WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 (UPI) — Pope Francis‘ more “leftist” comments and policies have often ruffled his flock’s feathers, prompting some American conservatives to be wary of what he might have to say about topics like climate change in his upcoming U.S. visit.
The pope will make major addresses before Congress, at the United Nations and at the World Meeting of Families during the upcoming week, and notice has already been given his primary topic will concern climate change. A papal encyclical issued in June refers to climate change as “one of the principal challenges facing humanity.” It scolds skeptics for their denial, noting “some committed and prayerful Christians, with the excuse of realism and pragmatism, tend to ridicule expressions of concern for the environment.”
Some Catholics, including at least three pursuing the Republican presidential nomination, disagree. “This climate change talk has adopted all of the socialist talking points, wrapped false science and ideology into ‘climate justice’ and is being presented to guilt people into leftist policies,” wrote Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., a Catholic, in an opinion column explaining why he is boycotting the pope’s visit to Capitol Hill. “He [the Pope] condemned anyone skeptical of the link between human activity and climate change and adopted the false science being propagated by the left. If the pope wants to devote his life to fighting climate change then he can do so in his personal time. But to promote questionable science as Catholic dogma is ridiculous.”
The pontiff has welcomed Catholics burdened with divorce, remarriage or abortion in their past to rejoin the church in the name of forgiveness. He told a general audience in August the Catholic church still regards a remarriage after divorce a violation of church teachings, but noted the church expects children of failed marriages to continue to be raised by parents who feel shunned by the church and are kept “far from the community life [of the church] as if they were excommunicated.”
He urged pastors “not to add additional weight beyond what the children in this situation have to bear. Unfortunately the numbers of these children and young people are truly great.”
He said early “missionaries of mercy” would be available, around the world, toabsolve sins of abortion during a “Holy Year of Mercy” to begin in December. While abortion remains a sin, absolution is the opposite of excommunication, the traditional Catholic methodology for dealing with sin.
The announcement follows a series of controversial moves toward tolerance since he was elected in 2013. In efforts regarded as symbolic, rather than official changes to Catholic dogma, he has met with a transgender man, suggested that divorced people can receive communion at Catholic masses and repeatedly urged priests not to turn gay people away from the church.
On a recent trip to South America, he apologized for the church’s historical involvement in capitalism and imperialism which have led to poverty throughout the continent. These moves have earned him admiration as a populist and crusader for the marginalized. They have also suggested an anti-capitalist and decidedly leftist interpretation to his view of the church and its role.
Prior to his trip this week, his first visit to the United States, a Gallup poll showed the Pope’s favorability rating among Americans dropped from 76 percent in early 2014 to the current 59 percent in July 2015, a rating similar to the 58 percent approval rating from Americans when he was elected in 2013. Among American conservatives, 45 percent viewed him favorably in July, down sharply from 72 percent in 2014.
