The priest at my church is over the moon about our new Pope. I’ve never seen him so happy. He says that our new Pope may not write any encyclicals—because he IS an encyclical. He is “living Jesus” because he washes the feet of juvenile offenders, including a Muslim, and because he disdains white pants and red shoes in favor of black, and because he “loves the poor” and chose the name of Francis, etc.

This new Pope, says a famous traditionalist blogger, is motivated by evangelism. Evangelism is the real motive behind all these departures from formality and tradition, these gestures in favor of simplicity. But if that’s really his “motive,” he hasn’t said so. But the blogger is as happy as my priest—though for different reasons—yet both are certain they really “get it.”

Meanwhile, some people fear radical deforms of the liturgy, but there’s nothing about black shoes that should portend universal trivialization of the Mass. As for dogma—unless that self-proclaimed Irish “prophetess” is right, he will not attempt to transform Christian dogma into some absurd contemporary social ideology. (If he does, I’ll leave the Church. There will no longer be a reason for any of us to stay because the Church will cease to be.)

I’m not making light of my priest’s sentiments. I rejoice for him, if not so much with him. I’m also not prepared to take the famous blogger’s word for what motivates Pope Francis.

Apparently unlike my priest and many others over the moon, I don’t personally have anything against red shoes or white pants—or against the synthetic ermine on the Holy Father’s capelet, traditionally worn when he first greets the people of Rome and the world. I don’t really care a great deal about whose feet he chooses to wash, what kind of car he rides in, or where he chooses to live.

I think nobody knows yet—except, of course, that self-proclaimed Irish prophetess who says that Benedict XVI was the last “true” Pope, the last one chosen by God, and that this new Pope Francis is not chosen by God, but will—etc. (not worth going into).

It doesn’t matter. He is the Pope—he is OUR Pope. For the vast bulk of the world’s Catholics, he’s a “dark horse.” We’re not privy to conclave conversations, still less to the prayers of the electing cardinals, and even less than that—I don’t think we know what “purpose” the Holy Spirit has in store for the Church. The fact is, we don’t know much at all, and we don’t know him. We only know a little about him based pretty much on hearsay, and on the impassioned opinions of those who believe they do know him—and know what he’s “up to.” Actually, I think that kind of talk is bait, maybe even poisonous bait.