Disappointing

Pope Francis “thanked her for her courage” and told her to “stay strong”, Mr. Stavers said.

— BBC News

If this truly happened, it is disappointing. A person as charismatic as Pope Francis, who has been so politically careful, should have known better. She is a government employee, fulfilling an official task. She must abide the law, or simply leave her job, if she can’t perform as expected. What would we do if our troops, due to their religious beliefs, decide to put down their weapons? Should they still be in our military?

Should I have been in the Pope’s clothes, I would have steered away from such dilemma. It would have been, at the very least, the smart thing to do.