The Jesuit Pope
When I was exploring the idea of becoming a priest, there were really two groups that immediately resonated with me--the Dominicans and the Jesuits. I chose the Dominicans, and in hindsight I think that was a mistake. I am not saying that I would still a priest now if I chose the Jesuits, because ultimately I do not believe I could live celibacy in a healthy way. But, I think I would have lasted much longer as a Jesuit than I did as a Dominican. This intuition was confirmed when I spent three years at a Jesuit parish in Philadelphia. It was, without question, the best parish experience I've had, and I came to respect and love the Jesuits very much. All of this is a longish way of saying that, while obviously I've never met Pope Francis, I have some sense of his fellow members of the Jesuit order. If Pope Francis is anything like his brothers, and there is no reason to believe he is not, I think we can conclude a few things about the man. One con...