https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/steve-bannon-u-s-ultra-conservatives-take-aim-pope-francis-n991411?fbclid=IwAR0rb72opqgKehNU7yViq1IbG0x03K2XPBC3uZoicBb2zob2iAE6DMcQo9Q
Full disclosure: I am an ELCA Lutheran pastor (as is my wife who shared this with me). I consider myself an evangelical catholic, which means in my case that I am liturgical, sacramental, cross myself, and am saddened by the rift in the Western Church that occurred in the 16th century. But I am Lutheran to the core, and am not going to "swim the Tiber" as they say.
Bannon's criticism of the Pope is significant in several ways. I recall that when there was criticism of a Pope from 1965 or so on, the response was something like "Shut up! He's the Pope!" When John Paul II showed a more conservative side, that was the response. By the way, he had some things to criticize about capitalism, but Bannon et al. seem to forget that.
Francis seems to be receiving the same kind of criticism reserved for US Democrats and Progressives. They are being painted with the Socialist brush.
What I find interesting is that Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus, is weighing in., The view of Catholicism, even Christianity, as being Western instead of global is not productive. Anti-popes were something I read about in Church History classes. Perhaps another schism is being readied. Believe me, that is the last thing needed. There will be shock waves in other denominations as Bannon stokes the fires.
