Faith Seeking Understanding

One thing I think a lot of people in the normie Catholic world fail to recognize is that the Holy Father Pope Francis did not emerge from a vacuum. One can point to him being a Latin American from Argentina, or a post-conciliar modernist, a classic "progressive," or a religious sympathetic to socialism or Liberation Theology as to why we have the pontificate we do. While all these things are true, you are in for a world of hurt and massive frustration if you fail to recognize that understanding the political ideology of Peronism is essential to understanding the machinations coming forth from the chair of Peter from 2014 to present. 

I think what's also helpful to mention is that in doing so, you may find a sense of relief akin to someone suffering from ADHD or autism or borderline personality disorder receiving a diagnosis from a psychiatrist--"finally," you may say to yourself, "my life up to now finally makes sense." Indeed, to be quite honest, I think understanding the current pontificate in general and Pope Francis in particular in the light of Peronism is the only thing that makes sense over the past ten years of leadership in the Catholic Church. 

Juan Domingo Perón served as President of Argentina from 1946 until his overthrow in 1955. When he took office running on a Labour party ticket (though he eventually formed his own "Peronist Party" which replaced it in 1947), Perón's two stated goals were social justice and economic independence. Theologian Herold Weiss recalled, that 

"Perón opposed the universities, which questioned his methods and his goals. A well-remembered slogan was, Alpargatas sí, libros no ("Shoes? Yes! Books? No!")"

Political commentators have noted that the rule of Perón was a kind of Italian fascism baptized in the waters of Latin America. Perón ruled by violence and various forms of dictatorship. He faced opposition from the Socialist Party; Perón called employers and unions to a Productivity Congress to regulate social conflict through dialogue (sound familiar?)

There is a degree of hubris as well, since on 20 August 1948--less than two years after taking office--he sought to articulate his self-named political ideology in a speech.  He starts right out of the gate:

"Perónism is not learned, nor just talked about: one feels it or else disagrees. Perónism is a question of the heart rather than of the head. Fortunately I am not one of those Presidents who live a life apart, but on the contrary I live among my people, just as I have always lived; so that I share all the ups and downs, all their successes and all their disappointments with my working class people."

In Argentina there should not be more than one single class of men: men who work together for the welfare of the nation, without any discrimination whatever." 

Likewise, on 17 October 1950 in a speech at the Plaza de Mayo, he outlined his “Twenty Truths of the Perónist Justicialism” (particular emphasis mine, in bold)

1. True democracy is the system where the Government carries out the will of the people defending a single objective: the interests of the people.

2. Perónism is an eminently popular movement. Every political clique is opposed to the popular interests and, therefore, it cannot be a Perónist organization.

3. A Perónist must be at the service of the cause. He who invoking the name of this cause is really at the service of a political clique or a “caudillo” (local political leader) is only a Perónist by name.

4. There is only one class of men for the Perónist cause: the workers.

5. In the New Argentina, work is a right which dignifies man and a duty, because it is only fair that each one should produce at least what he consumes.

6. There can be nothing better for a Perónist than another Perónist.

7. No Perónist should presume to be more than he really is, nor should he adopt a position inferior to what his social status should be. When a Perónist starts to think that he is more important than he really is, he is about to become one of the oligarchy.

8. With reference to political action the scale of values for all Perónists is as follows: First, the Homeland; afterwards the cause, and then, the men themselves.

9. Politics do not constitute for us a definite objective but only a means of achieving the Homeland’s welfare represented by the happiness of the people and the greatness of the nation.

10. The two main branches of Perónism are the Social Justice and the Social Welfare. With these we envelop the people in an embrace of justice and love.

11. Perónism desires the establishment of national unity and the abolition of civil strife. It welcomes heroes but does not want martyrs.

12. In the New Argentina the only privileged ones are the children.

13. A Government without a doctrine is a body without a soul. That is why Perónism has established its own political, economic and social doctrines: Justicialism.

14. Justicialism is a new philosophical school of life. It is simple, practical, popular and endowed with deeply Christian and humanitarian sentiments.

15. As a political doctrine, Justicialism establishes a fair balance between the rights of the individual and those of the community.

16. As an economic doctrine, Justicialism achieves a true form of social economy by placing capital at the service of the national economy and this at the service of social welfare.

17. As a social doctrine, Justicialism presides over an adequate distribution of Social Justice giving to each person the social rights he is entitled to.

18. We want a socially just, an economically free and a politically independent Argentina.

19. We are an organized State and a free people ruled by a centralized government.

20. The best of this land of ours is its people.

We are all products of our time and environment. John Paul II grew up under Communist rule in Poland, Benedict XVI in Nazi Germany. Pope Francis was ten years old when Perón became President in his home of Argentina. I don't think it's unreasonable to believe that he was steeped in and influenced by Peronist thought. 

A few parallels I teased out between Perón's "Twenty Truths" and some examples of Peronist-influenced examples under the current pontificate:

--Some of Pope Francis' messages (for example, to the World Economic Forum as an agenda contributor in 2014 and 2018): The (one-world) government carries out the will of the people (point 1), there is one only one class of men (point 4) rooted in fairness. (point 5)

--He rewards his friends and punishes his enemies.(point 6)

--He is popular in the media, welcoming atheists (while maintaining that "atheists can still be redeemed", praising pro-abortion economists (while simultaneously condemning abortion as killing), and ushering globalists into his audience. At the same time, he is merciless with Traditionalists (what he sees as "cliques") and mute to the persecuted Church in China. (point 2)

--Politics (ie; doctrine) is not objective, but a means to the happiness of the people (the spiritual status quo) (point 9, point 14)

--The anti-doctrine is the new doctrine, which is why it is necessary to create "it's own doctrines"  (point 13)

These are just a few, and I'm sure there are more. 

My point here is to at least give a modicum of solace to those who may not be steeped in Church news but have felt themselves going crazy over the "messy" past decade, thinking, "this seems...off" or "Why is he doing and saying these things?" or "It sure is hard to pin him down!" 

If you see Pope Francis as being influenced by the political ideology of Juan Domingo Perón and Peronist political ideology, then what is coming out of the Vatican starts to make a lot more sense. Wait, I take that back. It still doesn't make sense, but it does help to explain it, like a diagnosis for a mental disorder at least gives a sense of explaining various neuroses and crazy behavior. 

I simply outline it here for those who may be otherwise confused or ignorant, through no fault of their own, to let you know that everything comes from somewhere. If you try to make sense of the current pontificate apart from Peronism, you risk going mad in the process; and I don't want to see anyone go mad on account of being Catholic.