Exploring Contradictions in Catholicism

Pope Francis' recent trip to South America was one of the most embroiled of his five years as pope thus far. Protesters burned churches in advance of his visit, claiming that the Catholic Church in Chile had participated in the oppression of the native Mapuche people. Others protested the pope during Mass, citing the appointment of a bishop with close ties to priests found guilty of sexually abusing minors. At the same time, the devout came out in droves: an estimated one million people attended the papal Mass in Peru. During a ride on his popemobile, a police officer was thrown from her horse and Francis hurried to attend to her. A video of the incident went viral among the pope's adoring fans. Media coverage in the U.S. highlighted his meetings with the poor and the two Chilean flight attendants he married aboard an airplane.