Mitt Romney Criticized By Franciscan Friars For Comments On The Poor

[highplainsdem]

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON-- The Franciscan Action Network (FAN), a Catholic faith-based advocacy and civic engagement organization, is strongly criticizing Mitt Romney's recent ads and rhetoric regarding welfare programs and welfare recipients, urging him to spend some time in low-income communities.

"Our Christian tradition teaches that we are to treat the poor with dignity and to prioritize the poor in our policies as a society," the organization said in a press release on Thursday. "At a time when millions are struggling financially, it is degrading to talk about the 'dependency' of people hurting in this economy, as Gov. Romney did recently."

-snip-

FAN spokesman Lonnie Ellis told The Huffington Post that what Romney is doing is "worse than ignoring" poor people. He said Romney is essentially criticizing President Barack Obama for helping out low-income individuals. "It's saying look, 'President Obama is actually supporting poor people too much, or he's just giving a free ride to poor people,'" Ellis said. "So it's actually using poor people in a really bad way."

FAN's criticism, however, goes beyond the Romney campaign's rhetoric on welfare by condemning cuts to Pell Grants, Medicaid and Head Start programs put forth in the budget proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and supported by Romney.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/09/mitt-romney-franciscan-friars-poor_n_1760580.html

[orwell]

1. Franciscans, Nuns...

...who isn't pissed at this A-Holier-Than-Thou D-Bag.

[truebrit71]

2. To which Mittens replied "Franciscan Fryers? Aren't they a kind of chicken?"...

[ailsagirl]

11. LOL!!

[part man all 86]

3. "The poor have a safety net", Rmoney says as he shrinks it to fit his heir.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

4. you might say....

MITT ROMNEY IS WAGING WAR ON RELIGION!!!!!!

[RedStateLiberal]

7. +1

What's sauce for the goose... Right Mitt?

[freshwest]

8. A new meme, to go along with 'Romney will raise taxes!' I love it!

[progressivebydesign]

5. Good for them. They use religion in the best ways, to help the "least" of us, in biblical terms.

I was driving through Tacoma, Washington today. I live in a nearby suburb. I love to drive thru downtown Tacoma because it's beautiful in a gritty way, and I see so many different kinds of people from all walks of life. The one thing that I've noticed over the past 8 years, is how the neighborhoods are getting more and more run down, i've seen more and more street people and people who look as though they are just barely hanging on. They are getting poorer because of Bush's recession and people like Romney who engineered outsourcing to take away the jobs that could grow with a community like Tacoma. So many factories have been sold to larger corporations, or simply closed so that the mfg is now done in China. The job market has definitely improved here since 2009. At that time there were a handful of jobs listed on CraigsList (legit jobs) now there are pages of them, BUT it has not caught up to the unskilled young people who are coming out of school and have no path to college or vocational training, and for the numerous veterans whose jobs have gone to China and India.

Romney's very existence is the antipathy of America doing better as a whole. He hates poor people... The trouble with a guy like that is that he BLAMES people for their lot in life, using that "bootstrap" line that the GOP is fond of. Well, that may have been true at a different time in America's history, when all it took was working hard in order to get a home for your family, and send the kids to college or into a similar job you had when you were that age. Those days are gone. It's not enough to work hard. The jobs have been outsourced by the likes of Romney, and he blames the people left behind. He is the worst kind of business person.

[freshwest]

9. Vulture capitalism literally creates the poor. Then the Randians demand they die. It's that simple.

Romney is a perfect example of that mentality. What he refuses to admit is the potential of other human beings. I guess such people as him and the Koches believe it's all about genetics or birthright. That denies so much of humanity a chance. The person who is poor, given the opportunity, can contribute to society and even Romneys by their 'God-given' talents and hard work which they are busy denying the chance to use. It's an evil waste of the creative power of the human race.

[WinstonSmith4740]

15. Yep.

"...using that "bootstrap" line that the GOP is fond of."

That was always one of my favorites, especially since their programs never allowed anyone except the wealthy into the damn shoe store to begin with.

[freshwest]

6. 'Thank God' for those Franciscan Friars. Maybe some of the bashers will listen to them, even if...

They refuse to listen to Democrats.

[yardwork]

10. The Franciscans have been looking out for the poor for more than a thousand years.

But I don't remember them wading into a political debate in the recent past. Good for them, and it shows just how far out there Romney is.

[ailsagirl]

12. And weren't the nuns after him recently to ride on the bus instead of flying??

http://www.democraticunderground.com/125165891

[Bossy Monkey]

13. "I'm a big fan of the Franciscan Friars. One of my best friends owns the team." n/t

[kiranon]

14. Can we call it "Romney's war on religion"?

Imagine his defense will be - "What do you think I am, a Christian?" (Said with tongue in cheek.)

[Ken Burch]

16. In other news, Bain Capital has launched a hostile takeover attempt on the Franciscan Order.

If successful, all remaining U.S. Franciscan monasteries and missions will be outsourced to Bangalore. Layoffs will be imposed effective this Christmas Eve.

[mazzarro]

17. Oh oh! the bishops are not going to stand for this!

The hammer will likely come down on the Franciscan Order soon at the behest of Vatican!

