Six years ago, my wife and I spent some time in Italy. When we were in Rome, we hired a guide to take us through the Vatican. It was a wonderful experience. Our guide was an attractive young woman who obviously was a practicing Catholic.
Some time in the afternoon, after she had gotten to know us a little and probably had figured out that we were not on the Left, she cautiously asked me what I thought of Pope Francis. I said it was probably none of my business since I was not a Catholic, but for what it’s worth, I didn’t like him. I said he should stay out of politics, and particularly stay away from economics, about which he was entirely ignorant, and focus more on religion. She was circumspect, but obviously agreed with that assessment.
Francis was hostile to free enterprise. I think that likely was because he was from Argentina, and never had experienced a free economy. President Milei’s success there perhaps should have opened his eyes, but I don’t think it did.
Francis seemed to me to be a slave to left-wing fashion. His views on gender were trendy but in no way Biblical. His hostility to free enterprise was retrograde, and damaging to the extent it had any influence. And his constant advocacy for unrestrained illegal immigration did harm, by shoring up regimes and policies that were horrifically destructive.
I have no insight into papal politics, and no idea who might succeed Francis. In all likelihood, his successor will be an improvement. I think Francis hurt the Catholic Church, but that church has survived much worse, and it surely will survive Francis.
Pope Francis, RIP.
