BEST OF THE WEB: Francis' enemies, Jesus in Africa, gay and Catholic, guns, Robin Hood and Christmas

The Tablet rounds up the web stories, analysis and comment this week that provide a thought-provoking look at the world around us. They are not from a Catholic viewpoint per say but they speak to Catholicism today.

This week we look at the effect of Francis' Africa trip, a gay priests view of Spotlight and gun laws in Australia...

THEY’RE JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU..

They just don’t like this Pope. The National Catholic Reporter counts the ways - and the means - that the critics of Pope Francis are finding to attack him.

NCR ONLINE: Opposition to Pope Francis comes out of the closet

JESUS FINDS A HOME...

Newsweek says that Jesus has found a home in Africa in its view of Pope Francis’ visit to the continent. It is also contended that the trip highlighted that with the growth of the church in Africa next time may be right for a sub-Saharan pope to be chosen.

NEWSWEEK: Jesus find a home in Africa in the rise of Catholicism

COMING OUT IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH...

Bill Dickinson, who served as a priest for 25 years before leaving to come out as a gay man, goes to watch the new movie Spotlight on his own, which leads him to musing on the attitude of the Catholic Church to LGBT issues.

HUFFINGTON POST: Spotlight - one way or another

ROCKING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE...

For those that missed it: Francis is looking to make an assault on the pope charts with what is loosely called a “rock album”, which was released recently. Esquire - to help us make up our minds without necessarily having to hear it - have produced a song-by-song guide to Pope Francis: Wake Up!

ESQUIRE: Pope Francis: Wake Up!

ROBBING THE RICH TO FEED THE POOR

Bloomberg got hold of an intriguing story this week that Pope Francis is preparing to step up his campaign to clean up the Vatican finances by bringing in professional auditors to turn the Vatican bank upside down and shake it. All the spare change that falls out is detined for the poor, he says.

BLOOMBERG: Any money recovered from audit of Vatican will feed the poor

AMERICAN GUN LAWS: THE EXAMPLE OF AUSTRALIA

The New York Times revisits the popular subject of the comparison between the US and Australia when it comes to gun laws. 20 years ago after an horrific mass shooting in Tasmania, Australia decided to significantly tighten its gun laws. Since then, there have been no mass shootings.

NY TIMES: Gun bans - the example of Australia