The first surprise was — notwithstandingthe Holy Father’sinitial prolonged silence on thecentral loggia after his election —his sheer productivity. There arethe daily homilies, the extemporaneousand extended addresses,the reported informal remarksat his various meetings and thepress interviews — another oneof which was published thismonth. His first major document,Evangelii Gaudium, was, at 51,500words, the second-longest papaldocument in history. (The prolixprize is held by Blessed John PaulII’s 1992 behemoth on priestlyformation, Pastores Dabo Vobis, at55,000 words.)
The second surprise wasnothing less than a revolutionin rhetorical style. Doctrinally,Pope Francis is, as he insists, instrict continuity with the Catholictradition. But his rhetorical style isradically different, best capturedin the most consequential papalstatement of the year: “If someoneis gay and seeks the Lord withgoodwill, who am I to judge?
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