Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Pope Francis 1 has identified with the poor, and has lived a life that supports that .. will he speak out strongly against the injustice and dangers of gross inequality? .. that would be a good thing .. he worries radical reactionaries within the church in that he is not a supporter of the traditional Latin mass .. http://torontotlmserving.blogspot.com.au/ .. that is a plus and reflects a commitment to communication .. he has reached out to other churches which is another plus .. will he reach out to Muslims as his Francis of Assisi did?

Character and legacy

Habit of Francis of Assisi

It has been argued that no one in history was as dedicated as Francis to imitate the life, and carry out the work, of Christ in Christ’s own way. This is important in understanding Francis' character and his affinity for the Eucharist and respect for the priests who carried out the sacrament. He and his followers celebrated and even venerated poverty. Poverty was so central to his character that in his last written work, the Testament, he said that absolute personal and corporate poverty was the essential lifestyle for the members of his order. He believed that nature itself was the mirror of God. He called all creatures his “brothers” and “sisters,” and even preached to the birds and supposedly persuaded a wolf to stop attacking some locals if they agreed to feed the wolf. In his “Canticle of the Creatures” (“Praises of Creatures” or “Canticle of the Sun”), he mentioned the “Brother Sun” and “Sister Moon,” the wind and water, and “Sister Death.” He referred to his chronic illnesses as his “sisters." His deep sense of brotherhood under God embraced others, and declared that “he considered himself no friend of Christ if he did not cherish those for whom Christ died.” Francis's visit to Egypt and attempted rapprochement with the Muslim world had far-reaching consequences, long past his own death, since after the fall of the Crusader Kingdom it would be the Franciscans, of all Catholics, who would be allowed to stay on in the Holy Land and be recognized as "Custodians of the Holy Land" on behalf of the Catholic Church. .. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi

Though he probably would fail to stop the conflict as Assisi did, any direct overture would be a good thing .. of course, he is strongly in favor of crunch Catholic beliefs as euthanasia, abortion and gay marriage .. would any Cardinal who wasn't have any chance at the Pope's seat? .. i don't think so, too much to hope for today .. i'm thinking just maybe the progressives within the church have followed something akin to the Republican's Buckley Rule .. http://dailycaller.com/2011/11/08/bucking-buckleys-rule/ .. and backed the most liberal Cardinal they thought had a chance .. for all those in favor of a more humane church at least that is a better option than the alternative ..