Pope Francis Seems to Be a Nice Person, but a Fallible Leader

By Jerry Slevin
Christian Catholicism
January 25, 2014

http://christiancatholicism.com/pope-francis-seems-to-be-a-nice-person-but-a-fallible-leader/

Many Catholics for a half century had been required to accept, whether they liked it or not, popes that included an indecisive Italian intellectual who condemned birth control, a self confident Polish actor who protected child abusers, and a firm German disciplinarian who lived in a bubble, all directed by Italian curial practitioners of Machiavellian “realpolitik”. Consequently, many of these Catholics are enjoying immensely so far their friendly pastoral Latino, Pope Francis. He seems to most of them to be trying his best to salvage a sinking Vatican. It remains to be seen if the salvage operation is intended to benefit mainly the world’s cardinals or the world’s Catholics, two groups often with different interests.

If the Vatican had only religious influence, Catholics could wait and give Francis unlimited time to act. But the Vatican, by conscious choice and long tradition. is also a geo-political player. Papal actions, and inaction, including lobbying on key political and social policies that impact adversely children and women especially, require a political response from the USA and other nations. These policies range from child protection and women’s reproductive rights to Middle East peace negotiations, especially regarding Syria. Hopefully, President Obama will give Pope Francis a pointed response on these matters when they meet in two months.

Pope Francis inherited, after ex-Pope Benedict quit, several difficult and pressing challenges, including an ineffective Vatican management, a lack of bishop accountability for failing to protect children, denials of women’s equality and reproductive rights and disrespect for gay persons and their rights, and violent international religious competition, especially in the Middle East.

Francis obviously had limited prior experience in managing an international political organization. Interestingly, even one of his loyal Jesuit confreres. Fr. Thomas Reese, S.J., has noted his recent mistake in appointing more Curial cardinals. Reese has a Ph.D. in Political Science from UC Berkeley and is a leading authority on Vatican management structures. See his:

[National Catholic Reporter]

Hopefully, more Catholic intellectuals will follow Reese’s bold lead and face up to honest and constructive assessments of Francis’ actions and inaction. The moral duties of “fraternal correction” and intellectual integrity require no less. The habits of “safe silence” under the last two pope’s inquisitorial regimes must now be disgarded, while the window for change remains open, however slightly.