IS IT RIGHT TO BLAME EVERYONE ELSE ABOUT THE REASON WHY SO MANY PEOPLE ARE AMBIVALENT IF NOT ANGRY AT POPE FRANCIS?

 

This poll which is a part of a longer article in Crux today is from Argentina, Pope Francis’ native country. This is what it discovered:

I will highlight in red below, some of what contributes to Argentina’s dismal attitude toward Pope Francis. Keep in mind, they knew him when he was the Cardinal Archbishop of Bueno Aires! 

According to a 2020 poll by the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), nine in ten Argentines affirm that their religiosity did not increase after the election of history’s first pope from the global south. Furthermore, 40 percent of Argentines are “completely indifferent” to the pope, and within this number, 32 percent of those who answered identify as Catholic. And 27 percent of the people think he’s too involved in politics instead of spiritual affairs.

Seeing these numbers, it comes as no surprise that the head of the Argentine bishops’ conference, Bishop Oscar Ojea of San Isidro, believes that two of the six challenges the local church faces for the coming years involve Pope Francis and his magisterium:

• The missionary challenge posed by Pope Francis Encyclical Evangelii Gaudium. Yet, Pope Francis seem to conflate proselytism inadequately used by him as an evil, something we shouldn’t do which seem to point to a “universalism” that is not a part of the perennial magisterium of the Church, in fact, universalism is considered a heresy. 
• The Synod on Synodality convoked by Pope Francis. The synod on synod appears to be to most Catholics an bizarre exercise in “self-referentialism” which Pope Francis has continued to condemn but now promotes. Many wonder if the Catholic Church will even be recognizable at the end of this process or leads to a process of “re-imagining” the Church in a way that no one wants to be a part of except the geeks of this movement.
• Accompanying the Social Magisterium of the Church. The Social teaching of the Church is what it is and there must be a concern for the poor. However, endorsing political movements that promote this, that and the other for the poor while also promoting population control by use of abortion and artificial means is ignored and Catholics who are vehemently pro-choice, like the current president and Speaker of the House are called “good Catholics” when seems to deny a significant element of the Church’s social teaching which is pro-life for the most innocent in our midst. 
• The Defense of life. The Pope is clear when he is but ambiguous when he is. He calls the president a good Catholic and then calls abortion homicide and hiring a hitman to kill a child. So being the hitman is comparable with being a good Catholic?
• Abuses in the Church. The pope’s track record on this has be dismal and only when he has gotten bad press, small crowds and serious condemnation does he react; think Chile and the debacle there. But there are many other examples and with some who are closest to him. 
• Gender ideology. New Ways ministry promotes homosexual fornication, mockery of the Sacrament of Marriage and gender ideology. A link to their ministry was removed from a Vatican website because the USCCB had condemned this “ministry” in 2010. However, it was revealed this weekend that Pope Francis had written a letter to this ministry praising them for accompanying active homosexuals and those who promote gender ideology. And by Monday (today) the Vatican official apologized to New Ways for removing the link. If the pope who thinks sexual sins aren’t serious thinks that, then gender ideology is no big deal—that’s what this debacle indicates. Ambiguity, confusion, mixed messages does not make for a great religious leader.