The Pope's latest letter- a piece directly pointed at the United States (President Trump, really) has caused a furor among American Catholics and other Christians of the Conservative bent.
Once again, the question of infallibility arises because it seems so clear that the Pope has got this one wrong. This sets up an agonizing and personal conflict between what we believe and hold to as Catholics and what we face daily in the struggles of American families.
What Catholics believe about the principle of Papal infallibility.
We believe the Pope cannot bind the church in a doctrine that is in error on a matter of faith or morals. The Pope could not, for example, ever tell the church that she must accept abortion, or gay marriage.
Catholics do not believe that the Pope's opinions and perceptions and conclusions about things peripheral to faith, are always correct.
The first question is principal, the second is application.
They really are 2 different things.
Does the Pope get it wrong here? He sure does. Not in principle, though. He gets it wrong in the application because of his incorrect perception of the realities on the ground in the United States.
Quoting the letter:
These words with which I begin are not an artificial construct. Even a cursory examination of the Church’s social doctrine emphatically shows that Jesus Christ is the true Emmanuel (cf.Mt1:23); he did not live apart from the difficult experience of being expelled from his own land because of an imminent risk to his life, and from the experience of having to take refuge in a society and a culture foreign to his own. The Son of God, in becoming man, also chose to live the drama of immigration. I like to recall, among other things, the words with which Pope Pius XII began his Apostolic Constitution on the Care of Migrants, which is considered the “Magna Carta” of the Church’s thinking on migration:
“The family of Nazareth in exile, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, emigrants in Egypt and refugees there to escape the wrath of an ungodly king, are the model, the example and the consolation of emigrants and pilgrims of every age and country, of all refugees of every condition who, beset by persecution or necessity, are forced to leave their homeland, beloved family and dear friends for foreign lands.”[2]
I invite you to read those 2 paragraphs simply as stated moral principle without the lens of being an American citizen. There is literally nothing with which you can disagree.
The Holy family were literally fleeing for their lives from a homicidal maniac. They are- exactly as the Pope asserts- the model of what a refugee looks like. In years past, it has often been the policy of the United States to come to the aid of the refugee while dealing forcefully with the tyranny causing them to flee.
That has changed.
Under Bush, Obama and Biden in particular, military interventions worldwide had the effect of causing millions of refugees to flee their lands while opening our borders caused the influx of millions of criminals and opportunists to pour into our country unrestrained. A surge in drug crime and violent crimes including murder and sex trafficking have followed.
Sadly, it appears that the Vatican area news has painted the picture that President Trump and the American people are seeking to round up Jesus, Mary and Joseph and deport them as criminals.
The American citizens have seen with their own eyes that the Columbian gang members that Trump deported look nothing like Jesus, Joseph and Mary.
Conclusion:
The Pope is an incredibly moral and compassionate man, and that compassion is to be respected and even celebrated. However, two things can be true at the same time, and it is perfectly moral to conclude that Pope Francis seems to have absolutely no idea what Americans are facing at the hands of millions of drug runners, murderers, child traffickers and plain opportunists pouring into our country and given cell phones, benefits and luxury hotel rooms at our expense.
How can I be sure?
Very simple. Read the document.
The marginalized, the victim, the oppressed. That's who must be protected. A refugee, he correctly points out, is not a criminal.
Are these refugees? They look more like props for a far more sinister purpose, don't they? A refugee has very little time to grab a promotional t-shirt as he flees the aggressor.
image from ny times
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