Francis’s Tumultuous Pontificate

The pontificate of Pope Francis has been a tempestuous affair these last dozen years, to say the least. There has been much controversy. There have been many disappointments. And it would be hard to argue that some of the blame for the quarrels and squabbles does not rest, at least in part, with the recently departed Holy Father.

We ought not be surprised by that, however; Pope Francis, though he possessed a holy and sacred office, was a man. He made mistakes. He sinned. At times, he may have even acted obstinately, unwisely, or unjustly — just like the rest of us.