Fortune Magazine just published a list of the 50 Greatest World Leaders. On top of that list is Pope Francis.
I believe Pope Francis has done great good by emphasizing love, mercy, and charity. I know that the media adoration stems from expectations that can never be filled but it’s still good that the world recognizes a call towards love. Much of the world is confused about what love entails but they still recognize the call.
Fortune writes:
Just over a year ago, a puff of white smoke announced the new spiritual leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics around the world. In the brief time since, Francis has electrified the church and attracted legions of non-Catholic admirers by energetically setting a new direction. He has refused to occupy the palatial papal apartments, has washed the feet of a female Muslim prisoner, is driven around Rome in a Ford Focus, and famously asked “Who am I to judge?” with regard to the church’s view of gay members. He created a group of eight cardinals to advise him on reform, which a church historian calls the “most important step in the history of the church for the past 10 centuries.” Francis recently asked the world to stop the rock-star treatment. He knows that while revolutionary, his actions so far have mostly reflected a new tone and intentions. His hardest work lies ahead. And yet signs of a “Francis effect” abound: In a poll in March, one in four Catholics said they’d increased their charitable giving to the poor this year. Of those, 77% said it was due in part to the Pope.
I think that if you looked at the media coverage, the Pope’s Ford Focus gets more good press than any other vehicle since Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I think Pope Francis’ Ford Focus is mentioned only slightly less than the words “Hitler Youth” were used in association with Pope Benedict XVI.
March 20, 2014 at 4:35 pm
Wait till they find out he wants to make Benedict more meaningful.
March 20, 2014 at 5:51 pm
What did Our Lord say about when the world speaks well of us?
March 20, 2014 at 6:26 pm
I agree with Laurence. The Pope is supposed to be a sign of opposition and contradict no? Is not that what Jesus himself says? As you see from the article they used his famous Who AM I to Judge which he used again for the second time. Forbes is not lauding him for I believe good reasons.
March 20, 2014 at 8:53 pm
Please think this through. By asserting that the only thing we need to do is to pray, you are negating the corporeal works of mercy, among a multitude of other actions that we should, as thinking, acting Catholics, do.
March 20, 2014 at 9:58 pm
Pope Francis teaches Truth, just as Pope Benedict does. The popular press ignores all this, and projects its own vanities.
March 21, 2014 at 1:16 am
I'm not disagreeing about the corporal works of mercy being done for him. I am saying praying is the best route, IMO. This pope has been criticized and attacked both from the left and the right since he became pope. And some things are just downright hateful. He was barely pope when the attacks began. We have to trust in God that this Pope and other popes do the will of God. And not only that, who are we to say we are so wonderful that we can throw the first stone at the poor man? Everyone makes mistakes. He never was pope before and has probably learned a lot since being selected. If the Holy Spirit picked him, then we have no business criticizing or attack him. He is God's chosen vicar. Being uncharitable in our words is not going to solve anything. But prayer will. And if people have a gripe with the pope, send him a personal letter and air out your grievance with him. That would be the best way to do it. That is what St. Catherine of siena did – she did not make her letters public. It was between her and the pope of that time.
March 21, 2014 at 2:59 am
Interesting theory and maybe it is saying more about all the others world leaders than Pope Francis?
March 21, 2014 at 5:13 am
The editors at fortune mag need a dribble cup. They need to take a dump or get off the commode.
This is their idea of a coming to Jesus moment? The hardest work is yet ahead?
Lemme' give a little "enlightened" insight to your limited and very narrow minded, glowing admonition to Pope Francis. Hoping he's your kinda man, huh? Eventually, gonna' convince the rest of the Church to "lighten" up by dumbing down on certain dogmas and standards? Maybe let a few keys slip off the ring?
Not likely…but keep blowing those soap bubbles, your working up quite a lather. It'll help clean some of the accumalated gunk off of the times when your mag should have been more diligent. Whole sale massacres of Christians in this century around the world and the "new normal" of religious oppression that is going on in the US right now!
March 22, 2014 at 2:15 am
This does not address the points I made; and is incoherent. We are not concerned here with opinions or who likes whom, but with the objective Faith and morals which is unchanging, and which Catholics have the duty to defend.
March 22, 2014 at 2:23 am
No, that is patently erroneous. There are circumstances where the deposit of Faith and morals is threatened when it would be sinful to remain silent. Read Robert de Mattei's letter to Fr Livio Fanzaga for a succinct instructive explanation.
March 23, 2014 at 9:36 pm
IMHO while I see Francis is doing good things in the Church as far as charitable giving he is still not clearly articulating what he means and this is why the media still love him and giving him all of these honorable Magazine covers. Like it or not from the Vatican's own survey to the Pew questionnaire the majority of Catholics expect him to change most of the Churches teaching and of he does not like Paul VI they may as well as the Media turn on him like that did Paul after the Council.
March 25, 2014 at 1:37 pm
I believe in respecting the papal office. But to put the Pope beyond public criticism is dangerous. Aside from his God given infallibility on faith and morals, he's like any other man. It is asking Catholics to be like groupies in a religious cult to never question a leader. I was in one years ago, so I know what I'm talking about. Michael Voris means well, but his 'defense' of the Pope will do more harm than good for the Church. He's basically asking Catholics to act like the unthinking cult member I was years ago. Everything he has said in his video's I heard years ago in the cult I was in. I can't judge MV's motives, but his actions, especially attacking his Catholic
March 27, 2014 at 5:02 am
Sooooooo Fortune magazine decides Pope Francis is the world's greatest leader? Laughing so hard, I have to go back to rest. My mom always told me to "consider the source" in all things.
ok let's start this again. Fortune magazine decides… laughing even.harder..SMH … This is crazy.
March 30, 2014 at 10:12 pm
Honestly…I am so sad that you all end up arguing about our faith. About our being catholics. We are all entitled to our own opinion, I do respect that. Reading all your God- given intellect and wisdom, I am so amazed and can only wish Im intelligent as all of you. Forgive me with my wee brain to butt in, but I just realized what are happening in catholic faith right now are exactly what has been foretold in Our Lady's Apparition in La Sallette, Fatima and Akita. Do you all think that if only the Pope of 1960 and his successors with all their love and obedient to God, To Our Lady read the letter from Sister Lucia instructed to her By Our Lady have prevented all of these? Where are we heading now?