[onedoug]

He did this with no instruction with regard to Catholic marriage, at all? And how many of these were non-Catholics?

I smell a an ecclesiastical rat, and wow!, does it ever stink.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"He did this with no instruction with regard to Catholic marriage, at all?.... And how many of these were non-Catholics?"

Maybe I read it too fast. Sometimes I miss relevant facts. Did the article say either of these two things?

[cloudmountain]

He did this with no instruction with regard to Catholic marriage, at all? And how many of these were non-Catholics?
I smell a an ecclesiastical rat, and wow!, does it ever stink.

It's my experience that we, the common folks, RARELY, if ever, get all the facts. I don't think we have them here either. [Sgt. Friday, from Dragnet: "Just the facts, ma'am."] Lol. I'm old; I remember those things.

The Pope will go "by the Book" because that is what he does. He's the Vicar (Lieutenant) of Christ, that's all. Nothing more, nothing less.
His peers elected him because of his faith, intellect and backbone.

I don't know if your remember Pope Benedict. He was KNOWN for having:
1. a TOWERING intellect and
2. a backbone of tempered steel.

I don't doubt that Pope Francis I is the SAME.
How else could he have survived all the Church politics?