Here are two recent telling commentaries on the direction of Pope Francis’ papacy.
Pope Francis’ Ecclesiology Rooted in the Emmaus Story
During his July 22-29 visit to Brazil, Pope Francis’ homilies and addresses had a simplicity and directness that inspired the faithful with confidence in God’s love, hope for reform and love of neighbor, especially the poor. But two of his speeches went beyond pastoral exhortations to lay out his vision and agenda for the church — his July 27 address to the Brazilian bishops and his address the next day to the episcopal council of CELAM, the Latin American conference of bishops.” Analysis by Fr. Thomas Reese, National Catholic ReporterPope Francis Is Unsettling—and Dividing—the Catholic Right
For more than three decades, the Vatican of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI operated on a version of the conservative maxim, ‘No enemies to the right.’ While left-wing theologians were silenced and liberal-to-moderate bishops were shunted aside in favor of hard-liners, liturgical traditionalists and cultural conservatives were diligently courted and given direct access to the apostolic palace. But in a few short months, Pope Francis has upended that dynamic, alienating many on the Catholic right by refusing to play favorites and ignoring their preferred agenda items even as he stressed the kind of social justice issues that are near and dear to progressives.” By David Gibson, Religion News Service, in The Washington Post
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