The Politically Incorrect Francis—14 Shocking Statements, by Paul Kengor

Editor’s note: The following essay by Professor Kengor is considerably longer than the typical Crisis article. We try to be mindful of the reading habits of our Internet audience which tends to favor shorter pieces. However, Professor Kengor’s essay is original, timely, well-documented, and very readable. Crisis welcomes the lively discussion and debate it will invariably generate because we value the thoughtfulness of our readers.

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Let’s be honest. Actually, let’s state the obvious. Many orthodox Catholics have had it with Pope Francis, as have non-Catholic conservatives who liked previous popes. It’s no stretch to say that a good number detest him. At the very least, many faithful Catholics are frustrated by the current pope. Ongoing confusion from Rome, atop the 2018 abuse report from Pennsylvania (with many more states to follow), plus the Cardinal McCarrick fiasco, and the Viganò letters—their patience is exhausted.

I understand. Francis frustrates me, too, though I don’t hate him and often defend him, particularly with the very points I’ll make throughout this article.

Liberal Catholics, on the other hand, praise Francis. As do non-Catholic and non-Christian secularists, atheists, agnostics, progressives, modernists, relativists, pagans, or whatever other band hailing the man as the long-awaited ideological messiah they’ve wanted in the Chair of St. Peter. At long last, here’s a pope, a kind of cross between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, between Nancy Pelosi and Harvey Milk, that they can support—though not enough, of course, to deign to darken the door of a Catholic parish. They like Francis so long as they believe he’s remaking the Roman Catholic Church in their image. The more liberal the Francis, the better. This is not so they can rush to his side at St. Peter’s, mind you, or dash to the nearest parish to enroll in RCIA, but because they hope the old man rejects the traditional teachings of the Church as vigorously and contemptuously as they do…..Read entire article…..crisismagazine.com/2019/the-politically-incorrect-francis-14-shocking-statements