Pope Francis Derangement Syndrome

Various commentators have claimed that there is a "Trump Derangement Syndrome." Those suffering from this "syndrome" hate President Trump. They focus on what they regard as bad things he's done, and indeed seemingly give a negative spin to everything he does.

And the media, which he has repeatedly attacked, has stoked the fires with misreporting, bias, and outright lies.

Now I do admit I disagree with a number of things that Trump has said or done, but I'm also willing to admit when he is right. Of course, the minute I defend him in any way, or seek to refute misinformation about him, those suffering from TDS go after me.

I see a similar tendency toward negativity among some people toward Pope Francis. He is attacked, called a heretic, a bad Pope, and so on. There seems to be a Pope Francis Derangement Syndrome.

Part of the problem is misreporting in the media. He also has a tendency to speak off the cuff, which lends itself to misunderstanding. He does lack the poetic eloquence of Pope St. John Paul II, and the academic verbal precision of Pope Benedict XVI. And his focus is more pastoral than theological.

Sometimes he merits questions, even criticism, but the attacks, the snide comments, cross the line.

Here's a couple of examples:

This is what is so disturbing about Francis. His willingness to take something that is sacred and turn it into something that profaned God. A Jesuit should never have been made pope. The S in SJ, stands for Satan. SJ is Satan's Jesuits.
 
                 
I think Pope Francis as a Jesuit should clarify whetehr (sic) he supports the views of these leading Jesuit schools. Will he make a statement? I don't believe he will, because he doesn't seem to want to provide leadership for the Catholic flock.


It is now clear to all objective observers that the two “synods on the family”, held in 2014 and 2015, were intended from the beginning to try to force changes in Catholic teaching on marriage and the family. The process culminated in the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, promulgated by Pope Francis in April 2016, which contains numerous heretical proposition.


Faithful Catholics must prepare themselves for the inevitable escalation of this new assault on the Church, in which her own ill-catechised and malformed youth will be used against her. Those who control the mechanisms of power in the Vatican have given ample of proof of the extent to which they will go to spread their own perverted and distorted “gospel”, in the place of the true gospel revealed once and for all by Our Lord Jesus Christ.

I try to be more Franciscan in my approach. As Pope, he deserves respect.

St. Francis in his Admonitions talked about respect for clergy, even those guilty of sin.

"26. That the Servants of God should honor Clerics.

Blessed is the servant of God who exhibits confidence in clerics who live uprightly according to the form of the holy Roman Church. And woe to those who despise them: for even though they [the clerics] may be sinners, nevertheless no one ought to judge them, because the Lord Himself reserves to Himself alone the right of judging them. For as the administration with which they are charged, to wit, of the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which they receive and which they alone administer to others—is greater than all others, even so the sin of those who offend against them is greater than any against all the other men in this world."

I think that Admonition is something more of us needs to heed when it comes to Pope Francis.

Pax et bonum