{"id":18794,"date":"2015-07-09T18:59:49","date_gmt":"2015-07-09T22:59:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/thecrescat\/?p=18794"},"modified":"2015-07-10T10:43:53","modified_gmt":"2015-07-10T14:43:53","slug":"i-dont-even-know-why-were-still-shocked-by-anything-the-pope-does","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thecrescat\/2015\/07\/i-dont-even-know-why-were-still-shocked-by-anything-the-pope-does.html","title":{"rendered":"I don’t even know why we’re still shocked by anything the Pope does…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u2026 I am not a person easily offended. In fact, nothing irritates me more than the perpetually offended. It takes a lot, and I mean A LOT, to make me offended. <\/p>\n

Consider this the lucky rare exception. <\/p>\n

\"8b8571a966df7e77041a1da04df819f6-717x450\"<\/a>
\n(L\u2019Osservatore Romano\/Pool Photo via AP, 2015) <\/p>\n

I\u2019m just going to go ahead and say this, that picture should have never<\/strong> happened. <\/p>\n

Edited 7\/10\/15 \u2013 In this post, by David Mills<\/a>, Mills notes that Nancy Pelosi was refused a photo-op with Benedict, because Benedict knew how she would use it to her advantage. He writes, <\/p>\n

\u201cReaders may remember Nancy Pelosi\u2019s comic efforts a few years ago to spin a visit with Pope Benedict as a meeting of the minds. He spoke to her about the responsibility of all politicians, especially Catholic ones, to protect the unborn. She, not surprisingly, forgot to mention it when she released her chipper press release. The Vatican had also refused her request to be photographed with Benedict. The pope wasn\u2019t born yesterday.<\/strong>\u201c<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s not like Francis had no clue about Morales\u2019s character and politics. I\u2019d like to think Francis wasn\u2019t born yesterday too. <\/p>\n

Do I think Francis should have smacked Morales across the face with it for daring to present such a blatantly blasphemous gift?<\/p>\n

While I may have enjoyed watching that the answer is obviously \u201cno\u201d, diplomacy being what it is. However, I firmly believe Francis never should have accepted it. Not even touched it. Passed it off to one of his handlers, perhaps, or said he could not accept such a thing. Better yet, he should have turned his back and walked away. <\/p>\n

I don\u2019t care how many times he purportedly stated \u201cthat\u2019s not right\u201d and scowled disapprovingly. The end of the exchange resulted in the above photo \u2013 the Pope photo-oping with one of the most sacrilegious crucifixes I\u2019ve ever seen while being showered in Communist medals. <\/p>\n