Another Win For The Pope

Pope Francis continues to clean house of right-wing Cardinals and Bishops who are seeking to undermine or challenge his direction for the Catholic Church.  The latest to rip his cassock is the infamous Cardinal Raymond Burke, who has been a strident voice against reproductive choice and same-sex marriage, and who campaigned for denying Catholic politicians communion if they voted pro-choice.  He's also questioned Pope Francis' statements denouncing the excesses of capitalism, which as we all know was Jesus' favorite economic system. He's been demoted from his powerful post on the Congregation of Bishops to oversee a charity that supports hospitals.

If Burke seems to be a bit at odds with how most Catholics view Jesus' basic messages, it looks like the Pope has reached that conclusion.  Let's wish the Pope a long and healthy life as he reverses the corrupt, rightward direction the Church took after the papacy of Pope John XXIII decades ago.

BONUS:  Esquire.com's Charles P. Pierce adds his commentary.