A flashy Daily Beast article on bubbling Catholic dissatisfaction with Pope Francis declares, “There’s more than one Pope in town.” Conservative columnists Ross Douthat warns, “remember there is another pope still living!” These are just two examples: you can find others along the ideological spectrum.
There is only one pope and his name in Francis, whether people like him and the direction he is steering Roman Catholicism or not. Reporters, commentators, and academics should know better than to use the phrase “two popes.” This sloppy, ignorant, and irresponsible talk to drum up a good conflict story comes from both ends of the ideological spectrum.
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