Quote from: Capt McQuigg

The question I want to see answered is whether Pope Francis thinks communism is a good thing.

I think he puts it on the same scale as doctrinaire darwinian capitalism.

Then he would show a lack of discernment and judgement on a grave scale.

Capitalism brings profits and good material benefits.  Spiritual benefits were never given by any economic system so that's a moot point.

Communism denies God, denies God's greatest creation (which is man) by reducing man to a mere tool and sometimes communist countries decide to mass murder people in the millions but never brings material benefits.  

So-called "Darwinian Capitalism" doesn't exist and isn't a form of government.  It's nothing more than an empty slogan made up by people who agitate for government largesse by stirring up envy in the weak.  In "capitalist" countries, there is a large amount of government funds set aside to help people who either are poor or are just grifters and it helps them to the tune of billions of dollars per year in food subsidies and housing subsidies.  

I just remembered that the Vatican rented out the Sistine Chapel to some wealthy businessmen for a secular gathering so when push comes to shove, Pope Francis is going to look for the side of the bread where the butter is found.

The question remains as to why Pope Francis attaches the concept of "good" with "communism".  Poche, why?

Actually there is along tradition in the Catholic Church of preocupation for the welfare of the poor, St Wenceslaus, St Elizabeth of Hungary, St Margaret of Scotland, Pope St Gregory the Great, St John Chrysostom, the list goes on.  

Yes, but not a the expense of forgetting the primary goal of the Church which is the salvation of souls in a supernatural sense. What we see today comes from the ideas of Atheistic Communism and is basically Humanism without God. The love of neighbor replaces the love of God in a naturalistic society. It is nothing but secular philanthropy.

What separates the authentic Catholic Social Doctrine from the communist Church "for the poor"of the conciliar Popes after the masonic take -over?: the former is centered on Jesus Christ, the Divine Redeemer of the world from all its social ills. The later, on the other hand, focuses on the earthly needs of "modern man" and, as the Revolution demands, relate "all things on earth" to "man as their center and crown".

St Martin of Tours;
St. Martin was born (c. 316) at Sabaria, a town in Pannonia near the famous Benedictine monastery dedicated to his name. Against the wishes of his parents he associated with Christians and became a catechumen at the age of ten. At fifteen he entered the army and served under the Emperors Constantius and Julian. While in the service he met a poor, naked beggar at the gates of Amiens who asked alms in Christ's Name. Martin had nothing with him except his weapons and soldier's mantle; but he took his sword, cut the latter in two, and gave half to the poor man. During the following night Christ appeared to him clothed with half a mantle and said, "Martin, the catechumen, has clothed Me with this mantle!"

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2014-11-11

At this morning’s mass in St. Martha’s House, Francis warned against the attitude of those faithful who believe they are doing everything right and are close to Jesus, whilst forgetting that Christ dwells within their neighbour and especially the poor. The Pope appealed against the type of Christian who is tempted to follow the Son of the Lord without wanting to be close to the poor and marginalised, isolating themselves in an “ecclesiastical microclimate” which has nothing genuinely ecclesiastical about it.

 

Francis’ homily was inspired on the Gospel sroty of the blind man of Jericho. The Pope remarked that he represents the "first-class of people" who populate the Evangelist Luke's account. A man of no importance, who nevertheless "wanted salvation", "wanted to be cured," and thus shouts louder than the wall of indifference around him until he overcomes this challenge and manages to knock on the "door of Christ's heart". The man is blocked by the circle of disciples, who want to silence him so as not to disturb anyone and in doing distance "the Lord from the peripheries". "This periphery could not get to the Lord, because this circle - but with the best of intentions - closed the door. And this happens frequently, among us believers: when we find the Lord, without even noticing it, we create this ecclesiastical microclimate. And not just priests and bishops, the faithful too: 'We are the ones on the Lord's side! And yet from spending so much time looking at the Lord, we no longer see what the Lord needs: we do not see that the Lord is hungry, thirsty, in prison, in hospital. The Lord, present in the marginalized. This atmosphere does so much bad.”

 

The second group Francis focused on in today’s homily, is made up of those who feel they are the chosen ones: "Now we are elected, we are with the Lord" - and therefore wants to keep "this little world" away from anyone who attempts to "disturb the Lord", even "children". "They had forgotten, had left their first love." "When the faithful, when ministers in the Church, become a group like this ... not ecclesial, but 'ecclesiastical', privileged in their proximity to the Lord, they are tempted to forget their first love, that beautiful love that we all experience when the Lord called us, saved us, told us: 'But I love you so much'. This is the disciples temptation: to forget their first love, that is, forget the margins, where I was before, even if it makes me ashamed.”  

Then there is the third group: the "simple people", who praise God for the healing of the blind man. "How often do we find these simple people, so many old ladies who walk and go" even at great personal sacrifice "to pray at a shrine of the Virgin".  "They do not ask for privileges, they ask for grace alone." It is the "faithful people", the people "who know how to follow the Lord, without asking for any privileges in return" who are able "to spend time with the Lord" and above all never forget the " marginalized Church " of children, the sick, the imprisoned. “Let us ask the Lord for the grace that we, who have received the grace of His call, never, never, never distance ourselves from this Church,” Francis said, concluding this morning’s homily. “Never enter this microclimate of the privileged, ecclesiastical disciples, who distance themselves from the Church of God, which suffers, seeks salvation, seeks faith, seeks God's Word. Let us ask for the grace to be faithful to God, without seeking privileges from the Lord, privileges which distances us from God's people.”

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/santa-marta-37544/