Visit an eye-opener on pope’s nature

The pope is back in Rome, but America is still talking about Francis.

On American soil for less than a week, the pope spoke to Congress, top leaders and apparently Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who has denied marriage licences to gay couples.

He even made the House Republican leader John Boehner cry. He skipped lunch with Washington D.C.’s most famous to have lunch with the poor.

The many stories of the visit show the complexity of this pope. He has been assailed by American conservatives as being too liberal.

Yet, many note that his social views fit the 19th Century rather than current times, and nobody can find anything said that is against Catholic teachings.

A friend remarked that Pope Francis was like the Dalai Lama. True, Francis speaks to people of all faiths and belief systems. He is a kind, compassionate individual, who is trying to get big countries, including America, to take better care of the Earth and each other.

DEEPLY CONSERVATIVE
But there is much more because he leads one of the world’s great religions.

Francis can be tough. He has no tolerance for bishops who cover up for priests who abuse children. He has demonstrated that he will not hesitate to fire church officials who misuse their offices to benefit themselves.

Remember at the beginning of his papacy? One of his first acts was to fire the bishop of “bling”, who had built a multi-million-dollar mansion in Europe for himself with church funds.

The home is now a soup kitchen. Recently, he let go an American bishop who was convicted of not reporting a priest to authorities after finding child pornography on his computer.

But Francis is also deeply conservative. Do not expect to see women become priests under his rule. Do not expect Francis to approve of gay marriage.

The key to Francis’ high approval ratings in America — more than 80 per cent — is his ability to convey the Christian message.

In a wonderful story in the Washington Post, a reporter captured the story of Francis speaking privately with House Speaker John Boehner.

Boehner told the reporter about a private moment — just before Francis addressed Congress — that the pope complimented him on his work for the poor and the children and then asked Boehner to pray for him.

A MESSAGE FOR EVERYONE
Boehner, who is known as the leader of a divided and difficult Republican majority, resigned the next day. Not only did he leave his position as House Speaker, but he also said he would be departing Congress. His decision has left Congress in a tizzy.

“What happened?” a friend asked me. My response: “I think Boehner was touched by the holy spirit.”

We remain wondering about the pope’s meeting with Kim Davis. She has become a national rallying point for those who oppose gay marriage.

Davis said that Francis gave her a rosary and encouraged her to have faith. But the Vatican is not confirming or denying the meeting.

Knowing Francis’ past statements on the subject, I suspect much more was said. The pope has been compassionate and non-judgmental about people of different sexual orientations, but uncompromising on the church’s thinking on the matter.

Francis offered something for everyone on his visit. Perhaps one headline said it best: Hope Francis.

When Christ walked the Earth, his message was radical. It still is.