As many Catholics and non-Catholics alike have noted, Pope Francis is a refreshing change from the Hitler-youth-loving retired Pope Benedict. As the mouthpiece o' God, he says some pretty progressive stuff for the Catholic church, which apparently is a big problem for the Catholic church, whose job it now is to take Pope Francis's teachings and shove them back in the tight little anti-gay, anti-woman, conservative context in which the church operates. For example:

One of the novelties introduced by Francis has been his daily 7 a.m. Mass in the Vatican hotel, to which groups and individuals are invited. Francis delivers homilies each day, the contents of which are summarized by Vatican Radio. On May 22, he caused no shortage of confusion when he suggested that even atheists could find salvation.

According to church teaching, the Catholic Church holds the "fullness of the means of salvation" - a message that has long been taken to mean that only Catholics can find salvation. But in his homily, Francis said: "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! `Father, the atheists?' Even the atheists. Everyone!"

Rosica issued a lengthy "explanatory note" a few days later after being inundated with questions about whether Francis was changing church doctrine on salvation. He noted that church teaching also holds that "those who through no fault of their own" don't know about Jesus but seek God and try to do his will can also attain eternal salvation.

"Always keep in mind the audience and context of Pope Francis' homilies," Rosica cautioned. "His words are not spoken in the context of a theological faculty or academy nor in interreligious dialogue or debate. He speaks in the context of Mass."

More inflammatory quotes—on how nuns shouldn't act like "old maids" and how he didn't really want to be pope—over here.