Ryan Fitzgerald makes a good point in the question of why should we care who the Pope is:
Travis Scholl, writing for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Should non-Catholics care about the pope?
I think the short answer is yes. Because, in many ways, for better and/or worse, Christianity still goes through Rome. And there is no more visible representative of worldwide Christianity than the bishop of Rome. That may make a great many Christians (and non-Christians) squeamish, but it is what it is.
I believe most people’s impression of who God is has been directly impacted by their experience with the church and I think all press on Christianity, good or bad, impacts the ability to be effective for churches. That’s why the more I read about Francis I, the more excited I get for what it means for the Church. It seems that the new Pope’s brand is humility which is a fresh face for Christianity! Here is a great WSJ article on his humility.
