"Francis the Simple" and "Francis the Stubborn;" Pope Tends to Be Humble,But Is Often Stubborn

From the beginning of his papacy, the general narrative about Pope Francis has emphasized his personal simplicity and humility, his closeness to ordinary people, and his passion for the peripheries, as well as his pastoral-loving heart, the Crux website reports today (September 21, 2018).

Likewise from the beginning, however, there has been another, often competing narrative about Francis, initially whispered and later shouted out loud, especially by his detractors.

This viewpoint holds that Francis is also a stubborn figure, a man prone to making decisions and refusing to back down, and one typically unmoved by any sort of criticism.

This refusal to be told what to do, or to be painted into a corner, is also an aspect of Francis's persona. This aspect of Francis's personality can be illustrated by his refusal to respond to allegations against him by  a former Vatican ambassador to the United States, who said last month that Francis should resign for covering up sexual misconduct accusations against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.