So the new Pope is an American by birth, though he most recently spent many years serving in Peru. Like his predecessor, the first Pope from the New World, he is likely to bring a different perspective to his Church. Nevertheless, and despite wild talk of the political leanings of the man, bear in mind that his Church has lasted longer than even the most generous read of the lifespan of the Roman Empire, and that as a result, it is institutionally conservative in a way few (if any) other organizations even come close to.
Don't get pulled into the speculation. This was a routine (if major) event, one that has happened many times before.
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Elsewhere, the Trump Administration has announced they will no longer be determining, sharing or tracking the price tag of damage done by large-scale natural disasters. Combined with an ongoing push to diminish the the role and functions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), this might have the effect of minimizing the impact of news about such disasters, and possibly reducing voluntary contributions -- except, of course, that insurance companies (and many state governments) gather such data, share it with one another and often release it publicly; also "if it bleeds, it leads" in news coverage, and nothing bleeds headline ink and newscast opening video like a big disaster.
Hurricane season, tornado season and wildfire season will be interesting this year. Pretending a thing isn't there doesn't make it go away. Never has, never will.
Update
4 months ago
1 comment:
I'm excited by the possibility of non-Catholic decisions, such as whether deep dish pizza in the One True Pie, and if New York-style is heretical.
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