Pope Francis is on the cover of this week’s issue of Time. And the New Yorker. And the Advocate.

What now?

That’s right, the leader of the Catholic Church is on the cover of the Advocate, the magazine devoted to LGBT issues, as its Person of the Year, though with some hesitation:

One could imagine how acceptance of LGBT people might fit into the pope’s case for loving every human being and valuing the contribution made by each to society. With less than a year as pope, Francis still must show whether his aspiration ends at not being our enemy. Will he be an agent for fighting our discrimination worldwide?

So this week Pope Francis has defended Marxists and appears on the cover of the Advocate. Something is definitely different. And I suspect the right-wing of the Catholic Church isn’t thrilled.