[Brigid]

21. Even if that happened . . .

I doubt the friars would be intimidated. I seem to recall that they spoke out in support of the nuns who were being chastised by the Vatican recently. I think they have more moral authority than the bishops or the Vatican these days. And there are probably very few, if any, Franciscans in the heirarchy of the Church. There are a good number of parishes, however, that would probably close if not for the efforts ordained Franciscan priests who have taken them over as their pastors. The Franciscans are cool people.

[SoDesuKa]

43. Two American Archbishops Are Franciscans

Cardinal O'Malley of Boston and Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia are both Franciscans.

[Ken Burch]

18. When you get on the fightin' side of "Brother Sun", you're asking for trouble

[warrprayer]

20. ... or "Sister Moon" for that matter...

... Saw the Catholic made film with the beautiful soundtrack by Donovan. I'm not particularly religious but it brought tears to my tired Irish eyes...

[Brigid]

22. What was the name of that film?

I must see it.

[warrprayer]

24. "Brother Sun, Sister Moon"

about St Francis and the Churches mission to the poor... sadly forgotten these days it seems. I saw it at a Catholic function. Not a dry eye in the house.

[Brigid]

30. Thanks. I'm sure I can find it somewhere.

[warrprayer]

31. Good luck!

Saw it in the '90s, perhaps it is on C.D.?

[Ken Burch]

33. Here's a source for ya!

http://stores.videolibrarydvd.com/-strse-62/Brother-Sun%2C-Sister-Moon/Detail.bok

[CBHagman]

41. Title taken, of course, from "The Canticle of the Sun," the Franciscan prayer.

You should be able to find the movie online, in VHS, or possibly on DVD.

On edit: Before the first Gulf War, Franciscan friars came to Lafayette Park (opposite the White House) to join fellow peace demonstrators.

[warrprayer]

34. "Brother Sun, Sister Moon"

full movie, for free. The Story of St. Francis. Music by Donovan, 1972. Outstanding and profound.

[warrprayer]

19. The right wing Catholics in my town

(and I am one) have been trying to shove it down everyones throat that "if you're Catholic you can't vote for Obama. Thanks so much, High Plains. I'm going to brain them with this.

[Brigid]

23. Said RW Catholics . . .

Need to read the Gospels more closely.

[warrprayer]

25. Ratzinger

just appointed a new Bishop to replace Donald Trautman. The dean of Mercyhurst College invited Hillary Clinton to speak during the campaign. Trautman retaliated by having his small band of abortion nuts picket the speech. (thousands turned out in 15 degree weather in whipping winds to see Hillary, I sttod in line for 2 hours freezing to death.) Trautman got about 50 protesters to show up who were eventually told to leave by Secret Service for taunting those standing in line. Trautman boycotted Mercyhursts graduation that year to put the icing on the cake. These morons are intractable.

[warrprayer]

28. Our newly appointed Bishop

... is from this parish in Greensburgh. Lets us know what we're in for... more of the same.

http://ncronline.org/news/faith-parish/greensburg-bishop-denies-womens-order-recruitment-request

[warrprayer]

26. Hillary

... had a hard time making her speech. Every time she started to talk the hall erupted in thunderous applause.

[patrice]

27. REALLY dig that meme: Romney is using the poor. Insanely wealthy man takes advantage of the poorest

amongst us.

[SoapBox]

29. Just when you think Mittens cannot offend anyone else...

He does it!

Just keep talking Mittens...PLEASE, just keep talking!

[dsteve01]

32. Mitt Romney is a crook!

God save us from his Wrath!

Got an interesting article about him at the blog in my signature line

[nanabugg]

35. Well Romney just doubled down with Paul Ryan has his VP pick. nt

[DesertRat]

36. kick

[Douglas Carpenter]

37. knr

[LeftishBrit]

38. kick

[LynneSin]

39. That's the thing about Catholics, these are not uber right-wing nut jobs

I mean yes, they are anti-choice but many true Catholics are also anti-death penalty and anti-war. To them it's a 'Thou shall not kill' thing. I live in a very catholic neighborhood and you'd be hardpressed to find one of them who votes republican, but then again I live in a blue state and very blue city.

[SoDesuKa]

44. Meet Charlie Chaput, Right Wing Nut Job

Franciscan friar Charles Chaput, the archbishop of Philadelphia, is about as far to the right as nut jobs get. Benedict put Chaput into Philadelphia because Pennsylvania is a swing state which could easily go right wing. In 2004 Chaput declared it "sinful" for Catholics to vote for John Kerry. Chaput is also the author of the book Render Unto Caesar, which calls on Catholics to vote their beliefs; i.e., against gay marriage and against abortion.

As reported by EWTN, Chaput has criticized what he views as a "spirit of adulation bordering on servility" that exists towards Barack Obama, remarking, "in democracies, we elect public servants, not messiahs." The archbishop states that Obama tries to mask his record on abortion and other issues with "rosy marketing about unity, hope, and change." Chaput also dismissed the notion that Obama was given a broad mandate, reasoning he was elected to "fix an economic crisis" and not to "retool American culture on the issues of marriage and the family, sexuality, bioethics, religion in public life, and abortion."[19]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_J._Chaput

[center]


"It's a sin to vote for John Kerry"[/center]

[LongTomH]

40. My late sweetheart Jeanne, was a devout Catholic who believed in the social justice teachings....

...of her church. Her brother, who preceeded her in death by a few months, was a lay Franciscian. I don't think Jeanne, or her brother, would approve of Ryan/Romney!

[Odin2005]

42. St. Francis was the first Tree-Hugger.