The election of Pope Francis was greeted with acclaim, which has since turned into unacknowledged disillusionment.

Disenchantment is palpable in the awkward silence that follows some of the Pope’s baffling statements. Catholics are not flattered when they hear their newly-elected Pontiff deploring their “inconsistency”, which “undermines the Church’s credibility”. They’re not pleased to hear Pope Francis acknowledging “the existence of a gay lobby and a stream of corruption in the Vatican”. Catholic prelates at a concert where Pope Francis would have been the guest of honour were left “disoriented” when the Pope didn’t show up. A “surprised” Vatican source was candid enough to admit that Pope Francis “is still learning how to be Pope”. The initial acclaim has turned into disappointment!

Some tradition-bound Catholics disapprove of Pope Francis because he has brushed aside the pomp and pageantry they expect at papal ceremonies. They accuse Francis of lacking “dignity” in his role as Pontiff.

Pope Francis has made some really odd statements. In one of his homilies, he referred to the Devil – supposedly confined to Hell after being vanquished by Christ – as “the prince of this world”. A great honour indeed!

Recently, the Pope told a large audience of children: “Anyone who wants to be Pope doesn’t care much for themselves. God doesn’t bless them” – a remark that went right over their little heads!

The young audience must have been baffled even more when Pope Francis went on to say: “I need to live among people. If I lived on my own, it wouldn’t do me any good,” adding that he had made the decision for “psychiatric reasons”!

John Guillaumier

ST JULIAN’S