If he had only waited a few years (and, I guess, not died) he could have blamed it on AI. There has been a whole lot of news in the last week. So there was not the coverage there otherwise might have been about the discovery of proof that the late Pope Francis was lying through his teeth when he announced four years ago next week that the world’s bishops hated the Latin Mass.
It might be possible, please hear me out, that there is some aspect of the new Pope, Leo XIV, more important than whether he roots for the Cubs or the White Sox, as needful of divine intervention as those two teams tend to be.
When Pope Francis passed away, some people asked me for an evaluation of his pontificate. A few days have passed since. Our Catholic friends finished their mourning period, and the conclave starts tomorrow, so now I think it’s the right time to share my thoughts.
Pope Francis has died. We should all pray for his eternal rest and that perpetual light shine upon him, as we should for everyone who leaves this life, both as a spiritual work of mercy and in hope that having reached Heaven, in part through our prayers, he will intercede for us.