So why do you think he has 'insight'?

Probably because he's well educated.

Onyx8 wrote:So why do you think he has 'insight'?

I think Francis is insightful. He seems to know what negative reactions to Catholicism are, bringing a level of organisational self-awareness that's been sorely lacking in the past. Whether he can change the direction of the Church, or whether he even wants to, is less clear.

What I've heard from my friend who observed him in action in Argentina as a cardinal is that the progressive talk wasn't just accompanied by a lack of ability to get progressive action, but often by rather ruthless anti-progressive deeds. Now granted that's from someone with very little time for the Catholic Church, but the image of a wolf in sheep's clothing was what I took away from it.

OlivierK wrote:

Onyx8 wrote:So why do you think he has 'insight'?

I think Francis is insightful. He seems to know what negative reactions to Catholicism are, bringing a level of organisational self-awareness that's been sorely lacking in the past. Whether he can change the direction of the Church, or whether he even wants to, is less clear.

What I've heard from my friend who observed him in action in Argentina as a cardinal is that the progressive talk wasn't just accompanied by a lack of ability to get progressive action, but often by rather ruthless anti-progressive deeds. Now granted that's from someone with very little time for the Catholic Church, but the image of a wolf in sheep's clothing was what I took away from it.

My Argentinian friend went a bit further with his dislike for Mister Popeman. Seems there were some priests who might have been helping out people that didn't like the dictatorship that went missing. And that Mister Popeman might have had some doing in that, as a way to keep the church safe.

I've heard similar things, and my friend is a from a family where human rights law, specifically as it relates to Argentinian dictatorships, was the family business.

OlivierK wrote:

Onyx8 wrote:So why do you think he has 'insight'?

I think Francis is insightful. He seems to know what negative reactions to Catholicism are, bringing a level of organisational self-awareness that's been sorely lacking in the past. Whether he can change the direction of the Church, or whether he even wants to, is less clear.

What I've heard from my friend who observed him in action in Argentina as a cardinal is that the progressive talk wasn't just accompanied by a lack of ability to get progressive action, but often by rather ruthless anti-progressive deeds. Now granted that's from someone with very little time for the Catholic Church, but the image of a wolf in sheep's clothing was what I took away from it.

The person I was asking re 'insight' was Puppy regarding his priest friend who he claims has 'insight' regarding the pope. I was asking why he (Puppy) thought the priest had this insight as opposed to anyone else who hasn't met the pope.

Your input and Darth's seems more credible as you are actually talking with people 'in the know' of the man himself.

I was in a protest when Benny the Rat visited Edinburgh. We got "kettled" by the cops behind some barriers to watch a frail old man in a bomb proof goldfish bowl drive by at a surprising speed. Maybe they sped up for that leg of the trip as they must have been informed where the protestors were.

An underwhelming if slightly surreal experience.