Posted on 01/14/2016 12:38:19 PM PST by Olog-hai
The honeymoon seems to be over for Pope Francis.
New figures published by the Vatican show that the 79-year-old Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who won election to the papacy in 2013 and rode a groundswell of public support for what were seen as relatively modern views, is drawing smaller crowds and possibly alienating the base of traditional Catholics.
In 2015, more than 3.2 million pilgrims visited and attended papal events, liturgies or prayer services at the Holy See, the Vatican said at the end of December. That was a sharp drop from the 5.9 million visitors received by Pope Francis in 2014. And it was less than half of the 6.6 million pilgrims who visited the Vatican during the first nine-and-a-half months of his pontificate in 2013.
The Vatican attributed the fall, in part, to terrorism fears keeping people from visiting Rome.
But pope-watchers say there's another factor at work: his comparatively liberal views on some hot-button social issues, including gay rights, and whether Catholics who have divorced and civilly remarried should be allowed to receive communion. Those views, which have won Pope Francis positive coverage in the media, may be turning off devout Catholics. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.eu ...
Just waiting for him to die or retire. Those are the only interesting things he will ever do.
Commie.
That he was ever elevated indicates the College of Cardinals has quickly become radicalized. As their composition evolves as Pope Frank continues to appoint leftist bishops, where will the next JP2 come from?
Bet the Pope is getting less donations sent to him also.
One can hope that the non-radicalized were hoodwinked in 2013, and won’t be hoodwinked again, despite the fact that Bergoglio has appointed a number of new pieces of excrement to the College of Cardinals.
How do you say “Jeb” in Spanish? Or Latin?
My mom would not talk to me for a long time after I said he was a Socialist. The truth hurts and a lot of the older do not want to see what he is.
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