A New Pope and a Bit of Other Stuff - 5/10/2025

There's a new Pope. An America from Chicago, Robert Francis Prevost, a Cardinal who was presiding in Peru prior to his election, has succeeded Pope Francis and is taking on the Papal Name: Pope Leo XIV, or, commonly, Leo the 14th.

Pope Leo XIV

A few thoughts on Pope Leo and Popes, in general. First, I really don't give a shit that you disagree with Catholics having a Pope. One point five billion Catholics can't operate without a leader. I understand your theological objections. I disagree with you. I also understand that there is nothing you're going to present to me that will convince me the Pope is some kind of blasphemous or sacrilegious office. At the same time, nothing I say will convince you otherwise, I'm willing to risk eternal damnation by believing that my Church having a Pope doesn't put my salvation in jeopardy. So, how about this: move on. It ain't worth it.

Second: I don't care that the Pope is a flaming Chicago liberal. He's not my President, Senator, Congressman, State Rep, Sheriff, or even County Dog Catcher. His job is to look after the faith and activities of the Catholic Church. His stance on abortion, migration/immigration, the death penalty, or any other issue is in the best interest of a church, and humanity. I take his opinion to be important and informative. When it comes to my country, each and any of the 133 Cardinals who voted for Pope Leo who happens to be an American citizen gets a vote here, too. One vote. Same as mine. I expect the people we elect in our government to put the best interests of my country and our people ahead of those of the church and or humanity/mankind. So Pope Leo is a liberal. God bless him. It's ok with me.

This meme didn't hurt my feelings or insult me. It is, nonetheless and in my opinion, truly and fully asinine.

I am not going to go point by point and item by item assessing Trump's performance so far. I will say this, which is something I said to a Trump hating friend earlier this week: Every third thing he says is asinine. The Trump/Pope meme is just a recent example. But, and this is important: despite all the unforced errors, nothing, not close, not within 3000 miles, has made me for a second think Joe Biden or Kamala Harris would have been a better choice.

And while here I am criticizing Trump, let me make clear, the Democrats are worse. They were yesterday, They are today. They will be tomorrow. If Democrats want to come back from approval ratings in the 20's, they/you better start moving toward the middle. Democrats rarely, perhaps never take a stance on the issues important to me that I agree with. Ever.

I hope Letitia James winds up bankrupted and in jail for a long, long time.

We do not elect Popes to be President. Neither do we elect U. S. District Court Judges, but U.S. District Court Judges do seem to have staged a silent coup to usurp Presidential power in favor of the judiciary. Judge Boasberg is NOT my President. He's just acting like he thinks he is.

To close today, something I have come to truly believe, and I believe it is true whether you are on the right or on the left, is that your stance on the issues is far, far, far more a byproduct of your choice of news sources than anything else. Our echo chambers are seductive, too seductive. We willingly and willfully get only half the information, the half we want to hear, and we completely disregard other contrary information. We are the political equivalent of an opposing pair of "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil monkeys." Yep, the news we watch is making a monkey out of is. If you're reading this, it includes you.

Happy Mother's Day.