Dear Editor: Re: Editorial “Understanding Pope” Jan. 31.

It seems that just about every time Pope Francis makes wonderfully “shocking” statements, there are those in the Church who try to slice and dice the value of his words by adding phrases such as “taking his words out of context,” “not what the Church teaches,” “this is what the Pope really means,” and so on.

I am quite sure that Francis is very aware and weighs the impact of the words he uses and the things he does. He doesn’t need us to reinterpret everything he says.   Francis is our Pope, our shepherd, our teacher and guided by the Holy Spirit. Try listening to him and what he is saying.

DEACON FRED RITCHIE
Marine Park