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Pope Francis on Brink As Vatican Leader Issues Warning on Future of Catholic Church

By Charlie Bradley
Express
November 6, 2019

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1200280/christian-news-pope-francis-vatican-leader-warning-critics-catholic-church-spt

The Argentine Pope also criticised divisive behaviour in his interview that comes during political unrest in the Vatican.

He said there are “circles and sectors that present themselves as enlightened and even (seize) the proclamation of the Gospel through their distorted reasoning that divides the world between civilized and barbaric".

The most recent furore surrounding Francis came as he embarked on his Amazon synod, announcing that married men in the region will be permitted to become priests, a policy that subverts traditional Catholic attitudes.

Addressing the public in St Peter's Square last month, Francis said he and other participants of the gathering felt spurred to "leave comfortable shores" in seeking new ways to carry out the Church's core mission to spread the Catholic faith.

In his interview seen in the book, titled 'Without Him, We Can Do Nothing: a Conversation About Being Missionaries in Today’s World', Francis called out those who questioned his Amazon policy.

He said: “They consider a large part of the human family as if they were a lower-class entity, unable to achieve decent levels in spiritual and intellectual life according to their standards.

"On this basis, contempt can develop for people considered to be second rate.

“Christianity will also reflect the different faces of the cultures and peoples in which it is received and takes root.”

Christian news: Pope Benedict XVI still lives within the Vatican walls (Image: getty)

Christian news: Pope Francis has come under fire from Salvini (Image: getty)

The Pope's progressive approach has seen a wholesale change in the Catholic Church.

The Pope has already appointed cardinals from less notorious churches spanning further across the globe. Just last month, cardinals from less established countries such as Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Lithuania were appointed.

This policy will likely lead to his replacement holding similar values when he departs from the role.

His critics have grown impatient with this policy, including Francis' predecessor Benedict XVI, who demanded he remained domiciled in an apartment on Vatican grounds amid his own doubts of Francis' methods.

He also faces opposition from outside the Church, as Italian politician Matteo Salvini remains staunchly opposed to his tenure.

The two have differing views on immigration. Francis has made caring for migrants a hallmark of his papacy, traveling to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa in 2013 in his first trip as Pope to comfort would-be refugees who survived shipwrecks and smugglers to reach Europe.

In stark contrast, Salvini used his powers as Interior Minister to ban boats carrying refugees from docking on Italian ports.

In May 2016, he tweeted: “The Pope says migrants are not a danger. Whatever!"

He was also pictured in 2016 holding a shirt saying “Benedict is my Pope".

 

 

 

 

 




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