I am always happy when I find something good to say about someone I have criticized. The current Pope has given his life to fighting against some of the causes I care most about. In my mind, this Pope represents a version of the Catholic Church which is already dead. The rebellious nuns travelling on a bus teaching universal human rights are the Catholic Church being born.
I am happy to say that the Pope has done something even his critics must praise. He has pardoned his former Butler, Paolo Gabriele, who was convicted by a Vatican court of stealing and releasing confidential papers. Gabriele has said he released the papers to let the church know about the corruption within the Holy See.
While the Pope did expell Gabriele, he did not require him to serve the full 18 month sentence, and instead has pardoned him as an act of forgiveness. Whether or not a Pope should have had that power in the first place, it is a very nice gesture.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20824814