So You Don’t Like Pope Francis?

But it is this same determination to be loyal to the church and to subject myself to the authority of the church and to learn through this sometimes humiliating experience that has taught me the best lessons in my whole spiritual life.

Therefore I would say to those who are upset by Pope Francis that they should start by reading this post and then spend some time in prayer and ask God what he would like them to learn from this pope.

If he does not please them, then they should ask what is wrong with themselves and not what is wrong with him.

Maybe in this way they might learn what it really means to submit oneself to the successor 0f Peter.

Did they think that meant they should only submit themselves to the pope if it happened to be a pope they liked? How babyish is that?

They are like the monk who goes from monastery to monastery looking for an abbot who will make him feel good.

Does this mean they have to be totally uncritical of the pope? No. I’ve written critically of the pope in various places–notably here.

Does it mean they have to love Pope Francis and think he’s the most marvelous pope ever? Of course not.

It is possible to be intelligently critical while still saying, “But I want to learn from the pope. I want to see that God is doing in this unexpected and unpredictable papacy.”

We can be critical of the pope, but here is no room for the ugly, immature hatred of Pope Francis which is vomited by some Catholics.

Do they think such a response wins people to their point of view? Do they think it does any good at all?

Those who hate Pope Francis are showing themselves for who they really are: enemies of Christ’s church.

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