James Carroll on Pope Francis: WHO AM I TO JUDGE?

WHO AM I TO JUDGE? is a masterful portrait of Pope Fran is for T!e "e# $or%er &' one of m' fa(orite aut!ors) olumnist James *arroll of t!e +oston Glo&e, T!ere is (er' little t!at *arroll !as #ritten t!at I #oul- not re ommen-, His profile of Pope Fran is an- t!e *at!oli *!ur ! is not an e. eption, Unli%e *arroll) a former *at!oli priest) I -o not !a(e a !i/! opinion of reli/ion) an' reli/ion) espe iall' *at!oli ism, Pope Fran is) !o#e(er) !as ta%en stan es of #!i ! I an support) a man in man' #a's after m' o#n !eart, Foremost is t!e name !e too% for !is papa ') #!i ! in itself sa's a lot a&out t!e man #!o sa's) I am alle- to put into pra ti e #!at I as% of ot!ers, T!ere is no &etter #a' of s!o#in/ t!e #a' for#ar- t!an lea-ers!ip t!at lea-s &' e.ample, Unli%e !is pre-e essors) Fran is -oes not !a(e a numeral a--e- after !is name, T!at0s &e ause !e is t!e first pope #!o !as ta%en t!e name, T!e pope too% t!e name to !onor 1t, Fran is of Assisi) #!o #al%e- a#a' from !is famil'0s #ealt! an- lifest'le) an- instea- &on-e- #it! t!e lepers) t!e poor an- t!e -estitute, An- !o# a&out t!is) Fran is sa's t!at !e #oul- li%e to see 2 a *!ur ! #!i ! is poor an- for t!e poor, "o# if t!at #ere to !appen it #oul- trul' &e somet!in/ to &e!ol-, Fran is0 stan e on !omose.ualit') t!e en(ironment) t!e moralit' of apitalism) e onomi 3usti e) an- !is support for t!e poor is e. eptional, It #ill &e 4uite a !an/e for man' tra-itional *at!oli s to a ept, I parti ularl' li%e !is ans#er to a 3ournalist #!o as%e- a&out /a' ler/', Fran is response) W!o am I to 3u-/e ot!er people in t!is onte.t? W!o am I to 3u-/e t!e #a' ot!er people li(e? W!o am I to &e passin/ 3u-/ment? T!is is an interestin/ papal response, As *arroll sa's) $ou0re t!e Pope5 If 'ou an0t 3u-/e) #!o an? In anot!er onte.t Fran is sai-) T!in/s from t!e !eart

-on0t !a(e an e.planation, It0s an a-mission t!at !e -oesn0t !a(e all t!e ans#ers, 6e/ar-in/ apitalism an- t!e en(ironment) an issue t!at is trul' at t!e enter of m' !eart) !e sa's) In t!is s'stem) #!i ! ten-s to -e(our e(er't!in/ #!i ! stan-s in t!e #a' of in reaseprofits) #!ate(er is fra/ile) li%e t!e en(ironment) is -efenseless &efore t!e interests of a -eifiemar%et) #!i ! &e omes t!e onl' rule, Ine4ualit' e(entuall' en/en-ers a (iolen e #!i ! re ourse to arms annot an- ne(er #ill &e a&le to resol(e, As a mana/er) one of m' tas%s #as to implement !an/e, It0s omple. an- -iffi ult) an- t!ere are man' !allen/es, One of t!e /reater !allen/es is to o(er ome t!e !uman trait to resist !an/e, T!at means t!e /reatest !allen/e is !an/in/ attitu-es an- reatin/ an un-erstan-in/ t!at !an/e is a ne essar' e(olutionar' pro ess) an- one #it!out en-, Pope Fran is learl' un-erstan-s t!ese !allen/es, As Pope Fran is sai-) T!e first reform must &e t!e attitu-e, Man' t!in% t!at !an/es an- reforms an ta%e pla e in a s!ort time, I &elie(e t!at #e al#a's nee- time to la' t!e foun-ations for real) effe ti(e !an/e, An- t!is is t!e time of -is ernment, 1ometimes -is ernment instea- ur/es us to -o pre isel' #!at 'ou !a- at first t!ou/!t 'ou #oul-o later, *arroll alls Fran is a ra-i al, To &e a ra-i al is a /oo- t!in/) &e ause sta/nan ' an- ompla en ' #ill not !an/e ine4ualit' or mo(e t!e interest of t!e #ealt!') t!e *!ur !) reli/ion) politi s) or so iet' in a -ire tion it nee-s to /o, Pope Fran is impresses me as a man #!o #ill #al% t!e tal%, Per!aps 77 3ust per!aps 77 !is lea-ers!ip #ill !a(e suffi ient impa t to spur ot!ers to follo#in/ !im in !is ommitment to &uil-in/ a &etter #orl-,