September 24, 2015

"The Pope has arrived at the U.S. Capitol and met with House Speaker John Boehner."

Some of these breaking-news alerts I'm getting in my email are the height of banality.

ADDED: I'm going to catch hell for saying this, but shouldn't you wear white underpants with a white outfit?



That's a screen grab from the AP photo of Pope Francis shaking hands with John Boehner, the 5th photograph here.

The full text of the speech to Congress is there too, so feel free to discuss loftier topics. Excerpt:
A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture which enables people to "dream" of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton.

In these remarks I have sought to present some of the richness of your cultural heritage, of the spirit of the American people. It is my desire that this spirit continue to develop and grow, so that as many young people as possible can inherit and dwell in a land which has inspired so many people to dream.

58 comments:

Bob Ellison said...

I can report that the Pope did not text me about this.

traditionalguy said...

Separation of church and state does not apply in the Holy Roman Empire or its new North American acquisition. The Collective over all started in the Vatican and was temporarily split up by The French Revolution taking its power for The State. But the Jesuit Gang has never ceased to want to take back that power and in South America learned to use Marxism ideology to get it back.

chickelit said...

Some of these breaking-news alerts I'm getting in my email are the height of banality.

I'm sure we'll get some cutting edge "banalysis" as the day goes by.

Bay Area Guy said...

The Pope is a good man, albeit a bit more liberal than previous Popes. He has a huge blind spot on capitalism, though. Most of the world throughout history lived with strife and poverty - because of too little capitalism, not too much. Capitalism was the cure, not the disease.

True, there are excesses of capitalism, but the Pope should acknowledge that it has done much more good, than harm.

damikesc said...

The Pope is a good man, albeit a bit more liberal than previous Popes. He has a huge blind spot on capitalism, though. Most of the world throughout history lived with strife and poverty - because of too little capitalism, not too much. Capitalism was the cure, not the disease.

Hell, if you care about the environment, you should be completely pro-capitalism. What was filthier --- West Germany or East Germany?

MayBee said...

I'm sure we'll get some cutting edge "banalysis" as the day goes by.

Genius.

Jason said...

I'm more interested in reading about his decision to do an unscheduled stop at Little Sisters of the Poor.

ZING!

MayBee said...

I don't think anyone knows what he is saying.

Jason said...

I think excommunicating Pelosi for her support for abortion and her role in forcing Catholics to fund it via Obamacare, while still maintains her own Catholicism publicly, would be a positive and encouraging message.

MadisonMan said...

Jason, I'm sure that would just make her seem more attractive to many of her constituents.

Shawn Levasseur said...

It's "news alerts" that make me want to unsubscribe from them. Pre-planned ceremonial events that happen, then announced like we didn't know they were happening.

In related news, Franco is still dead.

garage mahal said...

Are Republicans pelting the Pope with eggs yet? He's fucking talking about helping the poor again!

JSD said...

In 1960’s, the Massachusetts Diocese had large devout parishes full Irish, Italian and French Canadians who gave them everything. In return, the Church abused its trust and authority. Priests lived in mansions with servants, drove Buicks and Cadillacs, houses on the Cape, had girlfriends and covered up for pedophiles. Hippocrates. Now we have a Latin American Marxist Green Pope. The Pope can go fuck himself.

Matt Sablan said...

"Are Republicans pelting the Pope with eggs yet? He's fucking talking about helping the poor again!"

-- All studies of charity show that Republicans have no problem helping the poor.

I don't see why I should be considered to not want to help the poor, when I would rather give money to efficient, successful charities and communities instead of inefficient, failing government programs.

MayBee said...

Are Republicans pelting the Pope with eggs yet? He's fucking talking about helping the poor again!

I know you know this, but Republicans believe in helping the poor. They just don't believe the best way is through universal pre-K, unlimited illegal immigration, expensive health care mandates, and incentives to have the government be your baby's daddy.

Nichevo said...

Tradguy, I'm not even Christian and I'm nauseated by your hate. I understand the only way to chance lawyer behavior is to jam a gun down your throat then ask nicely, but as I haven't time to drive do n to meet you, could you maybe just reevaluate your mental state and figure out your problem yourself? Since you have pretensions of greater intelligence than, I suppose, someone, please note there are no Protestants on the Supreme Court. Since you seem to regard all intelligence through the legal lens, then, know your masters.

MayBee said...

I gotta hand it to CNN, highlighting the (illegal?) immigration and climate change, and pretending the abortion part just didn't happen.

Unknown said...

What does Hippocrates have to do with this?

MayBee said...

Althouse! Is the pope wearing a black thong?

Jason said...

By creating jobs and wealth, and by making food cheap and plentiful and creating the technologies needed to transport it and keep it from spoiling, free market capitalism has helped the poor to a degree exponentially greater than idiots like Garage will ever comprehend. When unleashed, capitalism turns economies from 90 percent poor to 30 percent poor in the space of two generations... while substantially increasing the lifestyle and prospects even of the people who are still considered poor.

