In spite of vexing differences between the U.S. President and the Catholic Church, the president and the pope met at the Apostolic Palace in Rome on March 27. The cordial meeting discussed international conflict, human rights and religious freedom. The meeting lasted 52 minutes, which is considered to be extraordinarily long.
“It’s a great honor. I’m a great admirer. Thank you so much for meeting me,” said the president on meeting the pope. Also with the president were John Kerry, Secretary of State, Kenneth Hackett, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.
There has been considerable acrimony between the church and the U.S. administration. The church opposes same-sex marriage, certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act mandated by the U.S. Congress that requires the coverage of contraceptive drugs and abortifacients and abortion, which the president supports. President Obama and Pope Francis discussed the right of religious freedom and conscientious objection to the “Obamacare” law with the Vatican Secretary of State after the meeting with the pope.
The president and the secretary also discussed immigration reform in the U.S., which is about keeping borders open so that Latin American Roman Catholics can continue to come into the United States illegally. This is important to changing the political circumstances in the U.S. to favor Roman Catholicism.
Some bishops have described the U.S. administration as opposed to the Catholic Church and coercive of conscience. Nevertheless, both men have at least a perceived symmetry on the issue of “economic justice” or wealth redistribution, which involves taking money from wealthy people and nations and giving it to the poor people and poor nations.
“I was grateful to have the opportunity to speak with him about the responsibilities that we all share to care for the least of these, the poor, the excluded,” Obama said. “And I was extremely moved by his insights about the importance of us all having a moral perspective on world problems and not simply thinking in terms of our own narrow self-interests.”
The Catholic Church promotes government-funded social welfare instead of the Bible plan for the church and its members to provide for the poor. Taxing the rich or transferring wealth through taxation and other government programs ends up having a negative effect on the economy and recreates medieval economics with a few very wealthy and masses of poor. Also, a government system of welfare and wealth redistribution keeps the poor dependent on the government and encourages indolence.
One commentator said the pope is a “unique world leader” who has “no particular political or geopolitical agenda or interest,” and “no ulterior motives.”
The Bible declares, however, that Rome wants to sit as queen of the world. See Revelation 18:7. It is the cover of sanctity and concern for the poor that gives the papacy its deceptive influence while it is seeking greater and greater power.
The president invited Francis to visit the U.S. next year.
Every U.S. president since Dwight D. Eisenhower met John XXIII in 1959 has met the pope and with Thursday’s meeting every pope since then with the exception of John Paul I — who was pope for only 33 days — met the U.S. president.
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Bryan
Saturday April 12th, 2014 at 06:09 PMRevelation 13:3