COMMENTARY: Contrary to the storyline pushed by papal courtier Austen Ivereigh and others, Pope Francis exercises authority in the manner of a Jesuit superior who, after hearing those he chooses to hear, makes his own decision.
Pope Francis looks on as he presides over the “24 Hours of the Lord” at the parish of Santa Maria delle Grazie al Trionfale, on March 17, 2023 in Rome. (photo: Filippo Monteforte / AFP/Getty)
Papal courtier Austen Ivereigh has written two very useful biographies of the Holy Father and another book together with him. It would be churlish to deny him a measure of celebration of Pope Francis on his 10th anniversary.
Yet the occasion does not require questionable claims to be made, and, regrettably, Ivereigh has done just that, in writing that Pope Francis has “sought a transformation of the internal life and culture of the Catholic Church, at the heart of which is a conversion of power.”
Ivereigh argues that “not long ago the Vatican was notorious for its haughty manner, its centralism and its authoritarianism.” Climate change has since come to the Vatican, Ivereigh implies, with the icy winds of John Paul and Benedict being replaced by the gentle, warm breeze of Pope Francis.
Ivereigh is a clever man. He knows that, contrary to the approved storyline, this has been a pontificate of power. He was writing a preemptive defense.
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