By now most of you have heard about the latest Papal airplane interview. Given recent history, one might expect the Pope to be more circumspect. One might expect that.
As previously mentioned, I am inclined to give the Pope a wide berth in terms of his chosen expression. Yet still, such latitude does not keep me from commenting on the obvious. That many of the Pope’s chosen expressions are imprudent in the extreme.
Primarily, after supporting the Church’s teaching on artificial birth control (which he is obliged to do) earlier this week, the Pope said, “Some think that, excuse me if I use that word, that in order to be good Catholics we have to be like rabbits. No. Responsible parenthood.”
Even in its proper context, this is a highly imprudent thing to say. It is imminently foreseeable that such a phrase will be used as a cudgel to beat and mock those Catholic parents who, with love and sacrifice, endeavor to always be open to life and as a result have large families. While it is not against Catholic teaching, utilizing such a strawman gives ammunition to those who oppose Church teaching. As I said, highly imprudent and this is clearly not the first time.
Those who watch such things closely often see that shortly after the Pope says something supportive of Catholic teaching, he undoes the good he might have done with such Jesuitical off-the-cuffisms. This is highly unfortunate.
One last thing, the use of expressions such punching someone and “a kick where the sun doesn’t shine ” are beneath the dignity of the Successor of Peter and should be refrained from.
