Same Shit, Different Day

A few days after Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI helicoptered away from the Vatican, old men in dresses gathered in the Sistine Chapel to admire the artwork and vote on his replacement.

It didn't take long before a winner emerged.  A 76-year-old Argentinian cardinal with his roots in Italy, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected.  He chose the name Francisco as his Papal name, so he shall heretofore be known as Pope Francis I.

There was much excitement especially considering he was the first Jesuit to be elected and the first Pope from the Americas to have gotten the nod.

However, lest one think he's about to revolutionize the thinking of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, let us remember his recent words regarding homosexuality.

He has affirmed church teaching on homosexuality, though he teaches the importance of respecting individuals who are homosexual. He strongly opposed legislation introduced in 2010 by the Argentine Government to allow same-sex marriage, calling it a "real and dire anthropological throwback". In a letter to the monasteries of Buenos Aires, he wrote: "Let's not be naive, we're not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God. We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God." He has also insisted that adoption by homosexuals is a form of discrimination against children.

No doubt he is a humble man with a keen interest in the poor.  Good luck to him.