Is Pope Francis the best Pope we ever had?

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Well, I was born in '79 so I’ve experienced 3 popes… jp2 is the best I’ve experienced. He helped take down communism, a bigger threat.

Climate change is not a threat. We used to call that weather.
 
thephilosopher6 said:
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.
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I have to agree with this. Sometimes the media runs with his words to present a view they would like to present and he seems to be unaware that that will happen, so there is a bit of that.

If I had to choose “the best Pope we ever had” in my lifetime that are known to me :), I would have to choose JPII, but I’m not sure what is the point, really.
 
pnewton said:
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.
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👍👍

Agreed.
 
I could, if I wanted, poke at St. Pope JPII for not doing enough to address the clergy sex abuse scandals and for allowing some clergy who were committing very bad acts to continue in positions of power.

I would prefer not to poke at him though as he did many good things also. Popes are human; they are not perfect. With respect to matters like devotions and world affairs, he was a wonderful Pope. He got the Divine Mercy un-suppressed, promoted devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, publicly forgave his own assassin.
 
These kinds of comparisons are ok for light discussion I suppose, but for me, it comes down to trusting The Holy Spirit. I believe God gives us what we need, when we need it, so for this particular point in Church history, Francis is the best pope.
 
Personally, I believe the last truly great Pope was Benedict XV (1914-1922)
 
For me the best Pope was Peter. Best Pope in my life time is JPII. :twocents:
 
Some popes are Saints (JPII) so he’s not the “best”, but I definitely like Pope Francis. I like most popes.
 
EricF said:
These kinds of comparisons are ok for light discussion I suppose, but for me, it comes down to trusting The Holy Spirit. I believe God gives us what we need, when we need it, so for this particular point in Church history, Francis is the best pope.
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Agreed.
 
Gertabelle said:
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.
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👍 Right. While we’re at it, let’s all evaluate who is the best child we ever had and the best parent we ever had. 😛

The expectations for a pope are astronomically huge. It would be unrealistic to expect any one man to perfectly fulfill each of those expectations. I think it’s great that each pope (at least in my lifetime) brings something unique to the table. I don’t feel like I have to rank them in terms of which one is “best.” I may have one that’s my favorite. I may think one of them did a better job in one area while another did a better job in another area. But, by and large, I think the most productive way to look at it is to look for what God is trying to teach us through the current pope.
 
IWantGod said:
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.
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As the kids say, “The Pope is dope!” 👍👍👍
 
I think this question is a moot point since Pope Francis is still living. It remains to be seen what his legacy will be.
 
You can and I’m not suggesting you should be banned for your post.

I’m simply referring that is highly disrespectful to refer to our holy leader as unsatisfactory
 
Having only returned to the Catholic Church two years ago, he’s the only Pope I’ve really experienced, so I can’t make a good judgement.
 
I strongly disagree with his political opinions. His papacy is reminiscent of the Obama presidency. Both have or had a certain rockstar appeal, both are beloved by the left, and both are rather prone to making some very controversial remarks.

He is still my Pope and if he speaks ex cathedra, I will listen.
 
“There will true glory be, where no one will be praised by mistake or flattery; true honor will not be refused to the worthy, nor granted to the unworthy; likewise, no one unworthy will pretend to be worthy, where only those who are worthy will be admitted.” (St. Augustine, CCC 2550)
 
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