BREAKING NEWS: POPE FRANCIS I - Jorge Mario Bergoglio - Argentina

[DemPGH]

You know, if I were young, progressive, Catholic, and / or even a little bit secular, I think I would be having a bit of a crisis right now in regard to my religion. But yet it never happens. It's astounding. Well, maybe it just happens veeeeery slowly. And I would also be having a crisis over how flippantly the word "humble" is used to soften arch-conservatism and to describe someone who is moving into a palace of spectacular, stunning grandeur.

When I got home I turned on CNN and of course this was a stop-the-presses moment. Anderson Cooper was running around getting all these opinions from students and young people, supposedly the bright international types. As usual, Cooper was asking very good questions. Very basic questions about the Church's history, if there were any cardinals any of the folks wanted to see get it, any front-runners they wanted, why, and most importantly, how should the Church modernize.

Easy questions with easy answers. These young, bright, international folks stumbled over these questions in a way that had my jaw sitting on my chest. They had no freaking clue. I don't think there was a single direct answer other than "uhh . . . someone from my country." And then I realized that anyone who actually would answer these questions, or anyone who would say "someone really secular" is probably not at the Basilica to begin with. So it's a charade. Right when I turned on the TV Cooper had a few women (one US, one English, one French, I believe) on who were just pedantically going on and on about "pink smoke" and roles for women and "progressive cardinals." I thought, "Oh, not this again. Ladies, do not hold your breath, because you will need a deep one." I just hope that deep down they realize it.