US media has been all agog about the latest Gallup Poll numbers alleging that Pope Francis' popularity has waned in America, just prior to his historic visit to Congress and the White House in late September. Is this just a storm in a teacup, or is the fuss justified?
Several themes emerged to explain the alleged drop, most marked (- 27 points) among politically conservative respondents. The New York Times and the Washington Post both cite Republican displeasure at the Pope inserting himself into the debate over global economics and climate change. With many Catholics in the Republican Party, a Boston Globe headline similarly proclaimed that the slump was due to "conservative dismay", citing some Catholic think-tank conservatives who, after listening to Francis' themes of poverty, injustice and pollution during his recent Latin America trip, complained they were tired of being "scolded" and nagged by the Pope about their responsibilities.
Veteran Vatican insider John Allen, editor of "All Things Catholic" for the Boston Globe, worries that around the Pope's visit there may be a backlash from right-wing critics of the his teachings because of the many signals Francis has given that the US (champion of free market capitalism) may be a big part of the problem of global inequity.
Nevertheless, a professor of moral theology at Boston College, Fr James Bretzke, managed to see a silver lining, telling the New York Times, "They're not always agreeing with [Francis] but they are clearly listening."
Some of the drop in papal ratings can be attributed not to the Pope's views on economics or ecology, but to the lost credibility and disillusionment among parishioners over the Vatican’s continued failure to respond adequately to cases of child abuse by priests. Despite millions of dollars in compensation, victims and their advocates complain that colluders among bishops and cardinals have still not been properly dealt with.
One striking commentary on the Pope's popularity comes from an individual blogger in the Boston Globe. Who knows, maybe Gallup rang her phone, perhaps she is a lone voice, perhaps not; but here, raw and unedited, is what private citizen "Jackie" has to say:
"Pope Francis is anti-American, anti-capitalism, anti-hard workers and I believe he is jealous of the USA and the blessings and talents God gave to this country … The USA is the most generous country in the world and has given billions to third world countries … The Pope has neglected to consider the talents that God has gifted many Americans to invent, to create, to design, to implement, to succeed. His false and constant harping on re-distribution of wealth and helping the poor more and more is insulting to those of us who use those God-given talents to make a difference in the world… I am not happy about his visit … Do we really want a visit from one who dislikes us?"
Is this a typical voice or a lone wolf? As a regular reader of popular commentary on newspaper stories, I’d say there are many Jackies in America – ultra-orthodox, conservative, more dogmatic than the Pope – and totally lacking Francis' sense of humour.
Dr Arthur McCaffrey is a Catholic journalist living in Boston
Above: Some critics of Pope Francis – presented in Bolivia last month with a hammer and sickle crucifix by President Evo Morales – have accused him of being a Marxist because of his teaching on wealth and inequality. Photo: CNS
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User comments (8)
It has long been the policy of the Church to speak out against two harmful movements: Communism and unfettered Capitalism.
I suggest our American friends should read and consider what Pope Francis says rather than take offence at a distorted report of it.
As a free country, America should be open to new ideas, reason and persuasion. Let us hope that Pope Francis uses his visit to explain his concerns, and that his audience listen. The local church should also play a useful part in communicating the truths.
robinmolieres--thank you for your comments which are spot on. Many American problems are due to a dysfunctional Congress and the power of money and lobbyists to determine policy. Many of us are putting a lot of faith in the presidential candidacy of Vermonter/socialist Bernie Sanders, tho his chances of becoming President are slim.
Glad you enjoyed your time in New England and hope you will come back and visit.
The Pope loves his people, even North American people. He dislikes the impact of US style capitalism on the rest of the world. He criticises a system and will differ profoundly with those who defend the system. He is not a marxist even though a few criticisms he has levelled do have a marxist resonance. Much more interesting and controversial are his views on the environment. The crisis in the environment has multiple ramifications in the area of world poverty, the poverty of women, jobs and labour, globalisation etc. US North Americans are reluctant to take on board what is happening to the planet. Therein lies a great challenge to the so-called New Evangelisation.
The US official church organization is extremely conservative, owed to JPII and BXVI appointees being in major sees. They are accused of being The Republican Party at Prayer & Politics. Francis has many followers among the laity and lower clergy. The major funders of the USCCB initiatives have always been conservatives.
Francis is holding up a mirror and what the viewers see flies in the face of those who are used to having reflected back what they want to see.
To quote Ven. Bob of Dylan: The times, they are a'changin'.
For any person, organisation or country to grow and develop healthily, constructive criticism should be received and evaluated with an open mind and an open heart. Francis’ encyclical is one of comfort and challenge with the aim encouraging America and the world to appreciate the Creator’s bounty by responsible stewardship. An adult response to his challenge is not to be dismissive or condemnatory, but to begin an honest appraisal of the validity of the challenge and then, if appropriate, to foster a change of heart and habit.
America is a great country but its flawless self-image which refuses to consider reasoned criticism will lead to its ultimate demise. It’s said that America is the land of the free, because she is the home of the brave. She needs to be brave now, and courageously accept the challenge laid before her and the whole world, to be loving stewards of creation.
America is, in many respects, a wonderful country - a land of enthusiasm, optimism, energy, creativity and drive, the “can do” country. “America the Beautiful” is indeed blessed by the creator with a wealth of natural resources. I spent some of the happiest years of my life in New England among the most generous people, whose reputation for warm-hearted hospitality is well-deserved.
However, if conservative US Catholics like Jackie feel got at by Francis, Bishop of Rome, then rather than shooting the messenger, perhaps they should look to their consciences and the facts. Here are just a few:
Calculations show that the planet has available 1.9 hectares of biologically productive land per person to supply resources and absorb wastes yet the average American uses 9.7 hectares. The US, with less than 5 % of the global population, uses about a quarter of the world’s fossil fuel resources. An estimated 65 % of U.S. adults are overweight or obese and yet Americans throw out 200,000 tons of edible food daily. The land of over-consumption has more shopping malls than high schools. Among the fruits of American’s undoubted creativity and hard-work is an arms industry whose sales in 2011 grossed more than $66 billion dollars (NYT).
This great and profligate country has a tender ego. She can’t bear any criticism, from within or without, which threatens to deflate her monumental sense of self-righteous self-satisfaction. America the beautiful has become America the vain.
The most important point is not Pope Francis's fall off in popularity but the effect that he is having on the relationship between America's conservative laity and the Catholic Church. Is the attendance of conservatives at Mass and participation in the sacraments rising or falling? Are their donations up or down? What about vocations? The lack of public mention of such data suggests that these metrics are not moving in a positive direction.
Pope Francis's Leftist beliefs and failure to advocate for long-settled Catholic doctrine are making many American conservatives uneasy or alienated from the Church. Given his Argentine nationality, formation as a Jesuit, and limited experience outside the country, Pope Francis seems to have little understanding of or care for the damage that he is doing to the fabric of Catholicism in America.
’US media has been all agog about the latest Gallup Poll numbers alleging that Pope Francis' popularity has waned in America.’
Does this less than perfect popularity rating not reflect well on the Pope ? Did Jesus not warn his disciples: ‘Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets (Lk. 6.26)’?