Can the Next Pope Counter the Fascism of American Christianity?

As the American right turns its back on democracy and the rule of law, the world needs a good pope.

Courtesy of NPR

Christianity in the United States has gone off the rails. The teachings of Jesus Christ, while still dominating the theoretical underpinnings of the wide assortment of churches, have been, in practice, long forgotten. Right-wing Christians no longer advocate for the most basic principles of the Nazarene’s philosophy: love thy neighbor, the meek shall inherit the earth, the sinfulness of gluttony, coveting other people’s wives, and just overall goodness.

The form of Christianity that today has turned the Republican Party into a fascist one stands for guns, white people over all others, lying, the wealthy, and regards Donald Trump as its savior. Despite the “it’s-all-about-me” complaints of some Catholic and non-Catholic gays, Pope Francis was one of the best popes who ever resided over the worldwide, billion-plus Catholic flock.

Were there some things he could’ve done better? Absolutely. He was merely a mortal man, flawed like all of us, but his overall message of love and goodness and his rejection of the seductive evil of worldly riches will one day soon lead to his canonization. Other than my grandmother, he will be the only person I feel in my lifetime who fully understood the words of Jesus Christ and made them daily deeds. Everything Pope Francis stood for is almost the exact opposite of what right-wing American Christians stand for today. They can pretend to be good when they quote scripture and wear big, flashy crosses around their necks, but the blind acceptance of a man who takes so much joy in making others suffer, especially the needy, weak, and sick, disqualifies them from being called followers of Jesus Christ.

Many American conservatives who call themselves Catholics found the liberalism of Pope Francis upsetting. They didn’t like his focus on the poor. They didn’t like his desire to include the neediest from the fringes of society at the table of Catholic faith. American conservative Catholics want at that table only people who look like them and earn like them. A brown or yellow, queer, destitute Catholic breaking bread with them at a feast is “not right.” The views of many American conservative Catholics are aligned with American conservative values overall: He who earns money is good and he who doesn’t is bad. And that being gay is a sin.

Pope Francis accepted everyone. American right-wing fascist Christianity is the epitome of exclusion. There is little, even nothing, that I can find redeeming in the religiosity of America’s right.

Christianity is also being used in Russia to justify Putin’s war of genocide against Ukraine. Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, openly supports the murder of Ukrainian civilians. The wanton slaughter of women and children results in no rebukes from Kirill for Putin’s criminal undertaking. Russians continue to flock to the church and bless themselves repeatedly before icons that now stand for nothing but the delivery of evil and death.

Christianity is again being abused to give cover to hundreds of millions of despicable cowards who, when they find a certain atrocity upsetting, merely cross themselves, offer up a prayer to God, and ramble on about how spiritual and blessed they are. As a former marketer of the “good Jesus,” I can tell you that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit reject American right-wing Christians; they reject Russian Orthodox Christians.

A list of candidates for the papacy is now being considered. Three cardinals would most loyally fulfill Pope Francis’s promise and goodness and continue his efforts to bring the church up to date with a much more diverse and complex world. The first and my personal favorite is Matteo Zuppi.

Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi of Italy, 69, stands out among the contenders who reflect Francis’ view that the church should be representative of and support the poor. Cardinal Zuppi is closely tied to Sant’Egidio, a Catholic community known for its service to the poor and conflict resolution (Who Will Be the Next Pope?).

Zuppi is my favorite because of his commitment to the poor. Everything in our society, especially in the U.S., is so hyper-focused on the wealthy that anyone willing to use the power and riches of the Catholic Church to promote a more level playing field gets my vote.

The next one I like for our future pope is Pietro Parolin.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, has been Pope Francis’ second-in-command since 2013, when Francis made him secretary of state. In that role, the cardinal is in charge of overseeing internal church affairs and guiding foreign policy (Who Will Be the Next Pope?) .

I like the idea of a Parolin papacy because of his understanding of the all-powerful Curia, the church’s central administration. This bureaucracy can wreck the best intentions of a good pope. After the liberalism of Pope Francis, conservatives in the Curia will try to regain some of the influence they lost. Parolin could win in that battle, which is destined to take place.

I like Luis Antonio Tagle for the same reasons I like Zuppi.

Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, a liberal-leaning cardinal from the Philippines whom commentators have dubbed the “Asian Francis,” has for years been deemed a front-runner to be pope. An ally of Francis, the often smiling Cardinal Tagle goes by the nickname “Chito.” His highly personable approach is in line with Francis’ attention to the poor and those in need in developing countries, where he has lived and worked (Who Will Be the Next Pope?) .

Tagle also brings the energy of not being a European, like Francis who was the first non-European pope since 741, and will be in some ways capable of remaining above the nastiness of the infighting in the Curia, which Parolin would control as a close associate of Tagle’s.

The next pope will have a difficult time filling Francis’ shoes. Let’s just hope those shoes are not the red ones all popes except Francis wore.

Keep your eyes on the shoes!

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