Pope Francis being branded as communist or Marxist for his “concern for the poor” and “critiques of consumerism” is understandable (“Pope Francis says concern for poor is Gospel, not communism,” Front Page, 1/12/15). This is because communists also profess concern for the poor, specifically the peasants and workers. Communists also criticize the culture of consumerism as the result of the anarchic capitalist system.
Another similarity is present in Pope Francis’ famous quote, “People in every nation enhance the social dimension of their lives by acting as committed and responsible citizens” (“The Joy of the Gospel,” 2013, Chapter 4, #220). Famous communist leader Mao Zedong summed this up in three words, “Serve the people.”
Pope Francis in his homily at the Church of Gesu (3/1/14) said, “An
authentic faith always implies a deep desire to change the world.” An analogy could be Karl Marx’s popular quotation, “The philosophers have only interpreted the world…; the point is to change it.” (1845)
Why then does the state so revere Pope Francis but shoots communists?
—JULIE L. PO,
Linangan ng Kulturang Pilipino,
jlp704@yahoo.com