Voice of the Faithful ®

Looking for clues as to where the Catholic Church is heading under Pope Francis? John L. Allen, Jr., sizes up the Pope’s first six months in an article in National Catholic Reporter, “Francis at the Six Month Mark Seems a Force of Nature.” Here’s how it begins:

As it’s come to be understood in the 21st century, the papacy is really an impossible job. A pope is expected to be the CEO of a global religious organization, a political heavyweight, an intellectual giant, and a media rock star, not to mention a living saint. Any one of those things is a life’s work; rolled together, they’re a prescription for perpetual frustration.

“Yet at his six-month mark, which falls today (Sept. 13), Pope Francis is drawing better reviews on those five scores than anyone might reasonably have anticipated back on March 13, either in terms of the magnitude of the task or the background of 76-year-old Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina.”

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Six months into Pope Francis’ pontificate, what do Catholics think of their new Pope? 80% view him favorably! Read Pew Research’s study, released Sept. 12, by clicking here.