Papal Quote of the Day

"Exclusion ultimately has to do with what it means to be a part of the society in which we live; those excluded are no longer society’s underside or its fringes or its disenfranchised – they are no longer even a part of it. The excluded are not the 'exploited' but the outcast, the 'leftovers'. In this context, some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system. Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting." --  Pope Francis, in today's "apostolic exhortation," is making his stand as the Pope of the Excluded.

Wow.  Imagine how popular the Catholic Church would be today if, say, 40 years ago, his predecessors would have taken up the cause of the weak, sick and "excluded," as opposed to defending pedophile priests and wealthy patrons. It's only a matter of time before right-wing Catholics (the so-called "Catholic" League, etc.) express dismay that the Pope actually cares about the poor.  Also, snowbilly grifter Sarah "Winky" Palin will likely issue her own Papal Bull (and we know she can dish the bull) identifying the Pope as a Commie dupe.