UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism

Jerry Slevin

Pope Francis in his 79th year complains understandably about fatigue. It is difficult to understand, however, how and why he prioritizes his use of his limited energy the way he does. The biggest crisis the pope faces is curtailing promptly and transparently his subordinate bishops’ mismanagement of child abusing priests. If Catholic Church religious leaders cannot be trusted with children’s safety, the leaders cannot be trusted with anything else — it is that simple. Yet today, 4/12/15, Francis focused on a 100 year old World War I event involving Turkish Muslims and apparently avoided meeting with his own advisers on priest child abusers. The advisers had traveled to Rome after weeks seemingly of unheeded public complaints to the pope. The pope found time to meet with US evangelical fundamentalists before the recent US Congressional elections, but seems too busy to meet with advisers…