Final answer, in reality, in practice:  Of course he is backsliding.  Many of his best friends are card carrying members of the "mafia" or the lobby or whatever word Francis used a couple of years ago.  They're friends, very good friends. 

He is at root a sort of bumbling father.  He said he likes messes.  And he's not at all interested in cleaning up the messes. 

Here's his approach to every issue:  "We're all part of a big messy family, with function and dysfunction...can't we just have a pleasant dinner conversation?"