Well, Rap, most of the Popes have been teaching just that as the official body of doctrine known as Catholic Social Teaching since the 1878 election of Leo XIII. Since then, the Popes have issued encyclicals expressing the "preferential option for the poor," support of organized labor, a near-total pacifism, refuge for immigrants, condemnation of capital punishment, and other doctrines that make the rich and powerful quite uncomfortable.

I'm quite proud of Catholic teaching on social justice and support of the poor and refugees. Now, if they could just get their message straight on the "pelvic" issues: sexual abuse, marriage and divorce, LGBT issues, abortion, and birth control. I pretty-much ignore Catholic teaching on the pelvic issues, but they really do a good job on social justice matters.

Using encyclicals and council and synod documents, is the ordinary way of promulgating official teaching of the Catholic Church. The Doctrine of Infallibility (defined in 1870, but invoked in 1854 and 1950) was kind of a desperate power grab by Pius IX after he lost control of the Papal States. Infallibility is viewed with some embarrassment in Catholic intellectual circles, so use of it is a rarity (only one official use since it was defined). Some contend that John Paul II's refusal to ordain women priests is infallible. I don't.

But yeah, I think my church does a pretty good job on social justice issues. And hey, they give me grants to promote the rights of immigrants, the homeless, and people who are incarcerated. We used Catholic money to do a community forum last week on immigration. Since I was the only Anglo male on the team, I was the designated bouncer, and I had to eject a white supremacist who tried to "crash" our forum. It was interesting, to say the least. And I thought I was going to have a heart attack after it was over.

As for Benedict, I like him and I think he often has wise things to say, but this most recent statement was ill-advised and will be milked by right-wing forces of Bannon and Burke and their ilk.

-Joe-

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Steve Bannon ‘told Italy’s populist leader: Pope Francis is the enemy’

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/13/steve-bannon-matteo-salvini-pope-francis-is-the-enemy