Damian Thompson presented an interesting view of Francis in a long article on UnHerd.com (27 April).
He refers to a "Vatican source" who he describes as having watched Francis closely for a decade, who doesn't belong to any faction, and tends to have a conspicuously gentle view of people. Nevertheless, this source describes Francis as "a nasty man".
"He is one of the most complicated men I have ever met," says the source. "He can be terrific fun and also incredibly vengeful. If somebody crosses him, he'll kick them when they are at their lowest ebb."
"But don't get the idea that he's a master strategist. He's a clumsy tactician who spends his time lighting fires and putting them out. His number one priority, above all else, is to be inscrutable. He doesn't want anyone to know what he's up to - and if people find out, he'll do the opposite, even if it disrupts his plans".
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