Bolivian president commie crucifix a “cordial” and “affectionate” gesture

The Vatican, arguably, has become almost as cunning as Barack Obama in hiding allegiance to Marxism. “Before leaving Bolivia, Francis placed two gifts he received on Wednesday from President Evo Morales at the foot of a statue of Mary. One of these, a chain with a chunky medallion, had the figure of the crucified Christ carved into a wooden hammer and anvil. This image had been drawn by Fr. Luis Espinal, the Jesuit priest who was assassinated in Bolivia in March 1980. (Vatican Insider, July 10, 2015)

“This morning,” reads a statement issued by Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, “Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass in the chapel of the private residence of the Archbishop Emeritus of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, the Holy Father presented two decorative honours that were conferred onto him by Bolivian president Evo Morales during his courtesy visit to the Presidential palace in La Paz , to a statue of the Our Lady of Copacabana, patron saint of Bolivia. “Francis accompanied this gesture with the following words: “The President of the nation was kind enough to offer me two decorative honours on behalf of the Bolivian people. I thank the Bolivian people for their affection and the President for this courteous gesture. I would like to dedicate these two decorations to the patron saint of Bolivia, the Mother of this noble nation, so that she may always remember her people and from Bolivia, from the shrine where I would like them to be, that she may remember the Successor of Peter and the whole Church and look after them from Bolivia.”

So, there’s no longer any room for doubt about how the pontiff really felt being presented with the media dubbed “commie crucifix”. It was in the unabashed opinion of Pope Francis “bestowed on me with a cordial and generous affection”. There’s no mistake about the translation as the Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi speaks English.

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Leaving a hammer and sickle crucifix at the feet of a statue of the Patron of Bolivia imparts a powerful impression that Bolivia hopelessly belongs heart and soul to the Communists

“Mother of the Saviour and our Mother,” Francis prayed, “You, Queen of Bolivia, who from the height of your Shrine in Copacabana attend to the prayers and needs of your children, especially the most poor and abandoned, and protect them: Receive as a gift from the heart of Bolivia and my filial affection the symbols of affection and closeness that – in the name of the Bolivian people – Mr. President Evo Morales Ayma has bestowed on me with cordial and generous affection, on the occasion of this Apostolic Journey, which I entrusted to your solicitous intercession.”  Francis concluded his prayer by saying: “I ask that these honours, which I leave here in Bolivia at your feet, and which recall the nobility of the flight of the Condor in the skies of the Andes and the commemorated sacrifice of Father Luis Espinal, S.J., may be emblems of the everlasting love and persevering gratitude of the Bolivian people for your solicitous and intense tenderness. At this moment, Mother, I place in your heart my prayers for all the many petitions of your children, which I have received in these days: I beg you to hear them; give them your encouragement and protection, and manifest to the whole of Bolivia your tenderness as woman and Mother of God, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.”  Pope Francis must believe that any coming to say prayers before Our Lady of Copacabana would feel the same way he does about a crucifix carved into a wooden hammer and anvil. The savvy Fr. Z, Father John Zuhlsdorf whose blog is read daily by this writer, posits: “This morning Francis lay the two presidential honours he received Wednesday from President Evo Morales in La Paz, at the feet of Our Lady of Copacabana. One of these featured the hammer and anvil with a carving of a crucifix Citing Vatican Insider, Fr. Z wrote, “Before leaving Bolivia, Francis placed two gifts he received on Wednesday from President Evo Morales at the foot of a statue of Mary. One of these, a chain with a chunky medallion, had the figure of the crucified Christ carved into a wooden hammer and anvil. This image had been drawn by Fr. Luis Espinal, the Jesuit priest who was assassinated in Bolivia in March 1980.” He added:[So, it is the chain and medallion with the image of commie-crux that the Pope left?  Along with the Bolivian honor?] [So… something doesn’t go back to Rome.  The wooden commie-crux?  However, didn’t Fr. Lombardi say that it wasn’t going to go into a church? ““Certainly, though, it will not be put in a church,” he said.” HERE This Pope is full is surprises.] “So, I hope the contraption isn’t returning to Rome.” With all due respect to both the pontiff and Fr. Z., it’s so much worse than that. Regarding the giving of a hammer and sickle crucifix as a “courteous gesture” is painful to all Christians who view Communism as the soul-killing evil that it is. Leaving a hammer and sickle crucifix at the feet of a statue of the Patron of Bolivia imparts a powerful impression that Bolivia hopelessly belongs heart and soul to the Communists.