UNITED STATES
Bangor Daily News

Posted July 08, 2014

Editorial

In the 16 months since he assumed the papacy, Pope Francis has projected an image of humility and open arms to the outside world — especially when compared with the image of the Catholic Church projected by his predecessor.

It hasn’t taken much for Pope Francis to make waves.

Soon after becoming pope, he traveled to a juvenile detention center outside Rome and washed the feet of 12 young people, including two Muslims and two women — shocking traditionalists while expanding the reach of a custom meant to emulate Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.

Last summer, as he returned to the Vatican from a trip to Brazil, the pontiff said of gay priests, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” It was the first time…