Look at what happened in China in just the last 40 years, since the Maoists started allowing some economic liberalization.

Yes, it has lots of problems. But it has an immense middle class now that did not exist 40 years ago. And they still don't have a free market. For something like that you have to go to Hong Kong to see the contrast. Or Taiwan.

Free market capitalism is the greatest anti-poverty program that has ever been conceived in the history of mankind. It's not even close.

Garage can suck a rock.

Jason said...

THIS JUST IN:

Althouse expresses criticism of banality of news; Crops photo to highlight Pope's choice of underwear.

Details at 10.

Ann Althouse said...

The OED gives 2 meanings for "banal":

"1. Of or belonging to compulsory feudal service."

Amazing, no?

"2. (From the intermediate sense of, Open to the use of all the community): Commonplace, common, trite; trivial, petty."

The difference between CNN and me is that I didn't say "BREAKING NEWS!!!" I made a lowly observation and didn't pretend it was anything but lowly.

Nichevo said...

Ann, in the words of Helen Hunt to Bart Simpson: do you ever think anything you don't say? Maybe you could buy yourself a filter on Amazon through your portal.

Hagar said...

Abraham Lincoln did not "defend liberty." He was just determined there would be no secession.

Unknown said...

Aren't those Mormon underpants?

Bay Area Guy said...

The Pope has called for abolishing the death penalty. I'm for the death penalty for the worst of the worst -- but if the Pope were to call for a package deal, say, abolishing the death penalty and abolishing abortion, I would take that deal.

@damikesc

Yeah, the Commies were terrible at everything, including the environment. East Germany sucked.

Curious George said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sebastian said...

Pope to US: you too can be Argentina.

Curious George said...

"ADDED: I'm going to catch hell for saying this, but shouldn't you wear white underpants with a white outfit?"

Not if you're Suzy Favor Hamilton. She wears black. Or sometimes nothing at all. But she isn't the Pope. She's just a whore.

Ann Althouse said...

It's actually a serious issue. An issue of judgment. Millions rely on this man's judgment and (based on that photo) he made an egregious error in judgment that you would expect any ordinary person not to make. And this is a man with many people working with him and a great deal of experience wearing white.

Mary Martha said...

Priests (including the Pope) wear regular slacks under their cassocks... It looks like he is just still wearing the black pants that made perfect sense under his Cardinals robes. Somebody should get him some khakis to wear instead.


What I find interesting is what the media is choosing *not* to cover. This Pope has done one thing that was 'unexpected' and speaking through actions more than words... and there is virtually no general media coverage.

The Pope went to visit the Little Sisters of the Poor - an order of religious sisters devoted to caring for the elderly poor. People here may be most familiar with the fact that they are in a legal battle with the administration.

Ann Althouse said...

"Priests (including the Pope) wear regular slacks under their cassocks..."

But it looks like a triangle of fabric, like the back of a thong.

Emphasis on "looks"... you dress for the look, so if looks wrong, it's wrong. I know he's portrayed as a humble man and he rode in a little Fiat, but he's still going for a pretty showy outfit.

Bay Area Guy said...

Althouse: It's actually a serious issue

What's a serious issue, his underpants? Are you serious?

If we were to look at the Pope's stance from the prism of conventional American politics, it'd be:

1. Death Penalty: Against, Liberal
2. Immigration: For,Liberal
3. Abortion: Against, Conservative
4. Gay marriage: Against, Conservative

It's hard to put pigeon hole him. If he were just a bit more effusive on capitalism, and more critical of socialism and the Cold-War Communists we fought for 44 years, and a bit more realistic about the integrity of a country's borders, I'd be much more aligned with him.

Anonymous said...

I keep looking at that photo, and I don't see anything resembling underpants. Even when I say to myself, "There are underpants there."

damikesc said...

Are Republicans pelting the Pope with eggs yet? He's fucking talking about helping the poor again!

Conservatives donate more to charity for the poor than Progressives, even though Progs have more money.

Mary Martha said...

I know he's portrayed as a humble man and he rode in a little Fiat, but he's still going for a pretty showy outfit.

Sometimes true humility includes subsuming ones preferences into the responsibilities of your position.

This Pope has eschewed many of the 'trappings' of his office (maybe a good choice, maybe a bad choice). However, if he were to totally throw off the traditional 'uniform' of his position it wouldn't be very humble. To think that *he* is so special that he can change how the office of 'Pope' is presented to the world.

The tradition of the pope wearing white goes back 500 years ago to when a Dominican Pope continued to wear Dominican white rather than picking up the Papal red robes. Now it's kind of funny to see a Jesuit wearing Dominican white (long standing rivalry there). Francis could have chosen to wear Jesuit black to honor his order rather than tradition started by their rival. But then would that be humble or proud?

Birches said...

