Progress

Although I am no longer a practicing Catholic in the strictest sense, I do like this Pontiff. His recent pronouncement on the blessing of same-sex couples while still upholding traditional marriage is the latest step in approaching the type of charity that Christ preached. In fact his general tolerance of LGBT people contrasts sharply against what more conservative and dogmatic religious sects have to say.

I was educated by Jesuits and their place as teachers and scholars of the church allowed me to receive a faith which was more rooted in intelligence rather than unquestioned orthodoxy for its own sake. The marriage of faith and reason of Aquinas was something which appealed to my sensibilities.

I have always been a questioner and will continue to be and much like CS Lewis,  I see the value in reassessing and reevaluating one's viewpoint in order to fortify why we believe something. For if we cannot explain it to ourselves we won't be able to convey it to others in any meaningful way.