Two weeks later, pope still not evil

The pope hasn't said or done anything evil. He hasn't said vicious things against gay people. He hasn't called for a pogrom against American nuns. He hasn't done one awful thing. It's amazing. In fact, he's so not-evil, it's driving some Catholics up a wall.

Chief among the critics are the liturgical traditionalists who reveled in Benedict's exaltation of old-fashioned ways, and are now watching in horror as Francis rejects the extravagant vestments and high-church rituals that were in en vogue for the past eight years.

"Of all the unthinkable candidates, Jorge Mario Bergoglio is perhaps the worst," an Argentine Catholic wrote in a post at Rorate Caeli, a blog for aficionados of the old Latin Mass rites. "It really cannot be what Benedict wanted for the Church."

"Something is profoundly wrong when the winds of change can blow so swiftly through an immutable institution of God's own making," agreed Patrick Archbold at Creative Minority Report, another conservative site.

So yeah, he's doing everything right. Did you know:

1. His huge, honking popeyguy ring isn't gold -- it's gold-plated.
2. Where past popes showed humility by washing the feet of priests, he'll wash the feet of kids from juvie hall.
3. He doesn't wear the blood-red shoes. His are typical brown men's shoes.
4. He doesn't withhold communion from people who advocate for abortion rights.
5. He can smile.

The linked HuffPo article asks when the honeymoon will end. When will this pope lash out at gays or nuns or some other disenfranchised group? It mentions that Jesuits are supposed to listen to their community for 100 days before getting heavy and issuing rules. Perhaps the pope will lash out at gays and nuns then. As I've said before, Argentina's gays hate him and I'm sure they have good reasons.

But for this little period of time, he's continuing to do a great impression of Jesus.