Frank Bruni has an excellent column on Pope Francis in today's NY Times. Here are two snippets:
If you’re going to define yourself in opposition to a predecessor whom many people had misgivings about, go all the way. Francis is the Bill de Blasio to Benedict’s Michael Bloomberg, doing a complete semiotic overhaul. Less investment in festive footwear, more in the washing of other people’s feet. He’s not telling priests to stop being priests, any more than de Blasio is telling the police to stop being the police. He’s just urging them to tamp down the brusqueness and bullying. No more theological stop-and-frisk.
He does have a way with words. Here's the other:
“Who am I to judge?” he said. This, from a pope, is like Streisand saying, “Who am I to sing?” It’s a bit of self-effacement that you never saw coming.
How can you not love this guy? No, not Francis -- Frank Bruni. I think of him as a civilized version of Matt Taibbi.
Happy Sunday, everyone. Now remember, don't go to church.
That's the worst thing a person can do on a Sunday. It sullies the day.
Instead, go out and enjoy your life, maybe blaspheme a bit. But read Bruni's column first. You'll be glad you did.
