Originally Posted By TomSawyer <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/omalley-lori-letter-to-house-2013-09-26.pdf">http://www.usccb.org/issues-an...9-26.pdf</a> The US Conference of Catholic Bishops sent this letter to representatives in the House encouraging them to add a rider to eliminate the birth control and family planning sections of the ACA to the Continuing Resolution. They say that it needed to be attached to "must pass" legislation. So the Catholic bishops tied family planning services to risking millions of jobs, the ability of hundreds of thousands of American families to pay their bills, Head Start and childhood nutrition programs, access to health care for the indigent, investigations and prosecution of criminal activity, national defense, scientific research, education funding, and health care funding. They want to be involved in the marketplace for healthcare and want the tens of billions of taxpayer dollars that Catholic health systems accept in payment for the products and services they sell. They just don't want to be obligated to play under the same rules as every other business. This is why some of us like the Pope but are skeptical of how much he'll actually change in the decade or two he will be in the office.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost I wouldn't worry about that too much. They are Christian but the wrong kind. As for the Pope being around for decades, you might want to remember about two Popes back how a reformer was elected Pope and then suddenly died about two months into his reign. Lot's of old white males in the lower ranks in the church as well. If he continues his present stand on things I predict that bad things are going to happen to him. I wish I didn't have to be so cynical, but one of the good things about being cynical is that one is never disappointed.
Originally Posted By Mr X Well, he did choose his own car and elected to sleep in close proximity to large numbers of trusted associates. This guy ain't no fool. Still, the OP is correct. He talks a good game, but hasn't set down any hard and fast rules, and he certainly hasn't told the American leadership to cool it (not on the record, anyway) yet. We shall see, but if he's just a lot of talk it will be easy enough for the next guy to bury it along with him. It'll be interesting to see what the next pope wears to the balcony gig...
Originally Posted By EighthDwarf I really appreciate his changing the tone of the papacy. He is taking a rational Christian approach to today's issues, which I greatly appreciate and respect -- especially given the radical positions many Evangelicals embrace, particularly here in the States. But let's hope he lives long enough to make some real changes.
