'Pope Francis and the Theology of the People' book review, Part 2

https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/distinctly-catholic/pope-francis-and-theology-people-book-review-part-2
MGB:_Name day parties happen when parents name their children for favorite saints, who may also have been the patrons of family members (or family names become the middle name). Major saint parades festivals are often the marks of an immigrant culture. If a pocket of immigrants came from Italy, look for St. Joseph to get a festival and be toasted with red beer. Of course, there are few Native American saints who are celebrated this way, and if so their sainthood is not based on resisting the infusion of Catholic culture from abroad.

The Pope, of course, is with the poor against the economic imperialists and no amount activity from the donor base will shift the Church from its current democratic socialism to the insanity of Austrian economics. At some point, my fellow socialists need to recognize the usefulness of people of faith for both the revolution and for serving both the least among us and our youth.

That will happen as the Church stops damning Marx out of hand, who reacted to the role of religion in maintaining the patriarchy of feudalism, and would likely still be reacting to the Church’s fear of feminity, from its sacred continence (which denigrates sexuality) to refusing female ordination and birth control. It was easier for the Church to ignore Marx before his predictions on trade and capitalism started coming true, as well as his straight on atheism. When the left actually starts pointing out the sins of the hierarchy it is harder to ignore what they say. When mutual rejectionism ends, common cause can be found. Even Marxist kids like a nameday cake.

This is possible if the anti-Vatican II revolution wears out. There are still bishops who resist and they will soon be in the minority, an ever shrinking one. The average age of the laity that props them up does not bode well for the forces of reaction in the Church. Any traditionalism will either be personal or will meet the needs of the majority, including those chased out by the latest translation of the Roman Missal. We will know when the counter-revolution is over when we begin responding ”and also with you” at Mass. Why mention this faction? Because they are the ones who prop up the economic policy of the current regime. They still have the votes, but it won’t be long until they do not

I hope the Latinos can save the Church. To do that, however, we need to make Catholic education affordable for them, even if it means accepting unions to teach them that are ostensibly pro-choice and how that issue was never about stopping or allowing abortion, but has been used to prevent the kind of unity needed to keep the Church alive and leading in the right ways. Femember that driving wedge into the Democratic base was not NARAL’s idea.