The Holy Father’s latest letter is an even more egregious failure than his letter to the faithful of Chile. If Pope Francis has not squandered this latest chance to treat the faithful as though they are a responsible part of the Church, instead of saying that they are and acting as though they are not, he must be close to squandering it.
The faithful have every reason to doubt that the bishops are on their side in this. In late April of this year, the Pope apparently told victims he had repeatedly accused of calumny only a few months earlier, “I was part of the problem.” This letter suggests he still is. If Pope Francis would have us believe that he — a bishop — is on our side, then he must prove it. This letter rather tends to confirm the status quo. That is unacceptable.