The host of CNN Newsroom could hardly contain himself Friday as he gushed over President Biden and "the liberal wing of the Catholic Church" and hailed them as great Christians and humanitarians.
Jim Sciutto interviewed Christopher White, Vatican correspondent for the leftist National Catholic Reporter. Sciutto insisted "Francis and Biden share, if you want to put it in political terms, a sort of liberal political view, right? And that's been part of their rapport. You’ve seen that in messages about helping the poor, helping developing countries, even during the Trump years when Trump was talking about building walls, both Biden and Francis oppose. They said let's bring down walls rather than put up new walls."
Is this how CNN is going to address the border crisis? As something that the Pope would support?
Sciutto, a former Obama aide, then oozed that Biden and the Pope could be magic: "Are they a formidable partnership on these issues? Because at the end of the day, these issues require global action, if you're talking about climate change, if you’re talking about the pandemic response. Can that make a difference, if you know what I mean?"
While NCR has "Catholic" in its name, it still runs columns celebrating left-wing euphemisms for abortion and abortion more generally. Therefore, it was not surprising when White declared:
I think so. These are two world leaders at the top of their game, you know, with huge bully pulpits, if you will. And I think one of the things that the Pope is trying to consistently say is there is a moral vocabulary that we share. Not just if you’re Catholic, but if you’re any person of faith or of no faith at all. You know, when you hear the president, he talks about human dignity, solidarity, these are big idea concepts and I think they're trying to see where they can find some synergy and work together on that front.
Human dignity....as long as you've been born? Speaking of euphemisms for abortion, Sciutto then shifted to Miguel Diaz -- Obama's ambassador to the Vatican from 2009 to 2012. The CNN host asked:
You might say [Francis] comes from the liberal wing of the Catholic Church on many issues. Just as Biden himself has personal disagreements with the U.S. bishops, particularly over the question of reproductive rights and there’s a key meeting of U.S. bishops coming up in a couple of weeks when they will discuss this very issue. Tell us about the contrast that, a good point you made, between Biden's private faith and his public faith as a politician, who’s a Catholic.
Diaz dodged the issue of abortion and on the difference between Biden's private versus public beliefs declared:
I don't see it that way. To the degree that Biden's policies are able to address the care of our most vulnerable neighbors, to the degree that they're able to enact policies in terms of healthcare, in terms of global health, in terms of conflict resolution, in terms of addressing racism, xenophobia, and all the isms that plague our world, to that degree will Biden translate his faith into practice in a way that speaks not just to Christians, not just to Catholics, but really to our human family.
Not all of our human family, apparently...and not the "most vulnerable" humans in the womb.
This segment was sponsored by E-Trade.
Here is a transcript of the October 29 show:
CNN
CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto
9:27 AM ET
JIM SCIUTTO: Christopher, that description there is an important one because Francis and Biden share, if you want to put it in political terms, a sort of liberal political view, right? And that's been part of their rapport. You’ve seen that in messages about helping the poor, helping developing countries, even during the Trump years when Trump was talking about building walls, both Biden and Francis oppose. They said let's bring down walls rather than put up new walls. Are they a formidable partnership on these issues? Because at the end of the day, these issues require global action, if you're talking about climate change, if you’re talking about the pandemic response. Can that make a difference, if you know what I mean?
CHRISTOPHER WHITE: I think so. These are two world leaders at the top of their game, you know, with huge bully pulpits, if you will. And I think one of the things that the Pope is trying to consistently say is there is a moral vocabulary that we share. Not just if you’re Catholic, but if you’re any person of faith or of no faith at all. You know, when you hear the president, he talks about human dignity, solidarity, these are big idea concepts and I think they're trying to see where they can find some synergy and work together on that front.
SCIUTTO: Ambassador Diaz, you have, well, Pope Francis has differences within the church, right? There are more conservative wings, you might say he comes from the liberal wing of the Catholic Church on many issues. Just as Biden himself has personal disagreements with the U.S. bishops, particularly over the question of reproductive rights and there’s a key meeting of U.S. bishops coming up in a couple of weeks when they will discuss this very issue. Tell us about the contrast that, a good point you made, between Biden's private faith and his public faith as a politician, who’s a Catholic.
MIGUEL DIAZ: Well, you know, the way I see this as a, as a, as a theologian, I see the fundamental teaching of Christian faith is the love of God and neighbor and to the degree that love of God and neighbor is not an abstract concept, but a concrete reality that invites us to address human needs, to address the challenges that are before us, to care for the most vulnerable, to that degree are we as Christians practicing that faith? So sometimes we may say while there is a separation between Biden's private life, private faith and his public faith, I don't see it that way. To the degree that Biden's policies are able to address the care of our most vulnerable neighbors, to the degree that they're able to enact policies in terms of healthcare, in terms of global health, in terms of conflict resolution, in terms of addressing racism, xenophobia, and all the isms that plague our world, to that degree will Biden translate his faith into practice in a way that speaks not just to Christians, not just to Catholics, but really to our human family. And, you know, I may add that the Pope has called human indifference the greatest of all viruses. And I think that's important because we are to overcome the indifference that is all around us, both within the United States, and around the world.
