Saturday, November 28, 2020

papal agenda and liberty magazine

http://libertymagazine.org/article/on-god-and-the-pandemic    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWIzZH27XFk&t=461s  says the same thing as the popes encyclicals    "America alone is not America. American nationalism in the era of a pandemic is neither possible nor desirable in the way that it once functioned. America in the modern world and in the midst of a complex epidemiological catastrophe should be leading the world, not retreating, since it can neither escape it nor can it escape history or the future. Individualism in the private sphere is like isolationism in the world of nation-state politics: desirable in peaceful and prosperous times, but deadly in a pandemic environment."  "American contradictions are truly remarkable. The USA has the world’s top universities in academic, scientific, technological, and social sciences research in most fields. Yet there is a sizable portion of the population that is opposed to science, climate change, cell research, pandemic medical instructions, vaccines, and many other issues. A belief in God and science should not be incompatible. They can cohabit to advance the human condition especially in pandemic times. The coronavirus pandemic is not a religious matter but a scientific problem that needs medical and social cooperation. It is a community effort in which the neighborhood is the entity of common survival and perseverance, and individualism and disdain for authority are not helpful but dangerous when a virus is a social killer. For social distancing is not offensive to religious sensibilities. It is, in fact, designed for the protection of both: the believer and the general public at large...America is undergoing profound changes caused by a pandemic that came like an invisible hurricane. Race relations are now at the center of American life yet again. Immigration is also a national problem, or a gift, to be dealt with. Yet America will be America again, marching on and making it to the finishing line as it did so many times before. In fact, the phenomenon of Trump is a symptom and not a cause of the many ailments of American society. In God we trust. In nature we believe. And in science we will find our solutions to ancient and modern problems."    https://thejesuitpost.org/2020/10/an-overview-of-fratelli-tutti/   https://catholicecology.net/blog/pope-francis-2020-laudato-si-and-fratelli-tutti    "Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day. Its worst impact will probably be felt by developing countries in coming decades. Many of the poor live in areas particularly affected by phenomena related to warming, and their means of subsistence are largely dependent on natural reserves and ecosystemic services such as agriculture, fishing and forestry. They have no other financial activities or resources which can enable them to adapt to climate change or to face natural disasters, and their access to social services and protection is very limited."  "Pope Francis has warned against “myopic, extremist, resentful and aggressive nationalism” in some countries, and a “growing loss of the sense of history” in a major document outlining his view of the world. Fratelli Tutti – the third encyclical, a pastoral letter addressed to the whole of the Catholic church, of his papacy – was published on Sunday, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, amid global uncertainty and anxiety over the Covid-19 pandemic and rising populism. In the 45,000-word document, the pope urges nations to work towards a just and fraternal world based on common membership of the human family."   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/04/pope-francis-addresses-covid-pandemic-rising-nationalism-third-encyclical-fratelli-tutti