I’m Running for Pope

I do fit the profile of what the post-Francis Church needs. This is not a particular criticism of the late pontiff, who was often misunderstood by his conservative critics. Francis was actually fairly conservative … for a Jesuit. Sure, he invoked the nebulous term “social justice” more than anyone since the infamous Father Charles Coughlin, but Francis deserves credit for putting climate change (ne global warming) where it can be properly discussed—among matters of faith. And if the ordered removal of a crucifix adorning the podium where the Holy Father addressed Muslim-majority migrants in Malta in 2022 constituted a denial of Christ, Francis is still two denials behind his predecessor St. Peter.