In Rob Rogers’ political cartoon in the March 24 New Haven Register, it shows Pope Francis with the caption “1st Latino Pope, 1st Jesuit Pope, 1st Francis Pope — 266th Conservative Pope.”
No doubt Rogers’ intention was to mock the intransigence of the Catholic Church on matters of doctrine, moral teachings, marriage, abortion, requirements for priesthood, etc. Yet faithful Catholics viewing that cartoon no doubt were reminded that for 2,000 years, when the Catholic Church sometimes was led by saintly popes, sometimes by evil popes, and sometimes by relatively mediocre popes, this Church never has wavered on its teachings, which it bases on the twin pillars of Bible and Patristic Tradition.
The secular media continues to express dismay that all indications suggest these unfashionable teachings will be upheld by Pope Francis. Thus it’s particularly appropriate for that secular sentiment to be expressed in a comic, since the notion that the Catholic Church will change these teachings—and thereby change its very identity — is, in fact, quite comical.
Christopher Schaefer
New Haven