Quote of the Day

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.

. . . Since Francis’ election, the anxiety on the right has only mounted as he has continued to model a radically different pontificate — preaching about the evils of the globalized economy while repeatedly reminding his followers to care for the poor and marginalized.

Indeed, he barely mentioned abortion directly or even gay rights until he was asked about gay priests during an impromptu press conference on the flight back from Brazil and, in a line heard round the world, he said, “Who am I to judge?” . . .

– David Gibson
"Pope Francis is Unsettling – and Dividing – the Catholic Right"
Religion News Service
August 6, 2013

Related Off-site Links:
Jesuit Head: Pope a "Brother Among Brothers" – Joshua J. McElwee (National Catholic Reporter, August 7, 2013).
Touch the Poor and Needy, Pope Tells Argentineans – David Uebbing (Catholic News Service, August 7, 2013).
Pope Francis' Ecclesiology Rooted in the Emmaus Story – Thomas Reese, SJ (National Catholic Reporter, August 6, 2013).
A Revolution Underway with Pope Francis – John Allen Jr. (National Catholic Reporter, August 5, 2013).
Pope Francis the Merciful – James Martin, SJ (The Washington Post, August 2, 2013).
Reformist Priest Helmut Schüller Praises Pope's New Tone But Wants More – Mary Wisniewski (Reuters, August 1, 2013).
Pope Franics is Not All That Evolved on Issues of Sex and Gender – Colleen Kochivar-Baker (Enlightened Catholicism, August 1, 2013).
"When Does Our Hope for Francis Become Denial? – Jamie Manson (National Catholic Reporter, July 31, 2013).
Pope Francis Asks "Who Am I to Judge?" But Real-Life Gay Catholics Continue to Experience Marginalization – William D. Lindsey (Bilgrimage, July 30, 2013).
Will Francis' Statements on Women and Gays "Make a Mess" Inside the Church? – Mary E. Hunt (Religion Dispatches, July 29, 2013).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Why I Take Hope in Pope Francis' Statement on Gay Priests
Quote of the Day – August 1, 2013
Quote of the Day – July 30, 2013

Image: Kristen Solberg.