I know it is too early to speak ill of the dead, but I've been struck by the over-the-top coverage of the death of Pope Francis. I don't remember the media doing this for Benedict XVI, or Pope John Paul, both infinitely better pontiffs.

My suspicion is this publicity is not a sign of a greater enthusiasm for Christianity, but that this Pope was more closely aligned with the secular world than previous Popes - the adulation is not because he was a good Christian, but because he wasn't.

I'm not a Catholic, although I went to Catholic schools so have as deep an understanding of that faith as most of its adherents, and like many Protestants I don't support its worship of saints, various doctrines, including, but not limited to, indulgences, or its history of corruption.

But until this Pope, I've always admired that whatever the rights and wrongs of their position, the church has been prepared to defend it, unlike my own denomination, the Anglicans.

Yet, despite outwardly wearing the robes of Christianity, Francis degraded it from within. As Mark Steyn said this morning:

"On almost all the issues I care about - from free speech to the Falkland Islands, climate change to the Islamisation of Europe - His Holiness was on the other side, and mostly for shallow and meretricious reasons. Given the remorseless decay in the heart of Christendom during these years, his papacy has to be accounted a terrible failure at a time when the Church could least afford it." http://www.steynonline.com/15235/of-pontiffs-and-poseurs.

My grandmother was a stern Methodist. She thought the Pope was the anti-Christ. It's not a position I would agree with in general, but in this specific case I think she was close to the mark. No wonder Vanity Fair is giving him so much coverage.

Worst Pope ever: an interfering old ratbag lefty. Let's hope they get it right with the next one; not that it matters much these days.

Yes, we can't have these lardy-dardy Popes caring about the poor, the weak, the down trodden, the lame, the forgotten. It just wont do, will it Graham, its not Christian when it don't suit your particular political mantra. Of course his biggest "sin" was he cared about people, and he probably never voted for the LNP as well!

The media is only in overdrive because Frank pandered to the queers etc. I'd expect no less from Paul1405 than to praise him !
The next Pope will most likely be a transgender Jamaican woman in a wheel chair !

Graham,

Your problem with Pope Francis isn’t theological - it’s political. Are you saying a “real” Christian Pope should:

- Oppose climate action,
- Push nationalist agendas like the Falklands,
- Be hostile toward Islam,
- And avoid praise from left-leaning media?

That’s not Christianity. That’s culture war conservatism. Francis wasn’t “secular” - he just wasn’t reactionary.

You’re not defending Christianity - you’re gatekeeping it on behalf of a political tribe.

Indy,

Your perfect hate all rolled up in one, black, different, female, disadvantaged. WOW! You've hit the jackpot, like you called me, you can refer to her as a another " concrete jungle bunny".

John Daysh,

All these Trumpsters here, think Donald is god, what else do we need to know?