DOOCY: But from criticizing capitalism to absolving abortions and easing annulments, Pope Francis has drawn a lot of criticism for straying away from the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church. Is he doing more to further a far left agenda than to save his follower's souls? Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano is Catholic and has written an opinion piece on the pope's controversial views. He joins us from the Cannon Office Building on Capitol Hill. Judge, in your op-ed today you say that the pope is taking the church in dangerous directions. How so?
NAPOLITANO: In a couple of ways, Steve. First of all, good morning, and this is a very, very festive time and a festive place and the Capitol is welcoming him with open arms. But people need to realize the political motivations behind this pope from Latin America. He's harshly critical of capitalism. He's staunchly in favor of the redistribution of wealth. He's absolutely associating the moral authority of the papacy to the untested and questionable green science of Al Gore. In terms of discipline in the church, he's made it easier for people to have abortions because absolution is easier. Easier for people to get annulments because you don't need a trial anymore. You can just get it administratively. Attacking the culture of life, and attacking the family are two favorite targets of the left, particularly the Latin American left, and I felt compelled to articulate this this morning.
DOOCY: Well, Judge, when it comes to Catholic doctrine, you, you know, admittedly you are a hard-liner when it comes to it. But when you look at what the pope is trying to do, where if you had a divorce, and it would be easier for you to have communion or when you were younger and you had an abortion and you now feel that that's a mistake and you want communion. I think that's a good thing. I think, you know, it shows the mercy -- people can change their minds. They can have a change of soul.
NAPOLITANO: You know, history will tell whether or not it's a good thing. But people need to recognize what's happening right before our eyes. And when the pope puts the moral authority of the papacy behind arguments like the reason we have poor people is because we have too many rich, the rich have too much wealth -- that's an inappropriate use of the papacy. He's basically arguing that to be a good Catholic you have to accept his economics. The pope is a vicar of Christ on Earth, I respect that and I believe it with all my heart. He's infallible on matter of faith and morals. Thank God it's just faith and morals, because his economics is a Latin American version of Marxism, which simply is inconsistent with prosperity in the West. [emphasis added]
