Why Pope Francis' US visit is making Republicans squirm

Official logo for Papal Visit to Washington

During Pope Francis' visit to the United States next week, he will insist that the church transcends partisan politics, and I'm sure he means this sincerely. But that won't prevent his visit from having political ramifications, Brian Porter-Szücs, Professor of History at the University of Michigan writes in the academic journal The Conversation.

For several decades, the Roman Catholic Church in the US has drawn closer and closer to the Republican Party, mostly because of their shared opposition to abortion. Catholics have always bristled at the charge that their religion was subsumed by this one issue, and Pope Francis is committed to reminding the world that the church cares about more than just sex and reproduction.

He isn't about to revise the church's basic teachings on these matters, but he fervently wants to change the topic of conversation. This presents a major problem for the GOP, because on nearly every other public issue it is starkly at odds with Catholic teachings. And not because Pope Francis is too liberal. Rather, it's because he's too conservative on an issue that serves as a cornerstone of the Republican Party: free-market capitalism.

Continue reading here: https://theconversation.com/why-pope-francis-us-visit-is-making-the-gop-squirm-47341