Friday, March 22, 2013


Pope Francis: An Astute Political Participant

Posted by Jane M. Snyder on Thursday, 21 March 2013  in The Catholic Association Blog
Daniel Henninger poses a great question in yesterday’s print edition of The Wall Street Journal when he asks, “Why does the Pope fascinate the world?”  Indeed, Pope Benedict's resignation and the selection of Pope Francis has captured the attention of the world to an unprecedented degree.  


Despite the popular perception of a divided Church under siege, Henninger notes, “Across the globe, the papacy draws on a 2,000-year-old reservoir of institutional loyalty.  The challenge for any pope in our times is to choose where and how to deploy such power.” 


Henninger concludes with this assessment: “The pope has a political base ... Give Francis space to get his bearings.  The world in time will discover an astute political participant.”


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