The new Argentinan Pope brings to light an uncomfortable truth for conservatives. I mentioned it back after the election before we got a new Pope so now I can quote myself and feel like a prophet:
I once wrote:
Who is the most actively revered figure in Latino Catholicism? It's not Jesus, it's Mary. The most successful Protestant missionary movements in Central and South America have been ones that took on a Marian theology. These Hispanics aren't as taken by Italian-style guilt and threats of hell for sinning or Polish-style stoicism, they're attracted to Marian ideals of love, compassion, helping the downtrodden, caring for the weak, etc. And that attitude isn't purely a religious one but one that has become cultural.
Republican conservatism doesn't fit. Conservative ideals of "You should be charitable but the government shouldn't be" is like being told "Well, you should give but the Church as an institution isn't going to give anything to the poor. You do that yourself." The Republican stance on immigration (such as there is one) is hostile to those ideals. It splits families and attacks the poorest and most vulnerable. Attacks on welfare, social services, unemployment, etc are much the same.
That's absolutely not to say that they are not hard working or want to be on those programs. But rather their philosophy is that the programs should be there and should be strong. Democrats support that idea more than Republicans do.
I find it interesting because I've always subscribed to the same myth the GOP does, that if you just smoothed out immigration, Hispanics would culturally become good socially conservative Republicans. Catholicism was always the keystone of that argument. But I was looking at it through the lens of my own Polish Catholic "Keep quiet and get back to work; you're a good Catholic by working hard and following the rules" upbringing. And I think most Republicans expect all the other Papists to follow the same sort of European rules (along with the Italian guilt theology) and I don't think it holds.
Pope Francis puts a face on this reality: Catholic ideals of compassion, social justice and charity aren't especially compatible with US conservatism. It worked fine when you focused on gays and abortion, it works less so when you move into the "softer" aspects. This guy is focused on that stuff and is very popular and it's driving some folks bonkers.
Also, I've been very amused to listen to non-Catholic conservative pundits angrily tell me how the Catholic Pope should be acting