'The ten “sins” of Pope Francis and his legacy'. Utterly damning statement from progressives who supported him. Now they tell us!
A Church between disorientation and fears. The ten “sins” of Pope Francis and his legacy
The sudden passing of Pope Francis, a charismatic figure who had ignited hopes and imagination well beyond the confines of the Catholic Church, leaves behind a complex legacy and an ecclesial community marked by palpable disorientation and fears about the future. Although the Church is intrinsically a living and moving body, capable of evolving and adapting, the pontificate that has just ended has triggered dynamics that for many generate more concern than renewal.
Among the various reasons for this state of uncertainty, some critical areas that have marked Francis’ leadership stand out:
1. Inconsistency between Saying and Doing: Despite the strong emphasis on mercy, culminating in the extraordinary Holy Year, the Pontiff has often been perceived as anything but merciful towards opponents and critics. A prime example was his decision to exclude a cardinal from the Conclave while the Pope was seriously ill, depriving him of the right to defense and the presumption of innocence. Likewise, the image of a Pope who chose the sobriety of Casa Santa Marta clashes with the reality of an entire floor reserved for him and with the acceptance of gifts and presents that required ever-increasing space, in contradiction with his condemnation to the accumulation of earthly goods.
2. A Centralizing Personalism: The narrative of a pontificate in which everything seemed to revolve around the figure of Francis fueled the perception of a leader who tended to marginalize brilliant figures, preferring to surround himself with less competent collaborators to remain the sole protagonist. The practice of directly contacting friendly journalists to discredit opponents, often bypassing his close collaborators and the competent dicasteries, undermined trust in transparency and collegiality. This personalistic management of information, combined with a continuous turnover of “trusted journalists,” suggests a strategy aimed at maintaining exclusive control over the narrative.
3. A Deliberate Confusion: The tendency to “think clearly and speak obscurely,” as Francis liked to repeat, has often generated more chaos than clarity. According to some observers, this communicative ambiguity was functional to keeping the figure of the Pope at the center of the debate, in a dynamic of constant defense and attack. The management of the issue of the blessing of gay couples, with a text that required continuous explanations, denials and clarifications, is a clear example. This ambiguity has inevitably fueled questions about the interpretation of traditional doctrines and the boundaries of pastoral practice.
4. Shadows of Injustice: Some episodes, such as the controversial case of Cardinal Becciu, convicted before the conclusion of a trial whose rules were changed several times during the process, have raised doubts about the justice and transparency of Vatican procedures. Likewise, the seizure of confidential archives and documents has fueled a climate of fear and silence within the Curia.
5. Devaluation of Heritage: The management of the Church’s assets and symbols has raised concerns. The donation of precious relics of Saint Peter to the Patriarch of Constantinople, almost as if they were personal property, and the emptying of the Papal apartment of objects of historical and artistic value, with the perception of wanting to prevent successors from enjoying them, have been interpreted as gestures of devaluation of the Church’s heritage.
6. Questions of Morality: Some of the Pope’s choices regarding collaborators and his ambiguity on sensitive issues such as homosexuality have generated discomfort. Tolerance towards private behaviors of close collaborators in contrast with Catholic morality and the appointment of people known for certain tendencies to positions of responsibility have raised questions about the coherence between teaching and practice. Even the sharing of unorthodox jokes in formal contexts has caused scandal and embarrassment.
7. An Authoritarian Exercise of Power: The use of the supreme Petrine authority for matters perceived as personal, the issuing and subsequent annulment of decrees and decisions, and the failure to consult collaborators, often kept in the dark about important decisions, have outlined a picture of autocratic leadership. Fear of the Pope's reaction would have led many heads of department to an attitude of condescension and flattery.
8. An Apparent Spirituality: Despite the insistence on prayer and meditation, the Pope’s personal spiritual life was characterized by little dedication and distraction. The continuation of work and the reception of people even during spiritual retreats suggest a more theoretical than practical spirituality.
9. Doctrinal Ambiguity: The openness to dialogue with the contemporary world on ethically sensitive issues, while representing a necessary update for some, has generated in others the fear of a relativist drift and a secularization of doctrine.
10. An Instrumentalized Canon Law: The use of the reform of the Curia as a pretext to discredit and dismantle it, together with the narrative of a Pope who encounters resistance, has created uncertainty about the dynamics of power and the future governance of the Church. The different interpretations of pontifical documents such as “Amoris Laetitia” have further contributed to doctrinal confusion and a polarized debate.
In conclusion, the Pontificate of Francis leaves a Church in a delicate moment, divided between those who see in the changes an opportunity for renewal and those who fear a loss of identity and unity. The legacy of this Pope “who came from afar” is a minefield of interpretations and challenges that his successor will have to face with wisdom and discernment to recompose an ecclesial body marked by disorientation and fears. His successor – who must absolutely not be a participant in the current narrow situation – will have to rebuild trust, emanate moral authority, use clear and purely evangelical language, mend broken souls, learn to repeat every day: “He must increase and I must decrease”.
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