Why is it that Popes don’t usually visit the United States during presidential election years? Lucas Mendez writes for the BBC Brazil, “As neutral as the papal robe is, his messages can and will be used by the candidates … every time Benedict XVI opens his mouth, Democrats and Republicans will interpret and “spin it,” according to their own political ‘gospels'”
By Lucas Mendez
Translated By Brandi Miller
April 16, 2008
Brazil – BBC Brazil – Original Article (Portuguese)
New York: Benedict XVI is a conservative, but would he vote for John McCain? To avoid giving the impression of political favoritism, Popes never visit the United States during election years, because as neutral as the papal robe is, his messages can and will be used by the candidates.
Benedict XVI has numerous non-political motives for visiting the United States during an electoral year: he is invited to the U.N. to commemorate 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed in San Francisco in 1948; some American dioceses are turning 200 years old; and it’s the first Papal visit since September 11th. And this year, the number of Muslims in the world surpassed the number of Catholics.
These are strong motives for reinforcing the Vatican’s connections with Catholic and non-Catholic Americans. But every time Benedict XVI opens his mouth, Democrats and Republicans will interpret and “spin it,” according to their own political ‘gospels.’
The word “spin [espin]” doesn’t yet exist in Portuguese. It comes from the verb to spin, as in spin a toy top, and here it is used in the sense of “disseminating the same information” in different ways, according to one’s own interests. As Popes usually speak in papês [an ambiguous way of expression used by Popes], the messages always leave room for one more interpretation.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
In the case of Benedict XVI, some positions are clear: he’s against abortion and Senator McCain would have his vote. Also on the issues of immigration and gay marriage, the Republican would also get the Pope’s vote. On taxes, nobody would get the Pope’s vote; he appreciates donations.
On the issue of stem cells, none of the three candidates would receive Benedict XVI’s vote, but the Democrats would win, in addition to Iraq, on matters relating to health care, education, and human rights.
The Catholic vote is complicated and not always predictable.
Previously, with Franklin Roosevelt, Catholics were more united as Democrats, but after the electorate split during the 1970s and 80s, they joined the bloc of pro-Reagan Democrats. They flocked back …
READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated foreign press coverage of the Pope’s visit to the United States.
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