Until Pope Francis’s election, the most famous Argentine leader of modern times was its former president Juan Domingo Perón. At catholicworldreport.com, Samuel Gregg noted that the two share a few things in common. When made president, “Perón swiftly introduced labour laws that favoured employees and trade unions”, and earned the love of the working-class and the poor. That focus on the poor is also part of Francis’s style – though it’s worth noting that as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio “often challenged Argentina’s Perónist presidents, Néstor and Cristina Kirchner, who dominated Argentine politics between 2003 and 2015.”
But the parallels aren’t just political: Perón’s style was often ambiguous, and he sometimes caricatured his critics. Gregg said: “On many occasions, Perón expressed impatience with intellectual abstraction.” Francis has some of these tendencies, too, Gregg said.
Love versus euthanasia
At ncregister.com, Matthew Archbold asked why there was so little media coverage of a recent mass killing in Japan. Could it be because the 19 victims of the stabbing were disabled? “I don’t believe that people openly think ‘they had it coming’ but it’s more of a ‘hey, at least they’re not suffering any more’ mindset.”
But that view is “eerily similar” to the mindset of the alleged killer, Satoshi Uematsu. He explained that he carried out the stabbing to help bring about a world “where a person with multiple disabilities can be euthanised … The disabled can only create misery. I think now is the time to carry out a revolution and to make the inevitable but tough decision for the sake of all mankind.”
Death, writes Archbold, is increasingly considered the answer to all kinds of people: the unborn, the elderly, the disabled. Christians must respond by showing love – but love is difficult, and “you can’t get it with a pill like euthanasia”.
Lessons in NFP
At firstthings.com, Leah Libresco said she wished that her high school sex education classes had covered Natural Family Planning. School introductions to women’s fertility, by focusing on the average woman’s cycle as the normal one, had made Libresco think there was something wrong with her. “All the discussion I’d heard was about either ideals or averages. Learning NFP has meant reacquainting myself with my body and its dignity.”
Libresco added that, it had other benefits. “I like being able to approach my body with more of the ‘Huh, that’s neat’ wonder that my science classes sparked – not the ‘Here’s how you manage a problem’ attitude of my sex-ed classes.”
✣Meanwhile…
HBO’s programming chief has said that the new television drama The Young Pope won’t stretch credulity too far. The series – starting on Sky Atlantic in October in Britain – follows the life of Pope Pius XIII (Jude Law), who is struggling with his papal responsibilities.
When questioned by Patheos blogger Kate O’Hare about the Catholic Church’s portrayal in the new mini series The Young Pope, HBO official Casey Bloys said: “I am guessing there is some creative licence, but it’s not wildly inaccurate.”
✣ An Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer and world record holder has revealed that praying the Hail Mary calms her down before she competes in a race. US athlete Katie Ledecky won Olympic gold in the women’s 400m freestyle in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. She broke the world record at the same time.
✣ Some of Pope Francis’s words have been set to the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber to celebrate the Year of Mercy. Fr Frank Daly has written lyrics inspired by the Pontiff to 11 Lloyd Webber songs including: “Memory” and “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina”. A chorus of 120 people will perform the songs in October at St Peter’s church, Hinckley, Leicestershire. The event will also include a Riverdance performance.
✣The week in quotations
Is not humanity going down to the dregs when bloodthirsty humans ask for more blood? Archbishop Socrates Villegas criticising Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte Statement read in parishes on Sunday
There are parish secretaries who seem to be ‘disciples of Satan’ Pope Francis, speaking to Polish bishops Vatican transcript
The atmosphere is getting frightening Pakistan Church official Cecil Shane Chaudhry after a bomb blast in Quetta Catholic News Service
✣Statistic of the week
70 Victims of a bomb blast at a Pakistan hospital Source: Catholic News Service
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