Is the Pope Catholic?

[31] Then Jesus said to those Jews, who believed him: If you continue in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed. [32] And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. [33] They answered him: We are the seed of Abraham, and we have never been slaves to any man: how sayest thou: you shall be free? [34] Jesus answered them: Amen, amen I say unto you: that whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin. [35] Now the servant abideth not in the house for ever; but the son abideth for ever.

[36] If therefore the son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. [37] I know that you are the children of Abraham: but you seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. [38] I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and you do the things that you have seen with your father. [39] They answered, and said to him: Abraham is our father. Jesus saith to them: If you be the children of Abraham, do the works of Abraham. [40] But now you seek to kill me, a man who have spoken the truth to you, which I have heard of God. This Abraham did not.
 -- John 8:31-40

It seems like a long time ago that I wrote an article on cognitive dissonance.

"Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, or by justifying or rationalizing them. It is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology."

Lately, I've been getting that "uncomfortable feeling" when confronted by unorthodox images of Francis. Not to mention unorthodox statements and unorthodox actions.

And I don't think I'm the only one.

I have observed the attempts by orthodox Catholics to "reduce dissonance by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, or by justifying or rationalizing them".

When two conflicting "truths" are presented to us, we are forced to make a choice. They can't both be true simultaneously.

When the Catholic Pope engages in un-Catholic actions and issues un-Catholic statements does that somehow transform his actions into Catholic actions?

If I were to walk into my local Catholic parish and place a beach ball on the altar would that be acceptable to my fellow Catholics?

So when the Pope does something similar, why should that be acceptable?

Or perhaps we should just look the other way and pretend that it never happened. That seems to be the most popular option for now.

I am not a conservative Catholic; I am not a traditional Catholic. I am simply a Catholic who loves the Truth. That is the reason that I became a Catholic and will always remain a Catholic.