And even better, he's doing it while not changing church doctrine. It's a win-win situation.
That's the key, Joe. He's been so effective that some have actually been fooled into thinking this guy may change the Church's position on gay marriage and abortion. That's not going to happen. But he
has preached love and acceptance about these groups. And it is, like you say, a win-win.
I love this guy!
Mmm...it's a tricky thing. People thinking he does want to change the church's position on these things is a problem. There'a a lot to be said about perception.
That's a fair point, Ivy. My main point was that those changes are never going to occur, regardless of all the non-Christians jumping on the Pope Francis bandwagon and wishing they will. Because the hard truth is, if the non-believers start falling too in love with this guy, he's probably failing the faithful. It's a bit of a Pandora's Box. But I still love this guy
.
I'm not saying I agree with the Church's stance on many things I don't. But I do think this is about as close as it's going to get with acceptance of gays, atheists and other people. Anyone thinks that Pope Francis will change any official policy is delusional and honestly he shouldn't. As much as I don't like the ruling on things like gays, women, priests marrying etc at least it's consistent. Not to mention it would completely alienate millions of Catholics around the world.
I'm a liberal but I'm also realistic. Pope Benedict XVI infuriated me because he just seemed to be this crusty old man bent on pissing people off (including Jews and Muslims) stuck on social issues. Pope Francis emphasizes love and respect for everyone and possesses a humility I've never seen before. And remember he's doing this while not revising any traditional aspects of the Church. And I'm okay with that
