Of course, the purse snatcher and the bank robber give up their rights when they violate the rights of the purse owner and the bank depositors.

Today, we allow the government to take our property, privacy and free speech from us all the time.

Aquinas knew that government is the negation of liberty. In the 21st century, we realize we have a government that is utterly indifferent to our rights.

The folks who run the federal government, no matter which political party is in power, believe they can kill any foe, steal any property, extinguish any right, declare any wrong, regulate any behavior, tax any event and insinuate themselves into any relationship so long as they can get away with it politically, all in defiance of natural law.

In America today, we see the destruction of natural law principles and the rejection of natural rights. Now, back to the pope.

Catholics believe Pope Francis is the Vicar of Christ on earth. However, Pope Francis may have been the worst pope in history. He watered down church teachings on marriage, sexuality and confession.

He declined to judge right from wrong. He forbade the Mass that every canonized saint in heaven attended and participated in since 1564. He even claimed that all religions were equal and welcomed in the eyes of God, contrary to 2,000 years of express church teaching. This is heresy.

He attacked long-standing theology, universal liturgy and Thomistic natural law when his principal job was to preserve them. He even questioned the concept of sin.

Now, mercifully, Francis is gone. I pray for his soul and for his successor. Please, Lord, may the next pope be a Catholic pope.