Some of the cardinals who backed Pope Francis to succeed Pope Benedict XVI now want him to resign, according to an influential Catholic commentator.
Antonio Socci writes of the confusion around Francis on his blog and in the Italian newspaper Libero Quotidiniano.
Socci refers to a recent report by the German daily Der Spiegel of what Pope Francis admitted recently to some of those loyal to him: 'It is possible that I will pass into history as the one that divided the Catholic Church.'
Francis is coming in for increasing criticism from conservatives over his liberal views on issues such as communion for those who remarry after divorce. One cover of Newsweek even posed the question: 'Is The Pope Catholic?'
Socci reports that while leading secularists are received 'with all honours' at the Vatican, conservative cardinals asking the Pope to clarify issues around Amoris laetitia are 'badly treated'.
They fear they might soon be told to ordain 'women deacons' and might even be made to support the idea of an 'ecumenical mass' with Protestants.
Socci says this in particular 'would mark the point of no return'.
Many Catholics fear Francis is in fact a 'crypto-Protestant', he adds.
And he says that many of the cardinals who were behind his election and have supported him to date are building up a 'moral argument' to persuade him to retire. He believes they will probably be unsuccessful.
But he also reveals they have chosen a successor, the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
The reason given is 'avert a tragic rift' which he fears is a serious possibility given the 'confusion' in Rome.
Conservative commentator Chris Gillibrand told Christian Today: 'Francis rapidly lost the support of conservatives within the Church, but now he is losing the support of those who brought him to power. Many Cardinals are having elector's remorse, not least because the role of a Pope is to unite not divide. The sands of time are running through the hour glass quicker than this most senior of prelates can hurry towards his objectives.'
