A slice of Catholic conservativedom is lamenting the popularity of Pope Francis. Bloggers less so, but in the comboxes I read a repeated meme these days: popularity is a danger because Jesus suggested we should aim for the opposite. Or something like that.
It seems some conservative bedfellows agree, like this one. Oh great. More end times. 1843, 1914, 2000–this bit will never end.
Jesus seemed to have broken up that meme somewhat–the house party where people had to break through the roof to get his attention for their friend who could not walk, a certain procession into Jerusalem, the foothills of Mount Tabor, not to mention a few billion modern adherents around the world.
My sense is that there’s some envy on behalf of their last two men, a wish that Pope Francis will disappoint and other people will turn ugly.
Now that conservatives and poor little rich Catholics are well known dissenters, I wouldn’t discount the notion that a few liberals, even if they do get discouraged by the Holy Father, will hold their tongues and pens just to let the Right steam a bit more over it all. After all, who else are we going to glom onto? I confess a guilty pleasure for cheap entertainment. Pope Francis would have to leave the Jesuits for the SSPX for me to give the man a thumbs down. And that’s not going to happen.
It’s time to get past the cults of celebrity and anti-celebrity. Or provide entertainment on the side.
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Todd lives in Minnesota, serving a Catholic parish as a lay minister.
Catholic Sensibility 
Papal Popularity
It seems some conservative bedfellows agree, like this one. Oh great. More end times. 1843, 1914, 2000–this bit will never end.
Jesus seemed to have broken up that meme somewhat–the house party where people had to break through the roof to get his attention for their friend who could not walk, a certain procession into Jerusalem, the foothills of Mount Tabor, not to mention a few billion modern adherents around the world.
My sense is that there’s some envy on behalf of their last two men, a wish that Pope Francis will disappoint and other people will turn ugly.
Now that conservatives and poor little rich Catholics are well known dissenters, I wouldn’t discount the notion that a few liberals, even if they do get discouraged by the Holy Father, will hold their tongues and pens just to let the Right steam a bit more over it all. After all, who else are we going to glom onto? I confess a guilty pleasure for cheap entertainment. Pope Francis would have to leave the Jesuits for the SSPX for me to give the man a thumbs down. And that’s not going to happen.
It’s time to get past the cults of celebrity and anti-celebrity. Or provide entertainment on the side.
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About catholicsensibility
Todd lives in Minnesota, serving a Catholic parish as a lay minister.