I’m not a Catholic, but I do appreciate the importance of the Papacy in Western history. And I would admire a pope who would defend Western Civilization, traditional values and Christendom.
Apparently, Pope Francis is not that guy. The Argentine Pope steadfastly refuses to fault Islam in any way, shape or fashion for the recent spate of Islamic terror attacks on the European continent and beyond.
This stubbornness was on blatant display on the Pope’s recent visit to Poland, a country which is still attempting to defend its sovereignty.
Ironically, the Polish government may be the most pro-Catholic government in Europe. But it doesn’t matter to this Pope, who for some inscrutable reason wants Poland to open its gates to the Muslim masses.
The expression “More Catholic Than the Pope” might well be an apt description of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party, which currently enjoys a majority in both houses of the Polish parliament.
Law and Justice is a pro-Catholic party, and its policies exemplify Catholic social teachings. Law and Justice opposes abortion and the homosexual agenda, and it also supports universal health care.
So naturally, when the current Pope Francis visited Poland, he had to scold the Polish government for its opposition to being swamped by Muslim “refugees”.
Looking at Polish history, one might sympathize with a strong Polish aversion to being invaded.
In 1939, in the now mostly-forgotten secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Hitler and Stalin divvied up Poland. The Nazis invaded from the west and the Communists from the east.
Going back a few hundred years, in the 18th century Poland was partitioned between Russia, Prussia, and Austria and ceased to exist as a national entity for over a century.
So yes, it’s totally understandable that Poles don’t want to be invaded by Muslims.
As the Daily Mail reported, “Pope Francis has urged Poland’s leaders to ‘overcome fear’ and welcome desperate migrants fleeing conflict and hardship. In his first speech in the city of Krakow, at the start of his five-day visit to the country, the Pontiff said opening doors to migrants requires ‘great wisdom and compassion’. Francis chastised the right-wing Law and Justice government for refusing to share the burden during Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II.” (Source: Pope Francis slams Polish government and demands they admit more refugees who are fleeing the horrors of war Jake Polden, Daily Mail, 27 July 2016)
One might point out to the pontiff that if the goal is really to aid real Middle Eastern refugees, it is cheaper to help them in the Middle East than move them elsewhere. If your goal, however, is to transform Europe (and America) then it would be logical to import Middle Eastern refugees.
According to the Daily Mail, “Fears run deep in the strongly Catholic nation that Muslim refugees could endanger its security and erode its Christian traditions.” Well, duh.
And the Mail reported this profound quote from Pope Francis, which ought to rank up there with the sayings of the great doctors of the church: “In Poland, the Pope declared that ‘We must not be afraid to say the truth, the world is at war because it has lost peace.’
Pope Francis followed that up with this little gem: “When I speak of war I speak of wars over interests, money, resources, not religion. All religions want peace, it’s the others who want war.”
The Pope said that “Needed is a spirit of readiness to welcome those fleeing from wars and hunger, and solidarity with those deprived of their fundamental rights, including the right to profess one’s faith in freedom and safety.”
Once again, true Middle Eastern refugees can be helped in the region. There’s no need to bring them to Europe. And, when you Islamicize a society, then “the right to profess one’s faith in freedom and safety” is in danger. If Pope Francis really supports religious freedom, he ought to be aware of that.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, according to the Daily Mail article, “did appear to signal a softening of Warsaw’s stance following closed-door talks with the Pope”. Duda said that “If someone wants to come here, especially if they are a refugee, fleeing war to save their life, we will of course accept them.” Well, I hope President Duda isn’t planning to go full Merkel over this.
Coincidentally, The Daily Mail also reported that on July 25th, Polish authorities had “charged an Iraqi man…with possessing trace amounts of explosive material.”
Consider that, out of a total population of over 38 million, Poland has an estimated 31,000 Muslims, with about two-thirds of them of the Lipka Tatar ethnicity which has resided there for centuries and is well-integrated.
So how prudent is it for Poland to start bringing in hordes of “refugees”?
On the 31st of July, Pope Francis spoke to a mass rally of 1.5 million youth. As the Associated Press reports, “Pope Francis told young people who flocked by the hundreds of thousands to his words Sunday that they need to ‘believe in a new humanity’ stronger than evil, and cautioned against concluding that one religion is more violent than others.” (Source: POPE TO YOUNG ON POLAND TRIP: BELIEVE ‘IN A NEW HUMANITY’ Frances D’Emilio, Associated Press, 31 July, 2016)
That sounds more like New Age mumbo jumbo than traditional Catholic doctrine. Indeed, in that speech Francis started to sound more like John Lennon than St. John.
