AUSTRALIA
CathNews
The new Pope must save the Catholic Church from waning influence amid the evils of modern society – and may well be an Italian – says Cardinal George Pell, one of the 117 men who will elect a new pontiff next month, reports The Sunday Telegraph.
In an exclusive interview, Cardinal Pell said the vote was “enormously important for the Church”.
“If we go under, we surrender to the tides that are breaking up families, decreasing the birth rate, the challenges of alcoholism and drugs and pornography. If we collapse or we wobble disastrously, it won’t be for the good of the western world at all,” he said.
Cardinal Pell will fly to Rome on Friday, where he will meet other cardinals before being secluded inside the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel to choose a replacement for the retiring Pope Benedict.
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