Good Lord. This pope is a piece of work. And, may I remind you, it doesn’t say much for the cardinals who voted him in. The Vatican has a long, sordid history of “taking care” of wayward popes. He needs to shape up, or the world just might be treated to another round of smoke watching.
I’m saying this as a crazy evangelical, so right away you know what my bias is. But humor me please, and maybe I might actually be right.
I think yes he is a piece of work — a Jesus rebuild job, not a wallpaper and paint job. Along with all the messes it will have when partway through.
And I think yes, cardinals can’t take any pride in this. Neither should any man. This is a Jesus job.
And I think as far as smoke watching is concerned, maybe we will watch the smoke of the incense of a reunification of the church (into something that looks, since I am biased I say this, somewhat like crazy evangelical, but which undoes the splintering). No more will a man say I am Roman Catholic, or I am Orthodox, or I am a Protestant (let alone of whatever sub-denomination). He will say I am a Christian and I am proud and delighted right out of my sinful soul of what Jesus has done and is doing.