New Pope brings hope?

**Whether you subscribe to the Catholic faith or shy away from religion, you have undoubtedly been bombarded with news in recent weeks regarding the election of the new Pope. **

With intense media attention surrounding his election and inauguration he presents a rather unfamiliar image of the Church, one that seems to be moving away from the controversies surrounding Benedict’s period in office. However, for all of this talk of change and the presentation of a revitalised Church, will we actually notice a difference?

With 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide, the Vatican certainly plays an important role in global affairs through the Pope’s ability to influence both the secular and religious world. Be this in the form of positive action such as through international diplomacy or charitable work, or religious conservatism that has negative consequences such as the opposition to the use of condoms in Africa, the far-reaching influence of the Vatican and the Catholic faith is undeniable.

{{ quote This Pope is taking active measures to be closer to his followers and generally portray himself as a Pope for the People }}

However, under Pope Benedict, the reputation of the Church has been severely damaged by inexcusable scandals, most notably regarding sexual abuse. As a result of both this and the Church’s reluctance to reform and modernise its policies, faith continues decline in many Western nations such as our own. This has seen the influence and authority of the Vatican decline; a trend epitomized by the frequent derision of Pope Benedict. From this, it would appear that as a society we no longer seem to place the Vatican on a pedestal of moral perfection, but rather we view it with wariness.

Despite this recent crisis of faith, Francis’ appointment has largely been met with optimism as he outwardly presents a more amicable image than his predecessor. Scrapping the bulletproof glass surrounding the Popemobile and favouring an iron cross in place of gold, this Pope is taking active measures to be closer to his followers and generally portray himself as a Pope for the People. By moving away from the opulence and grandeur of the Vatican that is often perceived as pompous and acts to alienate many in Western society, Francis has presented himself with humility.

Calling for a Church for the poor, he is distancing himself from the reputation of the Vatican as isolated, conservative and reactionary and in it’s place he is motioning towards a rejuvenated Church which is more relevant to today’s society. These are not just hollow words though as his actions also speak volumes. With the simple yet humble blessing of a disabled man during his inauguration, which has acted as its defining moment, he has started as he means to go on by connecting with those that follow him.

Taking all of this into account, the election of Pope Francis seems to have brought us hope for the future of Catholicism by offering a complete contrast to his predecessor, and with this, we can have real hope that the Church could win back our trust and affection.

However, for all the symbolism of an iron cross and an open top Popemobile, the election of Francis will come to nothing if there are no real changes to Church policy. With the heavy focus on improving the lot of the poor, he may seem like a breath of fresh air, but this seems to be where his liberal tendencies end.

In the past, he has supported the Vatican’s conservative views on abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage, all of which are key issues that the Church needs to address in order to become more relevant and regain the faith of those it has lost, and this looks set to continue. Despite showing some flexibility on the issue of contraception, on the whole his policies do not instil as much confidence in the Church as his welcoming image.

With the bulk of the world’s Catholics being situated in the ‘Global South’, Francis’ focus on the poor and apparent reluctance to reform suggests that the decline in Western faith is unlikely to be reversed any time soon. Despite this, there is clearly potential for a resurgence in the significance of the Vatican in the developed world, but only time will tell whether the election of Francis will truly bring a new dawn for the Church or simply a re-branded version of the same product.

With Francis’ election becoming old news after only a week however, it is clear that to bring about change to the Vatican’s image, real action is required.