Pope Francis has been consistent in his condemnation of what he calls “ideological colonization,” or the attempt by developed nations to impose a radical cultural agenda on the poor, including those who live in less developed nations. Such efforts ignore basic human differences, rooted in nature. This agenda inexorably leads to oppression, he said, manifesting itself in religious, political, and cultural persecution. Recently, the pope singled out abortion as an example. He called it a “sin” that results in “killing children.” As if to prove the pope right, California and Pennsylvania recently filed suit seeking to turn back the Trump administration’s rejection of President Obama’s Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate. It would force Catholic non-profits to pay for abortion-inducing drugs.
The Little Sisters of the Poor are fighting back. They asked federal district courts to prevent the two states from undoing the rollback of the HHS mandate.
The pope’s remarks are prescient. His love for the least among us, and his contempt for elites who seek to impose their corrupt ideas on society, should be welcomed by all Catholics.
