The buttinski pope

If you ever wanted to see a clear example that the president of the United States is not respected, feared but just tolerated, all you need do is take a look at what the Roman Catholic pope is doing in Mexico, along the U.S. border.

Pope Francis is on another of his political jaunts across the world, having just met with the murderous leader of Iran with photos showing the two men in friendly, cordial laughter.

One wonders what they talked about in private and who is on whose side. Given Iran's threat to the free world, its treatment of Christians and members of other religions and general human rights abuses, one also wonders what the purpose of it all was.

I hesitate to think it might be just to add to Francis' resume as a perceived "man of peace."

Then too, he's met with the Castro brothers in Cuba, got involved in U.S./Cuba relations, and just prior to arriving in Mexico, went again to Cuba to meet with the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church. His meeting with Patriarch Kirill was the first meeting between the two churches in 1,000 years and is said to be an attempt to mend the split between them.

And then, on to Mexico! Pope Francis is there now and will remain until Feb. 18. He's visiting cities, talking to politicians, commiserating with the poor and celebrating Mass at shrines and churches.

But the really big deal, the big event, will be the celebration of Mass right at the U. S. border on Tuesday.

Ciudad Juarez is the location, a place with a history of extreme cartel drug violence and murders of men and women.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to be on both sides of the border for the Mass, which will be celebrated in a new, multi-million-dollar pavilion and altar. The Mass will be broadcast across the border to the Sun Bowl in El Paso.

Before Mass, there will be a huge parade and following it, a special dinner for invited guests.

Probably not including the people who would most likely be the ones trying to sneak across the border into the United States.

Apparently another group of people not likely to be on the guest list will be the parents of the 43 "disappeared" education students – young people suspected to be victims of Mexican state violence.

Counterpunch.org reported that the pope refused to meet with them and did the same when some of the mothers tried to see him in Philadelphia last September.

There's also no mention that the Catholic Multimedia Center reports that Mexico is "the most dangerous country in Latin America to be a priest." At least 36 priests have been murdered in the last 10 years, others live under daily death threats and some are just "disappeared." In Mexico City alone, some 400 priests have faced extortion and threats.

But the pope focuses with sympathy on people who illegally cross the border into the United States and ignore U.S. law.

If you want to know about Vatican thinking regarding the border, consider the statement by spokesman Federico Lombardi, as reported by Market Watch: "This is one community, despite the fence. I think it will be moving to see this single community even though it is located on two sides of the border."

In other words, this pope is taking sides against the sovereignty of the United States. He's declaring that the border means nothing and that anyone who wants to cross should be welcomed with open arms by the U.S.

There is notably no comment from Barack Obama.

In a sane world, this in-your-face action by Pope Francis would elicit some kind of response from the United States leader.

In a sane world, the U.S. president would speak up against the illegal crossings and reinforce the concept that the border is just that – a legal dividing line between two countries – and it is illegal to cross it without the proper documentation.

But this is not a sane world. And it appears that while the pope's action is clearly a blatant interference in U.S. border policy, he's doing it with the tacit approval of Barack Obama, whose silence is approval.

It's shameful but no surprise. Despite enormous cross-border violence against American citizens by illegals from Mexico and many other countries, despite the violence by illegals against the Border Patrol and other law enforcement officials, despite the continued and growing drug, weapon, and human trafficking across the border, and despite the almost unbelievable financial and social costs to American towns and cities from the burden of illegals in their midst – the American president does nothing.

Well, that's not quite right. It's just been revealed that U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agents are now ordered to release illegal aliens in their custody and not to order them to appear at deportation hearings. On top of that, they are not allowed to track their whereabouts.

The president of the National Border Patrol Council, quoted in the Washington Examiner, said "We might as well abolish our immigration laws altogether."

Testifying to the immigration subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, Brandon Judd said the administration was so embarrassed that so few illegals appeared for the hearings that it decided to just eliminate the hearings.

Who are the illegals? Where are they? Does anyone care?

Apparently not Barack Obama, nor the Catholic Church nor the pope. For them, the more the merrier.

American Catholics hesitate to criticize Pope Francis. He holds the loftiest position in the Church. But, it must never be forgotten that he is also just a man. As the leader of the Church, he's infallible in matters of a faith and morals, but beyond that, he's just like you and me.

Pope Francis is the pope and a priest – but he's also a politician, and in that role, he's spending far too much time traveling the world putting his two cents in where it has no right to be.

Follow Barbara Simpson on Facebook.

Media wishing to interview Barbara Simpson, please contact [email protected].