TP O'Mahony: Pope Francis remains a contradictory leader

Pope Francis celebrated his 84th birthday recently. While some very good things have happened on his watch, we should register some failings, writes TP O’Mahony

Pope Francis celebrated his 84th birthday this week. File image: Vincenzo Pinto/AP

When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope in March 2013, an astute observer in Rome remembered the title of a 1949 book by theologian Paul Tillich - Shaking the Foundations - and predicted that this would be the effect of the pontificate of the Pope called Francis.

The foundations had been well and truly shaken once before during the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), but during the long pontificate of John Paul II and that of his successor Benedict XVI concerted efforts had been made to roll back the reforms of that Council.