No rush to day of judgement for Pope Francis

The Pope has broken from his predecessors in seeking a more collegial approach to Church, governance, but the jury is still out on his ability to bring true reform, writes TP O’Mahony.

Two years ago this month, the Catholic Church got a new pope following the shock resignation of Benedict XVI. No sooner had the white smoke over the Sistine Chapel disappeared than Jorge Mario Bergoglio — who chose the name of Francis — made it clear that his papacy would be very different from that of his predecessor.

There had been a philosopher-pope from Poland and a theologian-pope from Germany; now there would be a pastoral and reforming pope from Argentina, the first ever from South America and the first Jesuit to occupy the chair of Peter.