ROME–shortly after Pope Francis’s interview in which he made clear his intention to de-emphasize homophobia and anti-abortion rhetoric in Church teachings, senior Catholic leaders around the world warned that “soon, our cherished traditions of bigotry may be no more than a footnote” in doctrine.
“First, we lost anti-Semitism. Then racism fell by the wayside. It looks like homophobia and misogyny may be next. Who will be left for us to fear and hate?” asked Archbishop Pietro Dellascagni of Milan.
American Catholics were particularly concerned. “If Jesus wanted us to have compassion and mercy for our fellow man, then why isn’t there any of that stuff in the Bible?” said Bishop Ted Flanagan of Madison, Wisconsin. “I think we ignore the Scriptural emphasis on school-board elections at our peril.”
Anti-abortion activists were particularly scathing. “The Catholic Church has always taught that each and every human life is sacred,” said Operation Rescue captain Danny Laskers, stepping over a comatose homeless man on the street in order to hurl abuse at a woman entering a Planned Parenthood in Baton Rouge. “All this blah-blah-blah about the sick, the poor, the hungry–where is he getting this garbage?”
Francis had no comment. Sources said that, in an effort to live even more like an everyday person, he was spending the day moving out of the spartan hostel where he currently lives into a Motel 6 just outside Nashville and getting a job as a greeter at the Walmart just outside town.
Leave a Reply