Pope Francis leads the Catholic Church into the 21st century
By: CORY MUEHLEBACH
Staff Writer
Roman Catholicism needs a new face and Pope Francis has a fitting smile. With the modern age comes modern principles; the world is changing. Gay marriage is becoming a civil issue, capitalism is heaping its way into our lives and banking monopolies threaten our livelihood. The Catholic Church must obstruct sin instead of contributing to it if it wishes to survive in today’s liberal culture.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio or Pope Francis has done many things unique to that of modern popes. He helped organize relief funds for the victims of Typhoon Hayain, he gave condolences and hugs to the physically disabled in Lourdes and he believes the Catholic Church should not interfere spiritually with sexual preference. These words seem very radical for a pope associated with Catholics who have of a notorious history of disagreement with homosexuality. He was even quoted as saying, “If someone is gay and he searches for the lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”
The pope is also urging Bishops and Cardinals within the church alike to abstain from material riches to obtain them socially and spiritually. He drives a used Renault with 190,000 miles on it and no bulletproof glass; Pope Francis is even against capitalism saying that the world has become an idolater of this God called “money.” He also said that men and women should be at the center.
“We don’t want this globalized economic system which does us so much harm,” he told the crowd. “Men and women have to be at the center … not money.”
The Catholic Church has been the center of religious tension within homes for the last 200 years. Many people are becoming Atheist and are completely disregarding the Church as an appropriate source for morality and spirituality. With the recent scandals regarding priests and children or the money hoarding of the bishops, it is a fresh sigh of relief to see a pope who means business and who actually tries to live by what Jesus said.
This does not mean that there are no great Christians around today, though. The pope just seems to be an adequate leader that can perhaps weave the moral fiber of his people back into place. It has been ripped apart by corruption and perhaps will always have its issues, but Pope Francis is a step in the right direction.
Conservatives who claim to know Jesus should adhere to his words. Many Christians of today see people as habitual sinners who are not capable of forgiveness or love from God; they damn them to hell or create circles at Colleges to arouse their guilt, but these people are blatantly wrong. The message of Pope Francis is love and forgiveness, not belittlement and judgment; as it should be.
Catholicism is a ship well along its way on a maiden voyage towards divinity and Pope Francis is on its bow. With a levelheaded leader and a people ready to appreciate what Christianity is really about, Catholicism could be on its way to fitting in with the 21st century.
