What do you see as the biggest challenge facing Pope Francis as the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church changes?
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10 responses to “”
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The challenge is not to change the people (the “flock”), but to change the leadership.
In this religion as in many others, the people seem to be far ahead of the old patriarchal leadership, which is increasingly proving itself irrelevant and absurd because so resistant to change.
For example, European Catholic women did not listen to a pope when he told them they should not use contraceptives.
It is interesting to note that in Europe, Bob Marley drew a much larger crowd than the pope many years ago.
There is progress.
Of course in my opinion, all leadership, of all kinds, is completely irrelevant, except for a person who is blind, deaf and/or mentally challenged.
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“…it’s important to understand that Bergoglio, like Joseph Ratzinger and Karol Wojtyla before him, was part of the right-wing counterrevolution within the church that aggressively rolled back those changes (Vatican ll), crushed dissident thought and reasserted the absolute power of the pope and his hierarchy.
Pope Francis is a longtime ally of Communion and Liberation, a fiercely conservative Catholic organization that insists on “total fidelity and communion” with the church leadership and is devoted, among other things, to battling European socialism and Latin American liberation theology.”
From: Is Pope Francis a Fraud?
By: Andrew O’Hehir
On: AlterNet websiteIt looks like there won’t be any challenge, just the same old right wing politics of the Vatican (as formerly denounced by Matthew Fox on this site).
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Unfortunately what I see as a native Italian raised Catholic and moved to California 3 years ago because of a difficult economy and deeply suffering of a country that no longer nourish but drain your energy either Spiritual or physical, I see a Pope that is called from the nation to bring hope, Italians are still so connected to their Spiritual leader who is the Pope.
Francis will have to deal with many problems that were for centuries kept within Vatican walls, he will have to “try” to cut luxurious expenses such as cars, expensive clothes, privileges, to cut the corrupted ministries. I guess Pope Luciani was trying to do that as well and after 33 days he died…..
Another difficult task for Pope Francis will be to deal with a World that is questioning religions principles, a World that is profoundly changing and we cannot stop it anymore.
The change is on, the Universe is teaching us a new way that we have been calling for a long time.
Blessings
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The Catholic Church is so many many light years away from much of the rest of society in its accepted insanity of minoritizing & marginalizing women.
Also not allowing priest & nuns to have sex is so crazy as to make one wonder why these kind of religious ideas still exist on this planet at this time.
In spite of the Continued Catholic Insanity, there are good things, wonderful things that the people of this faith have & continue to do.
They do so while ignoring the insanity of the Church leadership & doing good things regardless of the Church authorities continued mostly unchecked mental illness.
That is commendable.
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There are wonderful challenges to become of in any type of leadership experience, and the Papal position is no different, though it does come with a few unique to it’s service.
One is the increasing intolerance for the lack of Self control exampled by this Church’s leader team in regard to human nature vs. Catholic tenet. Folks, especially those outside of this Church’s realm, have become very aware of the fact that children are not safe in this struggle, and that cover-ups are their main form solution…Unacceptable ‘justice’ in the eyes of a growing populace.
This, along with the billions in revenue contributions that this Church, as well as all others, should be freely & fairly giving back to a Society that allows them to establish & continue their business.
People are Seeing that religion is quite prosperous & that they operate as any other corporation…That the “separation of Church & State” does not exist, except where ‘laws of the land’ are concerned…That the Vatican, as well as other large religious groups, support extremely powerful lobbies, yet pay no taxes, even on enormous properties & assets that they acquire, nor are they subject to the laws their lobbies initiate or buy. So, I See many challenges in re-defining these stances.
It will be interesting to See how traditions will alter or falter in these times…Indeed!
Good Journey, Francis!
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Perhaps: to accept the reencarnation; to stop the nonsense rituals; stop the punishment on the sins; start promoting a free intepretation about the bible.
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Luis…I really like how you put that…”free interpretation about the bible.” That movement by all religions, about all the ‘bibles’, would be quite love-ly, indeed. 🙂
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The real challenge will be to maintain a laughingly outdated religious structure in a world of rapidly evolving persectives caused by the cosmic “shift” in consciousness that is apon us.
To think that a bunch of old men (sans women) have sat around a table wearing funny hats to decide who the next infalible human will be is so bizzare that it can only be described as comedic pharse.
An infalible human, I’d like to see that!!!!!!!
Hello Mewabe my friend, I see you are again prefering the idea of internal leadership over external leadership.
While I do agree that the final source & the last authority comes from within, external leadership will be just as important to the survival of humans as internal leadership.
The challenges we face as a planet will not be solved by an individual but by groups of individuals banding together to create positive change. The days of the lone messiah are long gone & it is only through combined efforts of groups that real change can take place.
Groups need some kind leadership to operate successfully & when good leadership is present, amazing things can happen.
Gahndi is a great example.
Great leadership knows that the ideas of compassion & respect for others must always be the begining of any effort, no matter how hostile or repulsive the opposition may be.
Great leadership inspires & expands in others those quaities which benifit & contribute to the wellfare of all.
Great leadership never seeks to make others dependant, rather it seeks to empower independance in all those that look to it for guidence.
This is the kind of leadership that is needed today.
L & G
Scott
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Thanks Scott…no, I do not believe in leadership, but neither do I believe in self-centered individualism.
I believe in unity and kinship…in consensus. I guess that is the real meaning of anarchy…not disorder and chaos, as the term has wrongly come to be associated with, but leadership by the people, the people being equal in terms of “authority” or participation.
That’s what some did not understand about the OWS movement…no “apparent” leadership, because the people lead, in equality and consensus.
The world is apparently not ready for this, for this more evolved model.
In the social order I believe in the dynamic of the circle (equality, consensus, cooperation) rather than the of the pyramid (hierarchy, authority, dominant power, competition for the top).
The circle is matriarchal, the pyramid is patriarchal.
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Hello Neale
Vatican has thousands educated agents, sworn in Blood, Jesuits Priests to pose as priest of other religious denomination and spiritually evolved people to protect Pope power and to create on the spiritual www. talk forums trouble. To create evil, to disrupt important discussions about Holy Books and Religious Institutions past deeds to humanity.
Vatican is about God of FEAR with NEEDS.
You preach about God of Love , who has no NEED.
Call him dear Neale, and ask him to have a session with you in Vatican, jest make shore I am with you and do not drink any tea while on Vatican Ground.
Vatican is being sued in the world court for many crimes against Native American Indians.
Pope has his hand full of sins and his holy mafia, Jesuits priests, will not be able
to defend.
Vatican is hoping that they Secret Jesuit Agents Leader, the new pope will be able to handle all the truth about God of love.
But he will not.
Vatican has been given many opportunities to come clean about the God of FEAR.
They have realized they are going down with the ship, it is jest matter of time.
There is going to be Hell to pay all over the Christian world when the truth comes
out.
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