I
IWantGod
Guest
Pope Francis fights against climate change and he doesn’t scorn people for their moral differences. I get the sense that he is accepting of all people.
- Status
T
TheTrinitySaves
Guest
Its subject to personal opinion.
S
StephieNorthCo
Guest
You’re likely to get a bunch of mixed opinions.
I find him to be a breath of fresh air, but that’s my own opinion.
Blessings,
Stephie
I find him to be a breath of fresh air, but that’s my own opinion.
Blessings,
Stephie
M
mVitus
Guest
Well I know Fr. Ruggero has mentioned a few times how he thanks God for Pope Francis. Now whether that’s because he holds Pope Francis in high regard amongst popes or if it’s from his general respect for the Holy See, I’m not sure.
But as you mentioned, Pope Francis is pretty awesome with how he lives the Gospel. In my lifetime, he’s special, but I also wasn’t really reading the prior two popes in my lifetime all that much. So overall, I like him being pope, but the question of best will have many others vying for it like Pope Peter and Pope John Paul II among others.
But as you mentioned, Pope Francis is pretty awesome with how he lives the Gospel. In my lifetime, he’s special, but I also wasn’t really reading the prior two popes in my lifetime all that much. So overall, I like him being pope, but the question of best will have many others vying for it like Pope Peter and Pope John Paul II among others.
T
thephilosopher6
Guest
There are pros and cons to him. While he is very much a “Pope of mercy,” he has and continues to make questionable statements in regards to Catholic doctrine.
G
Gertabelle
Guest
I think of Pope Francis the same way as I think of the pastors at my parish.
Each one has been unique in their personalities, their emphases, their overall style.
Each one has taught me something valuable that I carry with me long after they’ve moved on.
“Best” probably isn’t a word I would use to differentiate the popes, the saints, my own pastors. Each one brings a beautiful gift from God.
Each one has been unique in their personalities, their emphases, their overall style.
Each one has taught me something valuable that I carry with me long after they’ve moved on.
“Best” probably isn’t a word I would use to differentiate the popes, the saints, my own pastors. Each one brings a beautiful gift from God.
T
TheTrinitySaves
Guest
I would caution you not to make disrespectful statements about our current pope.
M
Mary_Estelle
Guest
As Pope Francis is still in his papacy it is really not a time to say if he is the best or will be thought of as the ‘best’ in the future. I do like him a lot, but as far as best-I will go with John Paul, a man of our times. Most Popes can be thought of as ‘best’ as they all have contributed to our church. Peace.
U
Usige
Guest
While the Holy Father is not the worse Pope by any stretch I also wouldn’t say he is “the best“, or even in the top 10. Our last two popes are arguable the greatest papal philosopher (St John Paul II) and theologian {Benedict XVI) in recent memory. We also have Popes Leo XIII and Pius XI from modern era popes that I think have had much longer and lasting impacts on the Church. Only time will tell if Pope Francis has the same lasting impact on the faith. He certainly has left his finger prints on the papcy, but I don’t know that in 100-200 years that people will hold him as a watershed that changed the Church or gave us a greater understanding of Christ than some of his predecessors.
Personally I’m not really sure what the attributes listed in the original post have to do with making someone a great Pope. The papacy is about leading us to heaven. While there is nothing inherently wrong with environmental protection or being accepting of people, neither of those things, in of themselves, lead people closer to God either. There are plenty of atheists that accept everyone and care for the environment, but theirs is focused on earthly life with no care for eternal life with God. Without implicit linkage how theses things lead us toward God they fall in the “that’s nice category”. I’m not saying that Pope Francis doesn’t make that linkage, but admiration of him as a Pope should go beyond merely liking the things he does that an atheist does as well. If someone said they admired his concern for the poor or pastoral outreach as leading people closer to Christ then I would agree that those are admirable traits of a pope.
For me it seems many are drawn to an emotional appeal; “Pope Francis a swell guy, certainly not like that last guy“. A great pope to me is one that grows your faitb even if you are not personally drawn to him. I was not Catholic when Benedict XVI ascended to the Chair of St Peter. In fact I did not care for him at first… but then I started to read his writings and gained a love of the Truth held and taught by the Church that I became Catholic despite my initial dislike of who I thought he was. I later came to love him, but my love grew from his deep love of the faith and Church. I did not come to the Church because of cult of personality, but rather because Benedict XVI, St JP the Great, and other popes where lights that pointed the way to Christ.
Personally I’m not really sure what the attributes listed in the original post have to do with making someone a great Pope. The papacy is about leading us to heaven. While there is nothing inherently wrong with environmental protection or being accepting of people, neither of those things, in of themselves, lead people closer to God either. There are plenty of atheists that accept everyone and care for the environment, but theirs is focused on earthly life with no care for eternal life with God. Without implicit linkage how theses things lead us toward God they fall in the “that’s nice category”. I’m not saying that Pope Francis doesn’t make that linkage, but admiration of him as a Pope should go beyond merely liking the things he does that an atheist does as well. If someone said they admired his concern for the poor or pastoral outreach as leading people closer to Christ then I would agree that those are admirable traits of a pope.
