Christian division: Pope Francis and the struggle for the future of the church

Christian division: Pope Francis and the struggle for the future of the church

Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgien - The Catholic Church faces a severe tear test, as the Vatican expert Marco Politi describes in his new book "The unfinished. Francis' heir and the struggle for his successor". The Italian journalist warns that an inner church division under Pope Francis has become more visible. "The past ten years have been a situation of the underground citizens' war," said Politi in an interview. In particular, the reforms of the past few years, including the opening for re-wasted divorced and the discussion about women's diaconate, have led to strong tensions within the church. While some women were appointed in high positions of the Roman Curia, the final decision on their role is missing. The first and second commission on this topic were divided, which leads to dissatisfaction, such as kathpress.at reported.

These conflicts are not only noticeable inside the church, but also influence public perceptions and reactions. Especially the latest statements by Pope Francis on the role of women were sharply criticized at the Catholic University of Louvain. In a speech, the Pope had stated that the dignity was not determined by consensus or ideologies and emphasized its specific role in society. The university distanced itself from these statements as a "deterministic and reductionist position". Rector Françoise Smets pointed out that men can also take responsibility in the family and that women should not be disadvantaged in other areas. The UC Louvain asked the Church to also work for equality and against discrimination, sueddeutsche.de Fest.

Franziskus' pontificate remains formative despite internal resistance, in particular through the support of women and laypersons in church offices. However, politici brings concerns about the imbalance between reform -oriented and conservative forces within the church. It remains uncertain what the future of reforms will look like because the conservatives are well organized, while the reform supporters appear less public and loud.