Some American bishops appear to be totally out of step with Pope Francis's vision for the Church in the 21st century (The Tablet, 12 June).
Sadly, they are more interested in not offending their big-wallet donors than telling the truth about the effects of unfettered capitalism. Others live in palatial surroundings driving expensive vehicles. They could take a leaf out of Pope Francis's book! Furthermore, there seem to be attempts to diminish some of Pope Francis's initiatives. For example, in our diocese there was no serious effort to involve parishioners in the Vatican questionnaire on marriage and family issues, as far as I know.
In contrast, this past weekend I attended a Cursillo and the participants in my group all gave hearty thanks that we have a Pope who tries to understand the laity and their everyday struggles, as well as bringing warring factions together in Israel, initiating dialogue with our Orthodox brethren, and helping the Church begin to recover its reputation after the sex abuse scandals of the 20th century. As much as we loved Pope Benedict, here is a Pope we can really be proud of! How ironic that the ordinary layman can appreciate Pope Francis's contributions while some American bishops appear to view him as a nuisance.
Rachael Mellen, Peru, Illinois, USA
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