Quote the Pope, “People may judge you to be dreamers, because you believe in a new humanity, one that rejects hatred between peoples, one that refuses to see borders as barriers and can cherish its own traditions without being self-centered or small-minded.”
Actually, Pope Francis, borders are by definition barriers.
According to the AP, Francis went “…to a church in Krakow, where he prayed that God protect the world from the ‘devastating wave’ of terrorism.”
So Francis prays for protection from terrorism while he urges Europeans to bring in more Muslims?
On the way back to the Vatican, some reporters on the plane tried to put him on the spot.
As reported by the AP, “Flying back to Rome Sunday night from Krakow, [Pope Francis] was asked by reporters why he has never used the word ‘Islam’ when denouncing terrorist attacks. Francis said he thinks ‘it’s not right to identify Islam with violence.’ He added that every religion has its “little group of fundamentalists.'” He said that if he speaks of violent Islam, he’d have to speak of violent Catholicism, since Catholics kill, too. [See A.W. Morgan’s excellent refutation of that argument here.] Referring to Isis, also known as Islamic State group, Francis said it ‘presents itself with its violent identity card, but it’s not Islam.’ ”
The Caliph of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al -Baghdadi, reportedly has a PhD in the study of the Koran, the source book of Islamic doctrine. But we’re to believe that Pope Francis knows more about Islam than Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?
Although Francis tells Europeans how they need to open the floodgates to Middle Eastern Muslims, the Pope himself has very good security while traveling.
According to the AP, “When the pope travels, a corps of Vatican bodyguards travels with him, running alongside his popemobile or scrutinizing crowds along the route. At Sunday’s Mass, several Polish police vans followed the pope’s open-sided popemobile as he rode through the wide flat meadow in the middle of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. Motorcycle police rode close to metal barriers keeping the crowd away.”
Wait a minute Francis, what about that “new humanity” you were lecturing the young Poles about? What about that “refusing to see borders as barriers”? You actually had a barrier between yourself and the friendly crowd you were talking to!
Surely all European Catholic clergy can’t be living in La La land like Pope Francis?
Well, no, they aren’t. In fact, that previously-cited Daily Mail article reported that “Christopher Lamb in Catholic weekly newspaper The Tablet added that many of Poland’s bishops are ‘at odds with the direction of his papacy.’ “
Several days after Pope Francis’ Polish trip, Gyula Marfi, Archbishop of Veszprem in Hungary, was interviewed, revealing a European Catholic clergymen whose view of Islam is radically different from that of the Pope.
Archbishop Marfi asserted that the Muslims’ “will to conquer” is a key factor in the current influx into Europe. (Source: Archbishop Warns Europe Migration Crisis Fueled by Muslims’ ‘Will to Conquer’ Thomas D. Williams, PhD., Breitbart, Aug. 3, 2016)
Archbishop Marfi was even asked about the Pope’s approach, and he said that the Pope didn’t criticize Islam so as not to endanger Christians in the Middle East. There might be something to that. But Pope Francis’ comments go beyond not criticizing Islam. The current pontiff goes out of his way to justify Islam and its invasion of Europe, suggesting there is something else going on there.
Anyway, Archbishop Marfi’s comments displayed understanding of the topic and a loyalty to Christendom and Western Civilization.
Some relevant comments by the Archbishop:
Migration Cause and Purpose “Migration does not only have causes, it also has a purpose such as the destabilization of Europe and the Euro.”
Jihad and Shariah – “Jihad is a principle for Muslims that means they must expand.The earth must become dar al-Islam, that is, Islamic territory, by introducing Shariah—Islamic law.”
On Muslim Morality: “I have never dishonored the Muslims but their morals are completely different from ours. What for us is a sin, for them is a virtue.”
Christian Love – “…just because we love the wolves, as God’s creatures, doesn’t mean we let them enter among the sheep, even if they come in sheep’s clothing…Jesus told us to be as gentle as doves, but also as astute as serpents.”
Archbishop Marfi has a good understanding of the situation and when it comes to the “refugee” question, it would be more advantageous for Europeans to listen to the Archbishop than the Pope.
© 2016 Allan Wall – All Rights Reserved
by Allan Wall
Allan Wall