Future of the Catholic Church

There are many things that you can compliment Pope Francis for. However if I were to describe Pope Francis in one word, it would definitely have to be: Pope-ular...

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Okay, bad jokes aside, there is no doubt that Pope Francis is getting a lot of attention and, in many ways, appeals to both Catholics and non-catholics aside. No matter what critics say, he is defended by people all around.

However, as time slips away from his inaugural mass and he settles into his throne of Papacy, he'll realize just how uncomfortable the cushions are. In front of the Pope, there is a rocky road and a trying time for the Catholic Church where modern times are taking their toll and faith is being broken over the infamous child sex abuse scandal.

While he has spent much time on building up his image of a gentle and sympathetic church, Francis has avoided putting his hands deep into the mud and solving these problems. I don't mean to criticise him but there are 1.2 Billion people out there waiting for his guiding hand. Whether or not Francis is up to this task is a very good question.

Praying for Texas

Late on wednesday, a explosion at an Texas Fertilizer Plant rippled throughout the surroundings, hurting over 100 people. Buildings were levelled and destroyed in the process. An undertemined number of people died.

In response to this, Pope Francis asks for many to join him in praying for the lost souls of Texas and their families.

Sources:
Vatican News

Pope Francis Support U.S. Nun Crackdown

When Pope Francis came into Papacy with his efforts for a more merciful and tender church, some of the nuns in the U.S. certainly had high hopes that the Pope wouldn't follow the path of his predecessor. Unfortunately, their hopes were dimmed as Pope Francis supports the Holy See's crackdown on the largest group of U.S. Nuns.

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious were determined by the Vatican that it took position against Catholic teachings on subjects such as priesthood and homeosexuality.

Following Francis' election, sisters hopes that the Jesuit Pope would take a gentler approach then his predecessor. Yet at the same time, Reverend James Martin advises to not read to much into the Vatican's statement. Rather, he says that it would be rather unnatural for Francis to undo a process that has been in work for years.

Hopefully, Pope Francis means no harm in following his predecessor's path and is simply following tradition.

Source:
World Wide Religion News

Pope Francis and the UN

On the morning of tuesday, April 9th, Pope Francis had a meeting with Secretary General of the UN Ban Ki-moon. It is tradition for the Pope and the UN to meet up in order to discuss plans for the common good of humanity and the defense of human rights.

The two focused on issues of mutual interest, in particular on situations of conflict and serious humanitarian emergencies. These included the matters of the Korean Peninsula and the African continent.

It's a nice sight to see these two powerful leaders getting along and discussing matter regarding the common good of humanity.

Source:
Vatican News

North Carolina and an official religion

Now, considering that probably every news station convering the greater United States area is probably buzzing about this, this blog post is basically unnecessary but you know...

Anyways, just recently, North Carolina, Henry Warren and Carl Ford, those which are currently looking to pass a set of bills that will allow the state to adopt an official state religion. I don't even think that its necessary for me to go into detail in order to describe what kinds of effect that this may have...

Source:
Forbes

Pope Francis and Feminism

It has been a bit of time since Pope Francis has been elected and he seems to be liked overall by not only the church but also the rest of the media. He has this sort of inclusive way of speaking that is easy to understand and never excluding.

However, of the thing that he hasn't said, he has barely spoken up about matters that are pressed amongst many minds. There has been no mention of birth control, same-sex marriage and related gender issues, no in-depth mention of feminism, nor the death.

Hopefully, for the billion or so followers of the Catholic Chruch, Pope Francis will in fact speak up about these matters that many are looking for advice for soon.

Source:
http://wwrn.org/articles/39443/?place=vatican

Sufi Shrine blown up by Unknown Assailants

Just last thursday, a Sufi Shrine was bombed by unkown culprits in Libya, the first attack since several from the last year, according to the local residents. Ultra-conservative Islamists have targeted Sufi grounds before due to the conservatives deeming the Sufis to be idolatrous.

“It was a bomb attack. The doors and windows were blown out, the inside is charred,” said a local anonymous witness. He also said that one person had been arrested in connection with the attack and was now under investigation.

Source:
World Wide Religion news