Re: [Marxism] Pope goes pink?: Adopts "development of underdevelopment" line"

[Walter Lippmann <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Roman Catholic Church has been in the business of saving souls and
teaching the oppressed to love their oppressors for far longer than any
capitalist government now in existence. Their sophisticated approach as
well as their long experience provides lessons from which Marxists could
certainly learn a few things. No, not their anti-choice, anti-gay stances,
but how to address the burning issues of the day. The Catholic Church has
to appeal to the poor and working people of the world, and to them they're
presenting the left face of Pope Benedict's next book. The Catholic Church
has managed to find a quiet way of staying under the radar screens here in
Cuba, where they now have thirty newspapers. I probably wouldn't like much
of what they say on SOME subjects, but others I would. 

In Cuba, and the Church in the United States, have come out hard against
the travel ban, for example, though its Miami officialdom has been quite
noticeable by its refusal to support the position of the national church,
the Cuban church, and the Vatican on such matters. Max Lesnik, not himself
a parishioner, wrote a terrific commentary on this not long ago.

The church has to guard its left flank as well. Right now, the church is
preparing its membership, hierarchy and priesthood for the upcoming tour
of Pope Benedict to Latin America. That's why the Vatican has taken on 
another campaign against Liberation Theology, which it knows retains a
signficant influence among the poor, and among parishioners on the Latin
American landscapt. The attack on theologian Jon Sobrino is part of the
efforts by the Vatican to draw sharp lines of demarcation.

Readers who follow the Catholic Church will recall the dramatic tour of
Pope John Paul to Latin America in the 1980s, when he wagged his finger
at Catholic priest Ernesto Cardenal who had taken a position in the FSLN
government at that time. In 1998, he went to Cuba where he was greeted by
the island's Commander-in-Chief, Fidel Castro, both at his arrival and
at his departure. Fidel mourned the Pope's death and publicly dissented
from the view pressed in the capitalist media that Pope John Paul was
responsible for the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe.

When asked, I sometimes tell people "I'm an atheist and, God willing,
I always will be." The entirely-intended irony of this normally evokes
a friendly smile among those to whom I put it this way. Some people, on
the other hand, take their atheism as a form of inverted religion and
make atheism something they campaign around. This helps explain the big
campaign in the U.S. recently against "Radical Islam", which is part of
the ideological preparations for war against Iran. After Hezbollah in
Lebanon (aka "The Party of God"), demonstrated that it didn't rely on
prayer alone after Israel invaded its country last year, the world,
the Israelis and even the west had to take notice. That may help to
explain why Nancy Pelosi covered her head during her recent visit to
Damascus. 

Religious matters, which are faith-based, simply cannot be resolved 
on the plane of material reality. That's why, outside of academic 
circles, it serves little purpose to make atheism a central part of a
left-political platform. It tends to cut across that, actually.

For students of these matters, below are a few hopefully-helpful
reference points.


Walter Lippmann
Havana, Cuba
"Un paraiso bajo el bloqueo"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
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Che Guevara has appeared again at the Vatican
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/message/63989
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Pope Accuses Rich Countries of Plundering and Looting
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/message/64109
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Pope rips sins of wealth in new tome:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/message/64126
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"Pope goes pink?: Adopts "development of underdevelopment" line"
Pope says rich nations "plundered" Third World
Wed Apr 4, 2007 7:38 AM ET
By Philip Pullella
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/marxism/2007-April/010893.html
=======================================================================================
Max Lesnik: What's happening with the church in Miami?
http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs1199.html 
=======================================================================================
Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega: Cuba needs dialogue, not pressure
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/message/64086
=======================================================================================
Cuba: How the Church is cultivating the seed of liberty:
http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/dettaglio.jsp?id=130423&eng=y
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The Sentence Against Theologian Jon Sobrino Is Aimed at an Entire Continent

In pointing out the errors in two books, the Vatican wanted above all
to warn their readers: the bishops, priests, and laypeople of Latin
America. It is the prelude to Benedict XVIâs upcoming visit to Brazil. 
At the center of it all is the question on who is the real Jesus
by Sandro Magister
ROMA, March 20, 2007 â Last Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, a
diminutive friar from Peru in the black and white habit of the
Dominicans came before Benedict XVI, who was officiating over the
rite in the Roman basilica of Santa Sabina. The pope applied the
ashes to his head.
--------------------------
In 1984, and again in 1986, this theology was severely criticized by
two documents from the congregation for the doctrine of the faith,
signed by then-cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. But it still influences
large sectors of the Latin American Church, in their mentality and
language. FULL:
http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/dettaglio.jsp?id=127821&eng=y
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Wall Street Journal: A Cuban Guru's Tip
http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs952.html
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FIDEL CASTRO ON POPE JOHN PAUL:
http://www.walterlippmann.com/pope.html



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