What's A Catholic NeoCon To Do?

Poor McIlheran. He must have choke on his figgy pudding when he read the news today. The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, made his "traditional 'Urbi et Orbi' speech -- Latin for 'to the city and to the world'". And the Pope was saying things that McIlheran would have liked to not have seen.

First, McIlheran is now going against his church's teachings and positions when the pope came out against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan:

Pope Benedict XVI issued a Christmas Day appeal Tuesday to political leaders around the globe to find the "wisdom and courage" to end bloody conflicts in Darfur, Iraq, Afghanistan and Congo.

To make things worse for McIlheran, the story continues:

He said he hoped Christmas would bring consolation to "those who are still denied their legitimate aspirations for a more secure existence, for health, education, stable employment, for fuller participation in civil and political responsibilities, free from oppression and protected from conditions that offend human dignity."

Poor Patrick. No war. No special education. Everyone given a chance at health care. And that part about "conditions that offend human dignity"? I do believe torture would fall into that category. Well, at least Patrick still has his ability to show disdain towards the global warming issue. Doh! Spoke too soon:

In a nod to his engagement with environmental concerns, the pontiff also noted that the number of migrants and displaced people was increasing around the globe because of "frequent natural disasters, often caused by environmental upheavals."

It will be interesting to see what McIlheran will do. He could be a good Catholic and start following the directions of the Pope. He could convert, although I don't know many religions that do go into torture, pollution, or war. Or he could just keep doing what he has been doing. Be a hypocrite.