Pope Francis continues to alienate American traditionalists

His comments this week are just the latest in a long line of attacks that seem to be part of a coordinated effort to push a modernist agenda.

I was commissioned to write this op-ed last week for a newspaper, but after seeing it they reneged. They still paid me, lol, they just didn’t want to publish it for whatever political/editorial reason. So I am sending it out as a paywalled post for subscribers only. Yes, this article only presents one side of the issue, but it is hard to write with nuance and depth when you have an 800-word limit.

Some of you may have received a double-email. Sorry for the glitch.

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Pope Francis stirred controversy last week by criticizing the "backwardness" of conservatives in the U.S. Catholic Church, saying that American traditionalists exhibit a "reactionary attitude" and "have replaced faith with ideology."

The irony of this statement must be lost on him — Francis often blurs the lines between politics and faith, and is widely perceived as the primary source of politicization within the church.

Last month, for example, Francis held a private audience at his residence with Alex Soros, the son of billionaire George Soros, who was recently named as the next chairman of the Open Society Foundation. Holding this meeting is an overt political statement.

A week prior to meeting with baby Soros, Francis raised eyebrows by hosting artist Andres Serrano at the Vatican. Serrano is known primarily for his provocative "Piss Christ" photograph, which features a plastic crucifix immersed in the artist's urine.