I was worrying whether I ought to have criticized Pope Francis.

What right have I to judge his faithfulness to Catholic doctrine, when I am not a Catholic and not a regular church-going Christian either and certainly hold a few heterodox beliefs.

But then I came across this letter by St. Peter Damian, who got a lot of criticism for his forthright denunciation of homosexual clerics in his day (1007-1072 AD).

Unlike Pope Francis who famously said, “who am I to judge,” in reference to homosexuals, St. Peter Damian says, “Who am I not to judge…”.

[Christians are not supposed to “judge” (that is, condemn or consign to damnation), but they are explicitly instructed to “judge” in the sense of reprove, when their reproof might be the only means to save someone from more self-destructive actions.]

… I would surely prefer to be thrown into the well like Joseph who informed his father of his brothers’ foul crime, than to suffer the penalty of God’s fury, like Eli, who saw the wickedness of his sons and remained silent. (Sam 2:4) … Who am I, when I see this pestilential practice flourishing in the priesthood to become the murderer of another’s soul by daring to repress my criticism in expectation of the reckoning of God’s judgement? … How, indeed, am I to love my neighbor as myself if I negligently allow the wound, of which I am sure he will brutally die, to fester in his heart? …[48] “So let no man condemn me as I argue against this deadly vice, for I seek not to dishonor, but rather to promote the advantage of my brother’s well-being. “Take care not to appear partial to the delinquent while you persecute him who sets him straight. If I may be pardoned in using Moses’ words, ‘Whoever is for the Lord, let him stand with me.’ (Ezek 32:26)” [49]