The Cardinal couldn't have been more polite, but it didn't take much reading between the lines to get what he was asserting: that when it comes to the encyclical on the environment, Rush Limbaugh doesn't understand what the Pope was saying.
On today's Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace played a clip of Rush saying that the encyclical "is suggesting is that everyone should vote for the Democrat party. How in the hell else do you interpret it when the Pope sounds like Al Gore on global warming and climate change?" Responded Cardinal Donald Wuerl: "one of the great blessings of America" is that "we're all allowed to speak our mind even if we don't have all the facts. Even if we don't have a clear view of what the other person is saying."
CHRIS WALLACE: While the Pope has bigger things on his mind than American politics, some American conservatives say he is choosing sides. Cardinal, forgive me because this is going to get a little salty.
RUSH LIMBAUGH: Essentially, what this papal encyclical is suggesting is that every Catholic should vote for the Democrat party. How in the hell else do you interpret it when the Pope comes out and sounds like Al Gore on global warming and climate change?
WALLACE: I never thought I would ask you this: how do you respond to rush Limbaugh?
CARDINAL WUERL: This is one of the great blessings of America, isn't it? We're all allowed to speak our mind even if we don't have all the facts. Even if we don't have a clear view of what the other person is saying. We're all allowed to speak our mind and that's what he's doing. I think what the Pope is doing is something very, very different from that. He's saying why don't we all discuss this? Why don't we all come to the table and before we start eliminating other people from the discussion, or denouncing them or even ridiculing them, why don't we listen to them and see what they're saying, and see where we should be going as a human family.
