAUSE
THEY ARE THE BAD GUYS.
WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO
PROTECT OURSELVES.
BE WARY OF THAT, AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU ARE
TURNING YOURSELF INTO.
IF YOU REALLY ARE THE GOOD GUYS THERE
IS A RIGHT WAY TO ACT.
THEY DON'T LIKE TO HEAR THAT MESSAGE.
THAT ONE, UNFORTUNATELY, IS PROBABLY BIPARTISAN.
OFTEN
DEMOCRATS DO SIMILAR THINGS, NOT NECESSARILY TORTURE, BUT
EVERYBODY IN WASHINGTON IS CONVINCED THAT THE ONLY ANSWER
IS BOMBING.
SO WHEN THE POPE COMES HERE AND HE ACTUALLY
BELIEVES IN THE PRINCE OF PEACE AND SAYS MAYBE BOMBING IS NOT
THE RIGHT ANSWER, IN WASHINGTON THEY ARE LIKE, WHOA, WHAT IS
GOING ON WITH THIS OUTSIDER?
SPEAKING OF WHICH, ON THE ISSUE
OF WEAPONS, HE SAYS, WHY ARE DEADLY WEAPONS BEING SOLD TO
THOSE WHO PLAN TO INFLICT UNTOLD SUFFERING ON INDIVIDUALS AND
SOCIETY?
SADLY, THE ANSWER, AS WE ALL KNOW, IS SIMPLY FOR
MONEY: MONEY THAT IS DRENCHED IN BLOOD, OFTEN INNOCENT BLOOD.
CAN
I GET AN AMEN?
THOSE ARE INCREDIBLE POWERFUL WORDS, AND
WORDS NEVER SPOKEN IN WASHINGTON.
BECAUSE ALMOST ALL
OF THOSE POLITICIANS, ALL OF THE REPUBLICANS AND MOST OF THE
DEMOCRATS, ARE IN THE BACK POCKETS OF THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY.
YOU DON'T SAY THAT IN WASHINGTON, OTHERWISE YOU DON'T
KEEP GETTING YOUR CHECKS FOR YOUR POLITICAL DONATIONS THAT
ALLOW YOU TO COME BACK TO WASHINGTON.
THE POPE IS NOT
CASHING THOSE CHECKS, HE DOES NOT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THOSE
CHECKS.
SO HE IS ALLOWED TO SPEAK THE TRUTH, AND HE IS
SAYING BASICALLY, YOU ARE SELLING WEAPONS ACROSS THE WORLD AND YOU
ARE SURPRISED WHEN THEY ARE USED?
THAT MONEY YOU ARE GETTING
FOR THOSE WEAPONS, WHETHER IT IS US OR OTHER WEAPONS MAKERS, WEAPONS
DEALERS, THAT MONEY IS LITERALLY DRENCHED IN BLOOD.
HE SKIPPED A
LINE IN HIS SPEECH, BUT THEY CLARIFIED LATER THAT HE DIDN'T
MEAN TO, IT WAS IN HIS PREPARED REMARKS.
TO TOP ALL THIS OFF, AS
IF ALL THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH, HE HAD ONE MORE LINE FOR THE
CONGRESS IN WASHINGTON HE WANTED THEM TO HEAR, ABOUT MONEY AND
POLITICS.
COME ON, I LOVE THIS GUY.
HE SAID, IF POLITICS MUST
TRULY BE AT THE SERVICE OF THE HUMAN PERSON, IT FOLLOWS THAT IT
CANNOT BE A SLAVE TO THE ECONOMY AND FINANCE.
CAN I GET AN AMEN
ONE MORE TIME?
CAN I GET A HALLELUJAH?
HE SAID, YOU ARE
SUPPOSED TO SERVE THE HUMAN PERSON.
APPARENTLY HE HAD TO
MAKE THAT DISTINCTION, BECAUSE YOU NOW BELIEVE THAT
CORPORATIONS ARE HUMANS OR PEOPLE.
I AM TALKING ABOUT
ACTUAL PEOPLE, IF YOU WANT TO SERVE THEM YOU CANNOT DO IT
WHILE BEING A SLAVE TO FINANCE.
THAT IS THE PAPAL ELBOW FROM THE
SKY, ALMOST LITERALLY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY LOVED
THAT SPEECH, AND IF YOU ARE A CATHOLIC AND YOU HAVE LOOKED UP
TO THE POPE YOUR WHOLE LIFE, IT IS GREAT TO HEAR A PROGRESSIVE
POPE WHO DOES NOT AGREE WITH EVERYTHING WE THINK EITHER,
LET'S BE COMPLETELY CLEAR ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT IS A DECENT HUMAN
BEING PUSHING FOR A POSITIVE VISION OF CHRISTIANITY WHERE YOU
LOOK OUT FOR YOUR FELLOW MAN.
I CAN'T SAY HALLELUJAH LOUD
ENOUGH.