Chateau Lloyd

The news this morning that Pope Francis passed away seemed oddly fitting given all that has been going on.  I imagine that he held on for one more Paschal Feast and, with the task accomplished, shrugged off the mortal coil.

He brought enthusiasm and chaos to the Catholic Church, and it seemed inevitable that a quieter, more consistent candidate will be chosen to succeed him.

For all the problems he caused, the Church is growing, vocations are up, and there is a real possibility that the schisms between Rome, the Copts and the Easter Orthodox may well be resolved.  Certainly, I think there is more sympathy for a less authoritarian papacy, and some sort of stricture may well be enough to resolve long-standing disputes.

Papal politics are famously opaque, but one gets a sense that Francis' turbulent tenure has been exhausting.  Even his liberal allies in the College of Cardinals have to be breathing a sigh of relief that there will be no more off-hand statements that require a careful walk back.

And that's really all the Church needs at this point.