Pope Francis not welcome in Britain’s Labour Party…
JVL Introduction
Ken Loach and other artists’ unique contribution to social justice campaigns was recognised by Pope Francis in a private audience at the Vatican.
He called them his ‘allies’ in the ‘defence of human life, social justice, concern for the poor, care for our universal home [and] universal human fraternity’.
The event was reported in the New York Times on 23 June but seems to have escaped the attention of mainstream media in Britain.
This article was originally published by Skwawkbox on Mon 26 Jun 2023. Read the original here.
Pope tells Loach et al: ‘you’re like a prophet confronting false myths and schemes’
Left-wing film-maker among group honoured by Pope Francis in Sistine Chapel
Pope Francis has told Ken Loach and other artists that they are like “prophets” confronting propaganda, disinformation and the schemes of the powerful, during an invitation-only gathering at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
Pope Francis has told Ken Loach and other artists that they are like “prophets” confronting propaganda, disinformation and the schemes of the powerful, during an invitation-only gathering at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
Francis told the gathered artists:
Like the biblical prophets, you confront things that at times are uncomfortable; you criticize today’s false myths and new idols, its empty talk, the ploys of consumerism, the schemes of power…
And – not unironically, given the propaganda assault of the self-important Labour and pro-Israel right on Loach for his readiness to speak out against the antisemitism smear scam against Jeremy Corbyn and the left – Francis, known for his outspokenness on the corruption of power and wealth and on the duty to care for the poor and vulnerable, added:
The Bible is rich in touches of irony, poking fun at presumptions of self-sufficiency, dishonesty, injustice and cruelty lurking under the guise of power and even at times the sacred.
And the Pontiff rounded off his address by telling Loach and his fellow artists that they are his ‘allies’ in:
the defense of human life, social justice, concern for the poor, care for our universal home, universal human fraternity [in an] age of media-driven forms of ideological colonisation and devastating conflicts.
The church, too, feels the effects of this. Conflict can act under a false pretence of unity, from which arise divisions, factions and forms of narcissism.
It seems Pope Francis has had an eye on events in this country and others. (Un)surprisingly, the meeting has been ignored by the UK ‘mainstream’ media, but given recent attempts by the right to have anyone shunned who stands with Loach, it might be wise for the Pontiff not to apply for Labour membership any time soon.
Brilliant …..of course, the mainstream media won’t write/ speak about this …..
Hope copies are being sent to Jewish Chronicle, Jewish Board of Deputies, Labour Party leadership, Jewish Labour Movement, Guardian et al
This is yet another confirmation of the Hebrew saying: אין נביא בעירו
“No-one is a prophet in his own town”.
The British media silence is yet another proof of its right-wing bias.
If Denis Healey were still with us then he would certainly not be welcome in Starmer’s Labour Party as he opposed NATO expansion and the bombing of Serbia.
The Pope might not be infallible, but his recognition of Ken Loach’s moral integrity and his ability to capture the dignity of people even when facing the most adverse circumstances is a testimony to Francis’s judgement of character.
Well this does not surprise me given the history of the Catholic Church. I look forward to the JLM, CST, UJS, CAA and any other acronym I’ve forgotten joining me in applying to the Home Secretary to have Pope Francis put on the banned list of those seeking to enter the country.
To those who may mock I just ask you to consider those sensitive, fragile and precious Jewish students on campus who were so frightened by Ken Loach giving a talk at Peterhouse college and David Miller at Bristol. Jewish students of a Zionist bent are especially sensitive whenever anyone has anything to say about Israeli Apartheid that isn’t even handed and ‘balanced’.
I also suggest that the Christian-Jewish interfaith group approach the Catholic Church with a view to taking down Francis’s picture from church premises. Talking to and praising Ken Loach was clearly designed to offend Zionists and their supporters and actions must have consequencecs.
They should all be sent to Perdition!
COLLECTIVE narcissism (Freud: Narzismus) has not (to my knowledge) been studied under this rubric. Yet it is far more destructive that the individual(ist) variety. The holy father is no doubt in any case mindful of the dangers to the Vatican of any political or nonecclesiastical entanglements. Remember Charles Maurras…
Many thanks for enlightened us on what remains hidden by the media.
After the IDF snipers shot at unarmed protesters in the Great March of Return 2018 (Land Day, Passover, Good Friday) Pope Francis declared that he was “ashamed of humanity” and on Easter Day called for the “defence of the defenceless in the Holy Land.” For me personally, any work I have undertaken on the “purposely timed hysteria” takes inspiration from that call (which incidentally, BBC TV edited out when they broadcast the Easter Day message).
Unfortunately the New York Times is behind a paywall but the event is
reported by the Dorset Eye:
https://dorseteye.com/pope-francis-celebrates-artists-including-ken-loach-and-condemns-narcissistic-corporate-media/
but – as you have said – it was not reported by the MSM ..
However according to Skwawkie the twitter-sphere is apparently buzzing with the news – with complaints about Pope Francis from, among others, David Baddiel.
We owe Baddiel and his mates a vote of thanks for publicising this important meeting in the Sistine Chapel!
Incidentally Monsignor Dario Viganò (the Head of Vatican Communications) said in 2017 of “I, Daniel Blake” :
“How can one fail to think of winner of the 2016 Golden Palm award — I, Daniel Blake, by Ken Loach — an English director who has always been on the forefront of telling stories about the peripheries of human life, about the condition of the working classes.. ”
(See https://aleteia.org/2017/05/26/the-popes-trusted-man-in-cannes-film-is-a-true-catechesis-on-humanity/ for the remainder of the article.)
Those now maligning the Pope for associating with artist and human rights activist Ken Loach, would not dream, of critiquing the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis for supporting the bombing of Palestinians or being one of the few western religious leaders, to fail to apologise for slavery.
What a joke British media and political elites are!