Holy See What He Said Now!?

I can recall a Pope changing history, in recent history, by making clear to the leaders of the former Soviet Union, that if they invaded his native land of Poland, (as they were clearly threatening to do) he would travel to the battle line and stand with the free Polish army and people against Soviet aggression. Interestingly enough, whether it was unmistakeable talk from the Pope or clear and unambiguous resolve from US and European nations that such aggression would be met with military force, the former Soviet Union chose NOT to invade Poland….and not long after that, in the long sense of time, the Soviet Union became the “former” Soviet Union. Now that was a Pope.

Fast forward to June 18, 2015. We have a Pope who has lost his collective Catholic memory about who, or what in the world threatens people, poor or otherwise, most immediately. Let us briefly review (or in some folks' cases perhaps learn a few new facts) about the state of the world. If you believe that the environment is hurting the poor, then please realize, or recall, that the entity that has produced, continues to produce, and will produce far into the foreseeable future the most pollution of all sorts, including hydrocarbon emissions as well as inefficient burning of fossil fuels is NOT the US nor the European nations, it is the People’s Republic of China. Not only are they the worst, they are getting even worse with each day and have refused to agree to any, and I mean any, changes to their current emission records. Period. Right behind the PRC, another poor nation, India is the next worst polluter. I do not see the Pope in China whining about global pollution. Why not? Probably because he would not be allowed to make such statements. But, then, he could still say something from the palatial confines of the Vatican. Why does he not do so? Does the Pope really want to rail against pollution or simply whine about his perception of “rich” nations being somehow “evil”...even though their record on pollution, using science and economic power, has contributed far more to the sensible, achievable and rational reduction of global pollution than anyone else….most especially the Vatican and its current, but temporary resident.

While on the subject of Popes and science, I was surprised to learn, if true, that he has some sort of science degree. Really. We must be careful here. Honorary degrees are quite easy to come by, if you are a Pope or Archbishop, and I would encourage all to take that assertion with considerable doubt. But if true, all the more damning (forgive me Father) of the First Resident of the Vatican. You see, folks, another Pope, long ago, chose to figuratively crucify none other than Galileo Galilei for asserting (gasp and horrors) that the Earth rotated around the Sun and not otherwise, as the scientists in the Vatican had decreed. When Popes mix science and religion it does not work out for science or for religion. For those of you who are truly interested in looking into this situation, I encourage you to read the very insightful, and prophetic article by the late Michael Crichton regarding Environmentalism as the urban, atheist religion of choice. You will learn some true science from a truly scientific person, and you will gain some better understanding of what has come to past.

The good thing I see of this is, Popes come and go, and this one will eventually go, and his legacy, in part, will be someone who chose to “whip” 39 lashes on those who care, and try to achieve better conditions, lives, and futures for the poor, rather than calling out those who really pollute, who disregard human condition on a gross scale, and cynically chuckle at such a silly man. The Fisherman would be ashamed, as he should.

No, I am not a Catholic, but I shall do what I can to assist them in this, their hour of need.

I leave you with some thoughts by an Irish poet of the 18th Century, William Butler Yeats, “The curtain of darkness drops again, but now I know that 20 centuries of stony sleep were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle…..and what rough beast, its hour come ‘round at last, slouches toward Bethlehem, to be born?”

Many, but not all, Irish are or were Roman Catholics. I am unsure about Yeats. Perhaps the Pope should take up 18th Century English Romantic Poetry for a while. It might tone his sense of appropriate indignation.