Pope Francis making snow angels. That was a cover of the New Yorker in December 2013. A coffee mug I picked up in Rome early in his pontificate shows him as a superhero, cape and all — you could trip over similar souvenirs in the Eternal City during his first years as pope. Georgetown University could have trademarked “the Francis Effect” by now; the phrase has been an ongoing theme on campus, guiding commentary on his impact on Rome and on the church globally. However you look at it, Pope Francis has gotten people’s attention.
But Captain Frank is much more complicated than the Latin American wind and great progressive hope the likes of Rolling Stone wanted him to be. While he has made sure a lot of what divides the church internally is out in the open for debate, where debate can be had — and even where it can’t. His supposed synodal approach seems to excite some ideologues and infuriate others, or outright bore them. Which, if there is a brilliance or inspiration about it, might be some of the point. Church leadership isn’t about one worldly side winning over another. It’s about authentically trying to figure out what God’s will is in the tradition of the church and to discern His guidance in real time. That’s where the Holy Spirit comes into play.
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