BY Ian Dunn | May 14 | 
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Shrewsbury bishop warns against popular perceptions of the Pope
The loyalty we owe to the Holy Father is greater than the passing popularity awarded to public figures, Bishop Mark Davies (above) told the Union of Catholic Mothers today
Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury today warned Catholics they should not believe what they read about Pope Francis in the secular press.
In a homily at a Mass for the Union of Catholic Mothers (UCM) at noon, Bishop Davies said the Holy Father has become ‘the focus of fascination’ in the media, partly because of his ‘evident goodness,’ ‘informal style’ and ‘Christian simplicity.’
However, Bishop Davies warned that this has led to a construction of a public personality by secular commentators who wish to undermine Catholicism rather than providing an understanding of what the Pope truly represents.
“Only last week a concern was being expressed in our national media that our Holy Father is proving as ‘hard-line’ as his predecessors,” the bishop said. “‘Likes’ may quickly turn to ‘dislikes’ in the public forum. We know, as Catholics, that the loyalty we owe to the Pope is greater than the passing loyalties people give to political figures or celebrity personalities whose popularity may fade.”
The bishop reminded the congregation gathered for the National Council meeting of the UCM in Swanwick, Derbyshire, that the loyalty and love that Catholics share for the Pope flows principally from his office as Successor of St Peter and his responsibility as the chief shepherd of Christ’s universal Church.
It is only from the supernatural perspective of Faith that the ministry of Pope Francis can be properly understood, Bishop Davies explained.
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