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| Pope Francis's emphasis on social justice could reinvigorate the church | Pope Francis's emphasis on social justice could reinvigorate the church |
| (4 months later) | |
| He's convinced the cardinals, wowed the crowds and on Saturday he attempted perhaps the trickiest task of all – to woo the hardbitten media. And Pope Francis pulled it off spectacularly, speaking warmly to several thousand journalists crowded into the Vatican's Paul VI hall about their hard work covering his election and passionately of "a poor church for poor people". | He's convinced the cardinals, wowed the crowds and on Saturday he attempted perhaps the trickiest task of all – to woo the hardbitten media. And Pope Francis pulled it off spectacularly, speaking warmly to several thousand journalists crowded into the Vatican's Paul VI hall about their hard work covering his election and passionately of "a poor church for poor people". |
| The gathering was yet more evidence of a church undergoing a fundamental shift. Riven by scandal, mired in countless dramas over leaked Vatican documents, worn down by squabbling over the return of retro-liturgies, the Catholic church has seemed an exhausted organisation in recent years. Now there is a pope who, despite his 76 years, seems vibrant and engaging and offers a different perspective – focusing on matters of justice. | The gathering was yet more evidence of a church undergoing a fundamental shift. Riven by scandal, mired in countless dramas over leaked Vatican documents, worn down by squabbling over the return of retro-liturgies, the Catholic church has seemed an exhausted organisation in recent years. Now there is a pope who, despite his 76 years, seems vibrant and engaging and offers a different perspective – focusing on matters of justice. |
| The Argentinian pope's emphasis on working with the poor will delight Catholics in Britain and in the poorest parts of the planet, where there is a vast network of Catholic schools, health care provision and social services. But this pope is emphatic that the church can't just be a version of Oxfam: it always has to put Christ at its centre. While he said that he had taken his papal name from Francis of Assisi, his approach – social action alongside deep spirituality – is typical of his own Jesuit order and its founder saints, Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier. | The Argentinian pope's emphasis on working with the poor will delight Catholics in Britain and in the poorest parts of the planet, where there is a vast network of Catholic schools, health care provision and social services. But this pope is emphatic that the church can't just be a version of Oxfam: it always has to put Christ at its centre. While he said that he had taken his papal name from Francis of Assisi, his approach – social action alongside deep spirituality – is typical of his own Jesuit order and its founder saints, Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier. |
| He also spoke of wanting a church that is poor. To Vatican-watchers, this is code for saying that he wants it to be more humble. He himself is eschewing the trappings of office. Rather than wear the red slippers beloved of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, he has opted for plain black shoes. Rather than sit on the papal throne to meet the cardinals, he walked over to greet them and kissed several on each cheek. | He also spoke of wanting a church that is poor. To Vatican-watchers, this is code for saying that he wants it to be more humble. He himself is eschewing the trappings of office. Rather than wear the red slippers beloved of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, he has opted for plain black shoes. Rather than sit on the papal throne to meet the cardinals, he walked over to greet them and kissed several on each cheek. |
| There will be interest in whether he will reform the curia – the church's governing body – after his remark on Saturday to the press about the church having a structure. The state of the Vatican's bureaucracy caused several heated interventions among the cardinals in their talks before the conclave. The "VatiLeaks" documents revealed infighting and chaos among the men who run the church and there have been rumours of corruption and even sexual misdemeanours being exposed by an inquiry ordered by Benedict XVI, the pope emeritus. He is said to have left the inquiry report locked in a safe for his successor. | There will be interest in whether he will reform the curia – the church's governing body – after his remark on Saturday to the press about the church having a structure. The state of the Vatican's bureaucracy caused several heated interventions among the cardinals in their talks before the conclave. The "VatiLeaks" documents revealed infighting and chaos among the men who run the church and there have been rumours of corruption and even sexual misdemeanours being exposed by an inquiry ordered by Benedict XVI, the pope emeritus. He is said to have left the inquiry report locked in a safe for his successor. |
| There are even signs that the Vatican press operation may handle controversy differently. In recent years it has struggled with difficult issues, particularly the clerical sex abuse scandal which dominated much of Benedict's papacy. With the claims that the future pope failed to help two priests from his own Jesuit order working in the slums, who were arrested and tortured in 1976 during the Argentinian "dirty war", the press office attempted to get ahead of the story and close it down. | There are even signs that the Vatican press operation may handle controversy differently. In recent years it has struggled with difficult issues, particularly the clerical sex abuse scandal which dominated much of Benedict's papacy. With the claims that the future pope failed to help two priests from his own Jesuit order working in the slums, who were arrested and tortured in 1976 during the Argentinian "dirty war", the press office attempted to get ahead of the story and close it down. |
| One issue Catholics will watch closely is how Pope Francis gets on with his predecessor. It was first suggested that he would visit the pope emeritus straight away but the Vatican has announced that he will see him next Saturday, 10 days after his election, indicating he is his own man. | One issue Catholics will watch closely is how Pope Francis gets on with his predecessor. It was first suggested that he would visit the pope emeritus straight away but the Vatican has announced that he will see him next Saturday, 10 days after his election, indicating he is his own man. |
| Then there is Archbishop Georg Gänswein, who has a double role as private secretary to the pope emeritus and prefect to the papal household. Pope Francis will have to decide whether the archbishop, one of Benedict's closest confidants, will be a useful intermediary or cannot serve two masters.Catherine Pepinster is editor of the Tablet | Then there is Archbishop Georg Gänswein, who has a double role as private secretary to the pope emeritus and prefect to the papal household. Pope Francis will have to decide whether the archbishop, one of Benedict's closest confidants, will be a useful intermediary or cannot serve two masters.Catherine Pepinster is editor of the Tablet |
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