GERMANY
National Catholic Reporter
Christa Pongratz-Lippitt | Sep. 26, 2013
Curia reform and how to improve the Vatican’s negative image will take priority when Pope Francis’ eight-member council of cardinals meets in October, says the German cardinal on that council.
He also says Francis has brought a “new atmosphere” and “new sensitivity” to the church.
Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich gave an extended interview to the German weekly newsmagazine Die Zeit in September. He discussed the present state of the church and the changes that are crucial in his eyes.
“We need a strong central authority and that is why, as I have already emphasized in Rome, we must improve the Holy See’s reputation. The Curia is here to help local churches, which are not just Roman offshoots. We must bring a positive change to the Vatican’s image. It must no longer be possible for our faithful to regard the Vatican primarily as something negative. We must once again be able to be proud of our headquarters,” said Marx, who is president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community.
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