TOW #2: "The Pope's Radical Whisper"

Pope Francis and some Vatican employees stand near a car, donated by an Italian priest, that
Francis plans to use to drive around Vatican City. He seems to be much more
frugal, down-to-earth, and visually subdued than his predecessor. 

Many have heard recently about the progressive things that relatively-new Pope Francis has been saying and doing, such as his thoughts on homosexuality and his lack of pomp and circumstance, since these things are so abnormal in the modern Catholic Church and within the Vatican itself (two different things, people). However, in this editorial, New York Times columnist Frank Bruni wants readers to understand that Francis has not radicalized the teachings of the Church and didn't "right past wrongs"; instead, he shows a refreshing mix of humility and sincerity and does not have all of the answers. Obviously, this information would be aimed mostly towards Catholics or those who have left the Church because of its teachings and coverings-up of certain scandals but are still interested in its workings.
Some readers may dismiss Bruni's article as praising a trait in Francis (humility) that is not really there or is already present in other famous people. To combat this, Bruni contrasts Francis's humbleness with the lack of it in many politicians, including President Barack Obama: Bruni says "he could take a page from this pope" (Bruni 1). This, as well as other similar examples, force readers to admit that yes, Pope Francis is more humble than many leaders, than even normal people in this age of social media. It supports Bruni's point that Francis is a sort of gift for the Church, as he will probably revitalize it and bring a lot of people back. Towards the beginning of the piece, Bruni describes Francis and his manner. He writes, "It was the sweetness in his timbre, the meekness of his posture... Instead of commanding people to follow him, he invited them to join him. And did so gently, in what felt like a whisper." (1). Since most readers would never have seen Francis in real life and have probably seen little footage of him, the description in this passage helps readers form in their mind a better picture of this pope. In order to believe that someone is humble, it helps to know that they look and act the part, and this passage displays this quite well. 

I think that Bruni would have achieved his purpose of convincing readers that Francis is, in personality at least, quite unlike any recent pope, but only if the reader was someone who was already open to this possibility. If a reader is not, if they need concrete proof that Francis is going to reform the Church completely, they would not believe Bruni; after all, he does acknowledge that Francis has a long way to go, particularly in areas such as women's rights, the sinfulness of homosexuality, and celibate priests.