Pope Francis has been something of a revelation since he became head of the Catholic Church, and as we've documented, he's taking positions that are contrary to the conservative hard liners who have been in charge for a very long time. He's still firmly anti-contraception and abortion, which I wish he would move away from, but his outspokenness has caused these hardliners to cringe and uber-Catholic Rick Santorum is no different.

Devout Catholic and former presidential hopeful Rick Santorum said he sometimes finds it "very difficult" to listen to the comments Pope Francis makes on social issues.

Appearing Tuesday on conservative syndicated radio talk show "The Hugh Hewitt Show," Santorum, a former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania said: "Well, I mean, it's sometimes very difficult to listen to the Pope and some of the things he says off the cuff, and this is one of them. And I just, I keep coming back to the Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church, and when he speaks as the leader of the Catholic Church, I'll certainly pay attention."

Francis on Monday raised the ire of conservative Catholics across the world when, speaking about the church's views on contraception, urged Catholics to practice "responsible parenting" and derided the idea that Catholics had to breed like rabbits.

"Some think, and excuse the term, that to be good Catholics, they must be like rabbits," the Pontiff said.

Santorum said that when Francis speaks in interviews, "he's giving his own opinions, which I certainly will listen to, but from my perspective, that doesn't reflect the idea that people shouldn't be fruitful and multiply, and that people should be open to life as something that is a core value of the faith and of the Catholic Church."

The Pope's opinions are supposed to be listened to with reverence and treated as such, Mr. Rick.