Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh told his listeners on Thursday that he refuses to “play villain in the Pope Soap Opera” that the left created following Limbaugh’s comments about Pope Francis’ recent exhortation. In part of the statement, the pope was critical of free market economics, though some defenders of the pontiff are saying his words were mistranslated.
In response to Limbaugh’s comments, groups representing the Catholic left that have been funded by billionaire George Soros have embraced Pope Francis as their pope and demanded that Limbaugh apologize to the pontiff.
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good (CACG) has begun a petition to demand Limbaugh’s apology to the pope and a retraction of his remarks about the pope’s statement.
We are disturbed by Rush Limbaugh’s incendiary comments last Wednesday, November 27th about Pope Francis and are joining together with Catholics and other allies throughout the nation to support the Holy Father. To call the Francis a proponent of “pure marxism” is both mean spirited and naive. Francis’s critique of unrestrained capitalism is in line with the Church’s social teaching. His particular criticism of “trickle down economics” strengthens what Church authorities have said for decades: any economic system which deprives the poor of their dignity has no place within a just society.
Contrary to what Mr. Limbaugh suggests, the Catholic Church isn’t built on money, but on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ.
We call on Mr. Limbaugh to apologize and retract his remarks. We urge other Church organizations and leaders–both ordained and lay–to also condemn Mr. Limbaugh’s comments.
We proudly stand with Pope Francis as he provides prophetic leadership for the Catholic Church and the entire world.
To date, the petition has about 6,300 signatures, but the group’s stated goal was 1,000.
“I read on numerous blogs summaries of what the pope had said. There is no question that the pope had some very critical things to say about capitalism that are echoed by what you hear your average leftist say about it,” Limbaugh said on Thursday. “I was kind of surprised by it. I said so. I said it sounds Marxist. So now the writers of the soap opera have decided that I have stirred things up enough that I can once again become an elevated villain.”
“This anger, this outrage, it’s all phony,” Limbaugh added.
Anybody who’s listened to this program regularly knows what an admirer I am of the Catholic Church, and particularly Pope John Paul II. I’ve been to the Vatican more than anyplace else outside this country in the world…
Now, one of the things that the cable experts are saying is, “The pope never said ‘unfettered capitalism.'” Well, what I read, translating what he said, did say it. Now, I didn’t put any words in his mouth. I was simply sharing with you reports of people that read a translation of the most recent papal document from which all of this comes, and it read no different than what Elizabeth Warren might say, and Elizabeth Warren is not the Catholic Church, and neither is Barack Obama.
It sounded exactly like what they would say, and I was really lamenting it. I was hoping that the Catholic Church had not been taken over in a deep political sense by the politicized left. I know that the Catholic Church was an early signatory to the welfare state because they equated it with charity. It was one of the brilliant techniques of FDR. One of the brilliant stratagems of the early welfare state advocates was to equate it with charity, which is not what it is.
The welfare state isn’t charity.
The welfare state is the redistribution of income.
The welfare state is taking from producers and giving it non-producers.
No charity in it at all. But on the surface, it may look like it, and many of the Catholic bishops ended up supporting the welfare state in a massive way and became known as supporters of the Democrat Party, all because it gave them an easy linkage to what appeared to be charities. Now, they’ll probably attack me for saying this, too. Fine. I don’t care because none of this is made up.
But, folks, if it weren’t for capitalism, there might be have been enough wealth for people to donate to the Catholic Church or any other religion. Capitalism has raised and elevated more people out of poverty than any welfare program or welfare state or socialist country ever has. It isn’t even close. Capitalism has elevated more people out of poverty and low-income status than even domestic charities have done, and they do great work in this country.
Breitbart News’s Michael Patrick Leahy reported Thursday that sources familiar with the Vatican have indicated that Pope Francis will likely “clarify” his comments about economics in his exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, in order to distance himself from the concepts of “liberation theology.” The “clarification,” however, is not expected to be in the form of another papal document.
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