You mean we can criticize Pope Francis?

Wow, I never imagined.  In a splendid piece over at Crux, we’re reminded that it’s actually OK to disagree with the Pope.  Sure, if the Pope says there is a God and you object, it might be time to consider rethinking your faith walk.  But not everything the Pope says is ex cathedra, and not every person who disagrees with the Pope is a Church hating, Jesus hating heretic.

That’s not to say there aren’t those who disagree with Pope Francis who need to work out some issues. But it is to say that whether bishops, priests or laypeople, we can actually differ with the Pope.  We can look at what the Pope says and disagree.  And we can do so while still loving Jesus and following Church teaching.

The funny part about this is the people who are suddenly outraged at anyone who criticizes Pope Francis.  The media and progressives all of a sudden seem to have this notion that a proper Catholic falls completely in line with the pope and does nothing other than pledge allegiance to anything and everything the pontiff says.  As the article rightly points out, that would be the same ones who all but lionized critics and rebels who constantly stood against previous popes like JPII and Benedict XVI.

But that’s not something new.  Just like after 12 years of fighting, clawing, blocking, attacking, stalling and obstructing Reagan and Bush, progressives and the media turned on a dime and said it was time to put all that partisanship behind us.  The year was 1992.  No doubt a cosmic coincidence.

So given the track record of those who are now saying the pope must be worshiped and obeyed, it might be time for people to realize their opinions on the matter are not worth that much.  In the end, within limits, a Catholic of good faith and love of Christ can actually disagree with the pope.  And if you think this is a radical concept, just ask the Apostle Paul for a second opinion.