Were I determined to detest the pope--and cathedral-loads of my loyal readers know I have tendencies in that direction--I would say that his PR triumphs don't change the essential facts about his wrongness. Wrong on gay rights. Wrong on women's rights. On contraception, absurd. But what do I expect? That he would breeze into the Vatican and three blinks later declare the Church's teaching on these questions a large, long error? Probably he's said as much as he can. For example:
We cannot insist on issues relating only to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.
Sounds like what you'd say if you never wanted to talk about them--maybe because you're embarrassed by what you're expected to say. I'm beginning to like the guy. It's not just the funny boys and girls with whom he seems interested in making nice. It's people like me, too. Plus, I'm attracted to big shots who take the bus. Not very long ago the "nuns on the bus," always traveling in pairs, usually in poor neighborhoods, were an implicit criticism of the fur-trimmed Vatican boys, including the one at the top of the heap. Is it possible that those nuns now have on their side someone who's large and in charge?