For me it seems many are drawn to an emotional appeal; “Pope Francis a swell guy, certainly not like that last guy“. A great pope to me is one that grows your faitb even if you are not personally drawn to him. I was not Catholic when Benedict XVI ascended to the Chair of St Peter. In fact I did not care for him at first… but then I started to read his writings and gained a love of the Truth held and taught by the Church that I became Catholic despite my initial dislike of who I thought he was. I later came to love him, but my love grew from his deep love of the faith and Church. I did not come to the Church because of cult of personality, but rather because Benedict XVI, St JP the Great, and other popes where lights that pointed the way to Christ.
B
Beryllos
Guest
Define best.
B
brian_custer
Guest
since this all about opinion
imo, Pope Francis is a very unsatisfactory Pope…
this post would’ve gotten me banned before the mods abandoned ship…
imo, Pope Francis is a very unsatisfactory Pope…
this post would’ve gotten me banned before the mods abandoned ship…
M
Mary_Estelle
Guest
I’m a mod, I’m a mod! No, I’m not. As you really didn’t say anything bad about Pope Francis, I see no harm in your opinion. Time and history will prevail. Peace.
P
pnewton
Guest
The statement seemed to be made with respect. There really have been some questions asked about his statements, though I we are foolish not to realize that most of the controversy is media driven.
For my part, I am biased toward St. John Paul the Great, though I do not doubt that Pope Francis is the perfect man for this time, and pretty awesome in his own right.
U
Usige
Guest
Unfortunately there are some that see anything less than gushing praise as derogatory. I know some people like that who utterly rejected Benedict XVI, mocked his red shoes and leap with joy when he stepped down. They seem to miss the irony in their opinions of what is and isn’t derogatory.
Last edited:
B
brian_custer
Guest
ok, guy; the mods have abandoned ship; yet " trinity" “cautions” posters to slant their personal opinions in favor of a Pope many many find unsatisfactory
what will “trinity” do if one more anti-Francis opinion is posted? : shut down the board…?
T
thephilosopher6
Guest
Disrespectful? I can’t voice my opinion?
F
Flonkette
Guest
I don’t know if I would use the word best, or imply any other Pope’s were less than best or that Pope Francis is better than any of the others. But in my lifetime I would have to say that Pope Francis , to me, seems the most approachable Pope and that is comforting.
In that I mean if I were to have a chance to meet him face to face, I feel that I would be able to communicate with him a lot better than other Popes. I would not feel intimidated or unworthy, or even judged. There is something about him that I find very calming and caring and somehow understanding in a way that I haven’t before felt.
I feel a very strong sense of love in him, that, while it was not vacant in other Popes, it feels stronger to me, or I can somehow relate to it better. But I think of him as the Holy Father, and it feels much deeper than I ever recall feeling about a Pope. I really feel he has made a stronger impact on me than other Popes have.
In that I mean if I were to have a chance to meet him face to face, I feel that I would be able to communicate with him a lot better than other Popes. I would not feel intimidated or unworthy, or even judged. There is something about him that I find very calming and caring and somehow understanding in a way that I haven’t before felt.
I feel a very strong sense of love in him, that, while it was not vacant in other Popes, it feels stronger to me, or I can somehow relate to it better. But I think of him as the Holy Father, and it feels much deeper than I ever recall feeling about a Pope. I really feel he has made a stronger impact on me than other Popes have.
B
Beryllos
Guest
We could talk about opinions. 
We could talk about popes.
We could talk about the Church.
We could talk about forum rules.
We could talk about each other.
We could talk about popes.
We could talk about the Church.
We could talk about forum rules.
We could talk about each other.
C
Crusaderbear
Guest
I agree with Stepherz!
He is the duly elected Pope of the current time, that should be enough.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
I’m not really interested in playing competitive Popemon to see “who’s best”. Or, if I have to pick a “best Pope”, I’ll go with St. Peter as the safe choice. We’ve had lots of saintly Popes over the centuries and I’m not even familiar with them all yet. (I plan to read Eamon Duffy’s Pope book “when I have time” which puts it on a queue with about 100 other things I am going to get to “when I have time”.)
Pope Francis seems like a good holy man. He cares about the poor and the powerless. He preaches love for all people and he tries to be inclusive of all people. He appears to set a good moral example and has not been involved in any scandals. He also seems friendly and warm and kind. And God has picked him at this particular moment to fill the Papal chair. That’s good enough for me.
Pope Francis seems like a good holy man. He cares about the poor and the powerless. He preaches love for all people and he tries to be inclusive of all people. He appears to set a good moral example and has not been involved in any scandals. He also seems friendly and warm and kind. And God has picked him at this particular moment to fill the Papal chair. That’s good enough for me.
- Status