It’s something I never thought I’d be saying, but…
You just gotta love this Pope!
The sudden climate change at the Vatican is tying certain people up in knots, but for most of the civilized world it’s as if someone has finally opened a window to let the sunlight in.
The last time that happened was when I was still a little girl and John XXIII gave conservatives apoplexy by convening Vatican II, returning Mass to the vernacular and saying all good people go to heaven, regardless of whether or not they are baptized Catholic. His papacy was rather short but impactful, leading some to speculate that there were Machiavellian forces afoot hell-bent on snuffing out further reformation.
What followed were decades of mostly conformist popes who made the occasional pacifist gesture or love-thy-neighbor invocation, but concentrated most of their efforts on promoting a socially conservative agenda that pretty much revolved around sex and seemed especially mean-spirited toward women.
John Paul II was something of a rock star, in part due to the novelty of NOT being Italian, but largely because his political past in Poland gave him Cold War cachet. He had the luck of an exceedingly long and uneventful reign and should have done a lot to make the church more relevant to a suffering modern world; but he didn’t.
The best thing about Benedict’s 7 year reign, distinguished by red Gucci loafers in the Pope Mobile and a pedophilia parade of shame, was when he unexpectedly threw in the towel. “Pontif Emeritus,” indeed!
Just when you thought the Roman Catholic Church might have to put all its Leonardos and gold-plated bric-a-brac up on the auction block in a giant going-out-of-business sale, they seem to have pulled off the impossible by finding one decent man and handing him the keys.
Having lapsed so many years ago, and having some serious issues with organized religion in general, I’m not a candidate for reenlistment; however, it does my heart good to see such an influential institution finally taking a turn in the right direction.
They’ve a long way to go, but we must celebrate even small victories of common sense and decency.
Right on cue: Rush Limbaugh accuses the Pope of “pure Marxism” and says he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
I like what the Pope is saying, but I suggest a wait-and-see attitude toward the notion that he’ll lead the Roman Catholic Church in a progressive direction. That’s a big, powerful institution with a lot of powerful people in it. The Pope is, in some ways, just a figurehead. After all, it’s those superannuated snobs in the College of Cardinals who elected this guy. I doubt they’d choose a real revolutionary. More likely they want some good PR without actually changing anything.
questions that fit nicely with his recent statements about married priests and forgiveness of homosexuality if the person changes their ways. I see bouncers as working rooms with drunk attractive folks who are there looking to get a bit o’ action. So it seems quite possible that Francis got in on some action during his gig as a bouncer (straight bar or gay bar? we don’t know – a good bet someone remembers the place). surely, he wouldn’t be the first priest, or probably even pope, who had adventures prior to becoming a priest, but it would flesh out his background and help explain why he seems to be such a wonderfully tolerant and forgiving person.
Another feather in his cap, although unlike the Pope Emeritus he isn’t into the froofy headwear anyway.
I grew up in the One True Church in New York’s Southern Tier, (confirmed by The Venerable Fulton Sheen, Bishop of Rochester.)
My Catholicism lapsed a few marriages ago, although I still wear my anti-evangelical-Protestantism with fervor. It is good to see Francis calling out those folks and the mega-churchers too.
While the Jesuits have a troubled history, nowadays in the main they value intellect, education, compassion, and the humanity of their fellows.
I’m not a Catholic, or even a Christian, but this pope is he first one I can respect.
Especially his sneaking out at night dressed like a common priest and helping the homeless in Rome.