Quick Note: When the Pope and the President Join Forces, GOP is the Odd Man Out

President Obama and Pope Francis at the Vatican last September

It seems that Pope Francis is making some Republicans uncomfortable. Recently, Sister Simone Campbell, the sister who organized the "Nuns on a Bus" tours was quoted as saying "Pope Francis' message and tone are making Catholic Republicans a little uncomfortable.  He's stirring the concern on issues like poverty and the economy."

The unease has also been noticed by the conservative-leaning Washington Times and by The Hill, a publication created for and about Congress.

The Washington Times noted that, in the case of several issues of importance to his presidency and his party, "President Obama increasingly is finding a key policy ally in the Vatican, with Pope Francis standing virtually shoulder to shoulder with the White House."

The Hill took a more negative view, reporting that the pope "is increasingly driving a wedge between conservatives and the Catholic Church."

The article made note of Pope Francis' hand in easing the relationship between Cuba and the U.S.,  continuing: "Francis's agenda, which also includes calls to address income inequality and limit climate change, is putting him at odds with Republicans, including GOP Catholics in the United States."

Republicans and especially Republican Catholics are going to find 2015 particularly uncomfortable as Pope Francis is reportedly planning to focus a good deal of energy on urging his church and its members to join in the fight against climate change--an issue that American Republicans continue to insist is a Democratic hoax being perpetrated against business interests without a shred of real evidence.  The pope's position cannot help but enfeeble the conservative argument that, even if the planet is warming, it is part of God's plan and so should be allowed to play out according to His will. 

Is it possible to say you know God's will better than the man who stands at the head of your church?  Can you claim to be a good and faithful Catholic and still tell the Pope he is wrong?

It will be interesting to see how Republicans like Marco Rubio (R-Florida), John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) juggle the dissonance between what the Pope says and what their party tells them to say.  In the meantime, I get all warm and fuzzy thinking how much it must rankle the GOP to see President Obama and Pope Francis writing on the same page.