Pope Francis blesses the faithful on April 15, 2014 during his weekly general audience at the Vatican.
Photo by Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty
By Steve Benen
It was just five months ago that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) said he wants
leaders from the faith community to “rise up and engage America in the
public square with Biblical values.” The likely Republican presidential
candidate added, “The time has come for pastors to lead the way and
reset the course of American governance.”
This is not an uncommon sentiment in GOP politics. As the
party continues to move sharply to the right, Republican hostility
towards church-state separation has become the norm. In culture-war
debates over gay rights and reproductive rights, for example, the right
routinely argues that policymakers should heed the appeals from
religious leaders.
More generally, conservatives express alarm about the left
trying to push voices from the faith community “out of the public
square.” It’s these religious leaders, the GOP argues, that should help
guide public debate.
With this in mind, it seemed almost miraculous to see this Politico piece yesterday.
After Pope Francis moved to recognize a Palestinian state, some gung-ho defenders of Israel suggested the pontiff should stick to preaching and stay out of politics.“It’s interesting how the Vatican has gotten so political when ultimately the Vatican ought to be working to lead people to Jesus Christ and salvation, and that’s what the Church is supposed to do,” said Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), a hawkish defender of Israel.
Note, a variety of lawmakers expressed public disagreement –
and in some cases, deep disappointment – with Pope Francis’s move
towards officially recognizing Palestinians. And to be sure, there’s
nothing wrong with a spirited debate, with some American policymakers on
one side and the Catholic leader on the other.
But that’s not what Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) said, exactly.
Rather, he suggested Pope Francis should stay out of the debate
altogether – the Vatican can focus on spiritual matters, the South
Carolinian argued, and stay out of politics.
Imagine that. When church leaders condemn abortion,
congressional Republicans shout, “Amen.” When the pope enters a foreign
policy debate, suddenly we effectively hear, “Mind your own business,
padre.”
Indeed, when President Reagan worked with
Pope John Paul II on a variety of issues, Republicans saw it as an
important diplomatic partnership. But now that it’s President Obama and
Pope Francis who are often aligned – on climate change, on Iran nuclear
talks, on diplomacy with Cuba, on economic inequality, on pay equity for
women – and some GOP officials suddenly aren’t pleased at all with the
Vatican’s interest in contemporary politics.
Over at Daily Kos, Laura Clawson added,
“Republicans have shown time and time again that they have no problem
whatsoever with religion in politics. Now we know how particular they
are about whose religion and whose politics. Catholic leaders in
politics are fine as long as they’re threatening to deny communion to
Democrats over abortion, but let a pope talk about economic inequality
and poverty and suddenly Republicans discover that they’d really prefer
it if religious leaders would keep quiet and let politicians speak for
them.”
Francis will deliver a speech to a joint session of Congress
in the fall, at the invitation of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).
It’s bound to be interesting.