John Allen writes good, really really good. Gooder than I. Go read this and anything else he writes. If that makes me a fanboy then a fanboy I will be. A Catholigeek fanboy of John Allen. Ive heard him make this case before, but it bears repeating: Under Benedict XVI, a crackdown on a theologian would get widespread media play because it fit the narrative of a stern, conservative leader cracking heads. Francis, however, isn’t framed in those terms. Instead, he’s seen as a maverick populist and a reformer. Calling a theologian to task doesn’t fit the storyline, and therefore probably wouldn’t draw the same level of coverage and commentary. In terms of media reaction, in other words, the Amaladoss situation hints at a key difference in perceptions. Under Benedict, the working assumption was that everything people didn’t like about the Church was because of the pope; under Francis, it’s that everything they don’t like is in spite of the pope. But its all about continuity folks. There isnt the level of dichotomy that folks want to project here. Lots of people are fans of both Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. And as a both/and Church, we can embrace both.
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 20:25:35 +0000
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