Let’s say these three statements applied to you, and you were asked to rank them in order of importance:
“I am a United States Congressman”
“I am a life-long devout Catholic”
“I am a conservative Republican”
Which would you likely put at the top? If you’re Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ), the answer is “I’m a conservative Republican.”
Despite being both a life-long Catholic — a graduate of a Jesuit college — and a member of the Government of the United States, Rep Gosar opted not to attend the Pope’s Congressional address.
Basically, according to Gosar, God already had His chance to speak His mind. It’s called the Bible. And no Vicar of Christ is going to tell Gosar something that he knows in his gut is not true.
Gosar thinks the Pope should stick to strictly religious issues, like demonizing homosexuals and denying women health care, and stay away from political issues like helping the less-fortunate and preserving the Earth for future generations.