Twitter is a mess right now with all their ridiculous appeals to authority. I never knew so many lefties were Catholic.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Ann Althouse said...
It's actually a serious issue. An issue of judgment. Millions rely on this man's judgment and (based on that photo) he made an egregious error in judgment that you would expect any ordinary person not to make. And this is a man with many people working with him and a great deal of experience wearing white.


It looks like the white garment is multi-layer, and when the layers are properly arranged they cover everything beneath, even black pants. However, the inner layers of the white are not arranged properly, folded up in one area rather than hanging down.

This is what passes for a serious issue.

rhhardin said...

The crap that's taken as lofty is astounding.

rhhardin said...

A truly humble Pope would wear Bermudas and a tee shirt.

Bill said...

I think the Holy Father wears slacks under his cassock.

Carnifex said...

I wouldn't believe in anything but for my lucky astrological mood watch! I think If i were Meade I'd be asking why his woman is doing close ups of the Popes ass. ;)

rhhardin said...

Congressmen should wear mood rings.

Etienne said...

I'm convinced that we need to make Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras our next states.

We need them for the men to fight the next world war.

Immigration isn't the answer, it's Statehood!

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Ann Althouse said...It's actually a serious issue. An issue of judgment. Millions rely on this man's judgment

I'm not a Catholic but I don't think they consider the Pope to be infallible on everything, so his lack of sartorial judgment wouldn't appear to be a "serious issue." As far as I know a Pope is allowed to have all sorts of personal opinions and preferences (the product of his judgment) but millions of people don't rely on his judgment about those things--"this Pope likes soccer more than he likes badminton, everyone burn your shuttlecocks!" To the degree that his followers might emulate his personal preferences or choices making a fashion faux pas isn't great, but that doesn't make it a "serious issue."

Wiki: Papal Infallibility

Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church that states that, in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Peter, the Pope is preserved from the possibility of error "When, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church."

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church that states that, in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Peter, the Pope is preserved from the possibility of error "When, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church."

But of course the principal of Papal Infallibility was proposed by non-Papal people, so it could be wrong...

CStanley said...

That doesn't look like slacks or black underwear to me.

Not slacks because there is a border on the right side where slacks would instead continue around his hip and leg.

Not underwear because there is no bottom edge (ok, perhaps you don't see it because the fabric falls away from it) but also, the left border doesn't make sense.

It looks like probably an optical illusion from the shadows on the cloth. Only other possibilites would be a scapular- but I don't think Jesuits typically wear them- or (just speculating) are there any body armor undergarments that extend down over the lower torso?

Freeman Hunt said...

If you wear white undergarments under a white outfit, they will show. Better to wear nude-colored undergarments under a white outfit.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

...or go commando.

Laslo Spatula said...

Freeman Hunt said...
"If you wear white undergarments under a white outfit, they will show. Better to wear nude-colored undergarments under a white outfit."

I will read this sentence over and over...

Mutaman said...

."It's actually a serious issue. An issue of judgment. Millions rely on this man's judgment"

Might rival this:

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/03/why-are-letters-nig-on-childs-pajamas.html

Lydia said...

If you look at the video of him coming down the steps of the plane upon his arrival in the U.S., you'll see very clearly that he's wearing black pants under the white cassock. It's his "simple" shtick -- part of the effort to distance himself from Benedict, the "Prada Pope".

Mark said...

In 1960’s, the Massachusetts Diocese had large devout parishes full Irish, Italian and French Canadians who gave them everything. In return, the Church abused its trust and authority.

The Massachusetts Diocese is Episcopalian, maroon.

Smilin' Jack said...

ADDED: I'm going to catch hell for saying this, but shouldn't you wear white underpants with a white outfit? That's a screen grab from the AP photo of Pope Francis shaking hands with John Boehner.

Like, eeeeuuww!!

I happened to hear a bit of his speech on the radio. Hilarious--he sounded like a drunk Vito Corleone.

JamesB.BKK said...

Wasn't Abe Lincoln a Total War mongering mass-murderer that expressly and deliberately started the US on the path of less liberty, converting a voluntary association of States into a compulsory one? Was he not a father of the concept of a government killing people who just want to leave? Did his Army not subsequently mindlessly slaughter and imprison the natives to the west, and make them wards of the Federal government today living desperate, non-productive lives under some weird communal scheme that offers next to no opportunities save for those persons who are anointed the elites by the Federal government, and then only for a cut of the tax skim? Interesting choice of historical figure for worship, Pope. And, since when did the Catholic Church care about liberty? Particularly with this Pope at the helm of that institution?

Bayoneteer said...

Whose idea was inviting this semetic volcano demon worshiping goof to address the congress? John Boner?

cheddar said...

What you are thinking is a thong is actually closer to his left outer thigh or hip. It is not a thong. He is wearing pants.

Nichevo said...

9/24/15, 7:16 PM

Um, no.