Unhappy With The Current Pope

This blogger has been doing his part in criticizing the pope, from the day he picked the name Francesco after San Francesco d'Assisi.  In the United States, his recent approval rating, dated July 22, 2015, shows a decline of 17 percent among the general population and a drop of 27 percent among conservatives from a year ago. [1]  Contrast these numbers with another survey conducted February 18-22, 2015, showing his immense popularity: 90 percent with a favorable view and 60 percent with a very favorable view. [2]  To be sure, statistics can be misleading, depending on the questions asked, the words used, the numerical values assigned, the sample size and the segment of population in the sample.  Had this blogger been asked if he had a favorable view of the pope, the response would be detailed in a statistically unquantifiable memorandum, with more negatives than positives.

After clicking on a number of related articles on the internet, this blogger was surprised to find out that he is not the only blogger unhappy with the current pope.  In fact, a much more knowledgeable blogger and a far better writer than this one was also critical of him.  Her name is Elizabeth Scalia. Below is an excerpt from one of her posts:

I love His Holiness Pope Francis, but for a while now, I have been feeling harangued by him, as he's been harping on us to do more, and ever more, to practice mercy on the world; to welcome the stranger, to clean up the rivers, to bring about justice and peace in our time; to level the playing fields, visit the sick, and so on. 

These are, of course, all very good things.  You can't argue with someone who is telling you to love the poor, or to make room in your pew for the transgendered, or to help poor kids get new opportunities, or to pay a worker what he is due.  

But sometimes, when I read Pope Francis exhorting us again  about the poor, or the environment, and urging people once again, to take action, to go out into the world and fix-all-of-the-things, because Jesus wants it (and yes, I'm sure Jesus does) I can't help thinking, "but Holy Father, have mercy! Do you not know that many of us are already doing the best we can?  Some of us are doing all  we can to keep the family together, keep food on the table, and maybe go out to a movie once in a while. [3] (Emphasis  original.)

Later on, she quoted Mark's Gospel:

"The poor you will always have with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them, but you will not always have me.

["]She has done what she could.  She has anticipated anointing my body for burial.["] [4] (Emphasis by Elizabeth Scalia.)

And like others frustrated with this pope, Elizabeth Scalia turned to the last pope, Pope Benedict XVI (whom this blogger likes), and quoted him:

"Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction." [5]

[1] http://www.gallup.com/poll/184283/pope-francis-favorable-rating-drops.aspx
[2] http://www.pewforum.org/2015/03/05/in-u-s-popes-popularity-continues-to-grow/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=06df015817-3_5_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-06df015817-399974833
[3] http://www.patheos.com/blogs/theanchoress/2015/07/15/catholicisms-future-love-and-mercy-with-scoldings/
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.