Cum Petro et Sub Petro

With Peter & Under Peter

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Pope Francis Under the Microscope

We remember the pontificate of Blessed John Paul II. We remember the exuberance of the faithful when Cardinal Ratzinger was elected. (I smile as i write that) We went through the sadness of losing Blessed John Paul II and the shock of Pope Emeritus Benedict stepping down as well as the sadness. Soon Pope Francis was elected. From the moment he stepped out on the balcony in St Peter's Square he went under the microscope. What on earth? He was going to throw Marini under the bus. There was a supposed whisper from Pope Francis of "the circus is over." A quote that was never substantiated. Next thing you know everyone is in a tizzy. What a simple humble man he is.He rides the bus, carries his own bags,wears his old shoes and lives in a small apartment. Implying that Pope Benedict was not and there the comparisons began. The old meany Benedict and the the sweet gentile Francis. It gets better because we have Pope Francis attackers questioning if his simplicity is genuine. Now there are the 2 camps: those who question his simplicity and those who think Pope Emeritus Benedict was too something(substitute whatever you have heard from the media here). OMG. Can it stop now? Can we please pull Pope Francis out from under the microscope? I can barely stand the media spin on him at this point. I don't think the the Hermeneutic of Continuity means we get clones. I think it means we get the SAME message in a different way.Our Popes are the successors of St. Peter. They are still men. They are infallible,yes, but still men.The last 3 Popes, John Paul II,Benedict the XVI and Francis come from different cultural backgrounds. Vastly different. They all have different life experiences. I think each of these men bring to the Church what She needs at at a particular time. They even have their shortcomings but that has never stopped God from using certain men as great leaders.I've had the feeling since the election of Pope Francis and the last 2 Pope prior the Church is marching towards something tremendous. Something's afoot here that's for sure.

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