Fr James Martin says if you take that to mean "Which of his words most astonished his apostles, disciples and followers?" the answer is: everything he said after Easter Sunday.

But if you take that to mean — as I mean it here — "Which of his utterances still surprise us?" let me suggest three that still have the power to astonish even devout Christians. Continue reading

Interviews with several cardinals this week suggest the pope backs up those words with his personal example.

As he approaches the one-year anniversary of his election, it's becoming steadily clearer that Francis is the most laid-back pontiff in recent memory, and perhaps of all time.

Examples abound.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York is a member of a Vatican council that oversees the Synod of Bishops, a summit of Catholic prelates from around the world.

The council meets every so often in a building a few blocks from St. Peter's Basilica, and the practice has been that it passes conclusions to a papal aide without getting face time with the boss.

In October, however, Francis decided to walk down the Via della Conciliazione, the broad Roman street leading away from the basilica, to join one of their meetings. Continue reading.

Source: Boston Globe

Image: ABC News