Critics of Pope Francis make me sad and angry. 

I don’t agree with everything the pope says or does. That’s not the point. Regardless of what we think about his surprising gestures or his attempts to unsettle us just when we’ve gotten comfortable with our lives, there is a reverence due to the Vicar of Christ that should cause us to stop and think.

Jesus was unconventional too. He disturbed the status quo. He challenged his disciples and the religious leaders of his day to look beyond their limited horizons in order to discover and do the Father’s will.

Is Pope Francis perfect? Not according to his own assessment of himself as “a sinner.” Is he a saint? Time and the grace of God will tell. Is he a heretic? Don’t be absurd. Does his teaching on morality need nuancing, even correction? Brighter minds than mine will have to examine and then speak to these issues, but from where I stand I think it’s pretty clear that Pope Francis is a man of the Church who is struggling to bring God’s love and mercy to all. Especially to those on the peripheries.

Pope Francis deserves our attention and our respect—both because of his position and because of what he has said and done during the past five years.