OPINION:
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Looks like Pope Francis needs to go to confession. At the very least, the pontiff should seek an audience with real estate mogul Donald J. Trump to ask for forgiveness over slandering him and denouncing his Christian faith.
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Pope Francis said in condemning Mr. Trump to an eternity in hell over his campaign promise to build a wall along the border with Mexico — and make Mexico pay for it.
The papal damnation was delivered aboard the Vatican airliner, just hours after the Holy See disembarked from Mexico where he walked to the edge of the Rio Grande — under the gaze of American border guards across the river — and laid flowers at a memorial commemorating those who have died trying to flee the crime, rape and horrors of squalid Mexico.
Pope Francis — the most overtly partisan and politically meddlesome pontiff in recent history — then tried to pretend he was not really interested in playing politics.
“Not going to get involved in that,” he said, lamely, before doubling down. “I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that.” And then he offered to give Mr. Trump “the benefit of the doubt.”
Never mind the monstrous hypocrisy of this pope condemning an American politician for planning to build a wall to stop the steady stream of illegal immigration from Mexico. And let’s not forget the illegals from all the other Central and South American countries that Mexico refuses to allow to stay in their country.
America gets them all. And, for some reason, they’re not just passing through on their way to Canada.
They certainly are not headed for the Vatican, either. If they are, they will be greeted by the most inhospitable scene. Walls so high you could not chuck a rock over them. Armed guards dressed in such bright colors and ridiculous uniforms you will run to hide your eyes.
Don’t even ask about immigrating to the Vatican legally. They have the strictest anti-immigration laws anywhere in the world. You are pretty much automatically turned away if, for instance, you were born with the preexisting condition of being a woman.
So much for the Lord’s command in Deuteronomy: “Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
Now I am not presently a theologian myself, but I am fairly certain that the Good Lord understands the wall around the Vatican, just as he understands the need for a wall along the Mexican border.
After all, the Kingdom of Heaven has a wall — or at least a pretty tall fence — around it. Why else would they need the Pearly Gates and what would Saint Peter do with all his time if not stand at the gate and determine who comes in and who doesn’t? Assuming, of course, this pope hasn’t already done the job for him.
So, does this make God un-Christian in the eyes of Pope Francis? Does this make God racist? I mean, after all, it is a lofty gated community where only Christians are allowed. Is God’s heart full of hatred?
Really, Pope Francis owes Mr. Trump a personal apology, in proper English. Of course, he also owes God an apology. Heck, for that matter, he owes President Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton apologies since they both voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which would have erected an un-Christian fence along the border with Mexico.
Most of all, Pope Francis owes a heartfelt apology — again, in proper English — to the American people, the vast majority of whom hold the un-Christian belief that we really do need to secure the border.
• Charles Hurt can be reached at charleshurt@live.com. Follow him on Twitter at @charleshurt.
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