Pope at 85: Gloves come off as Francis’ reform hits stride

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis is celebrating his 85th birthday. It’s a milestone made even more remarkable given the coronavirus pandemic, his summertime intestinal surgery and the weight of history: His predecessor retired at this age and the last pope to have lived any longer was Leo XIII over a century ago. Yet Francis is going strong. He recently concluded a whirlwind trip to Cyprus and Greece after his pandemic jaunts this year to Iraq, Slovakia and Hungary. He has set in motion an unprecedented two-year consultation of rank-and-file Catholics on making the church more attuned to the laity. But Francis is also beset by problems at home and abroad and faces a sustained campaign of opposition from the conservative Catholic right.