It's just not Mike Huckabee and the Christian right who are using the Pope to advance an agenda. Yesterday, official Foxpriest Fr. Jonathan Morris validated Huckabee and others who claim that the White House's guest list, for the Pope's meet and greet, is an insult to Catholics and part of Obama's "war on Christians." Seriously...!!!
Ya gotta love it. Conservatives really don't like this Pope because he talks about tacky poor people, dirty "illegals," and that great hoax knows as climate change. Yet, they have their Christian panties in a wad over some of the folks who were invited to today's Papal meet and greet on the White House lawn. Yes, folks, the Pope will be exposed to OMG, a gay Episcopalian bishop, that "feminazi nun" Sr. Simone Campbell, and a transgender activist from a group of LGBT activists.
And that has Mike Huckabee, who isn't Catholic, all in a tizzy because, according to Minister Huckabee, only devout (read conservative) Catholics should be on the guest list and the inclusion of these folks, among 15,000 invitees, would upset the Pope. Huckabee told Megyn Kelly that having these folks on the guest list is comparable (I'm not kidding) to serving booze at a function for recovering alcoholics.
In an interview with the right wing Newsmax, Huckabee doubled down when he pontificated (pun intended) that Obama can't call himself a Christian if he does nasty stuff like this. He asked why "Obama goes to extremes to accommodate Muslim terrorists but shows nothing but disdain for Christians" and opined that “this is a new low for an administration that will go down as the most anti-Christian in American history."
On yesterday's America's Newsroom, devout Catholic bachelor Bill Hemmer played video from Megyn Kelly's interview with Huckabee. Hemmer "explained" that Huckabee said that Obama was insulting both the Pope and American Catholics in inviting critics of Catholicism to the White House gathering. In describing those on the Fox black list, he mentioned "a pro-abortion nun" who, in real time, is Sister Simone Campbell whose so-called advocacy for abortion is merely her desire to not talk about it. In the meantime, Sr. Simone is a tireless advocate for the poor - something that Pope Francis might just be down with, but whatever. The banner reinforced the agitprop: "Huckabee, WH Pope Guest List Is 'An Insult To Millions of Catholics'."
Hemmer read Huckabee's comment about how the guest list is "classless" and "a politicized cattle call for gay and pro-abortion activists." After quoting Huckabee's claim that the Obama administration is "the most anti-Christian in American history," Hemmer tossed to Morris.
Fr. Morris didn't agree with the "cattle call" metaphor but he "agreed with him [Huckabee] that it was a classless move, decision by the White House." The sweet little padre noted that the president is inviting those who "share his ideology" and "that was expected." He repeated his contention that "it was classless" and inferred that Obama was using the gathering "for his own agenda."Hemmer suggested that the Pope might "be OK with this." Morris spluttered about how the Pope could "handle this." Morris claimed that "there will be pictures" of the Pope, with the evil people, "and that is a risk" but because the Pope loves everybody, it's not really a big problem.
Talk about classless and using something for one's own agenda!!!! Seriously, this whole tempest in a teapot is a reflection of the right wing fear of encountering those who are different as opposed to possibly offending the Pope's sensitivities.
Addendum: According to Mother Jones, "gay people, liberal nun fail to embarrass Pope at White House." In what must be a disappointment to Huckabee and Morris there were no rainbow flags anywhere! The Pope does not appear to have been offended.
Shep seemed to be having himself a bit of fun with them and I wish I’d been paying closer attention. Several high-ranking clerics with the views expressed so mealy-mouthedly by Father Jonathan have already been relocated to remote parishes. The good Father may be counting on a comfortable niche within FNC.
PS: the official word from the Vatican is that Pope Francis won’t move into the Papal apartments because they’re too removed from reality. Vox populi has it that that’s only part of the story. People living around the Vatican tend to focus on the expectation that the good sisters will be more effective in protecting him from harm. There are a lot of people from the old guard who are not one bit happy with the way the church is going. On the contrary, ordinary people are besides themselves with delight and outright glee.
