*EDITED*If you are showering unqualified praise and admiration onto an openly bigoted person....

[Bjorn Against]

99. When this Pope was first selected I thought as you did about him

As I have seen him in action however I am starting to think he may be a much better person than I originally believed. I am well aware of his past bigotry, but since being chosen as Pope he seems to be moving in a better direction and he is starting to make me hopeful that he may be preparing move the church in a new direction away from their bigotry of the past. He said horrible things about gays before being selected as Pope, but since he became Pope he has sent some strong signals that he may not be as anti-gay as he initially appeared. I can forgive him of his past if he stands up for gay rights in the future and I am actually starting to think there is a chance he might do that.

I am still skeptical of him, but I am more willing to give him a chance now than I was when he was first selected. I do not like the institution of the Catholic Church at all, I think it has been overrun with bigots for centuries and I thought that there was little chance of the new Pope significantly changing an institution that is so rotten at its core. Early on however this Pope is sending signals that he wants to lead the church in a very different direction and a much better direction. I am not ready to praise him yet as he has not yet brought the change needed, but I will give him a chance.