From the day he took office, Pope Francis made it clear that he sought a new direction for the Roman Catholic church. He walked away from the trappings usually bestowed on a Pontiff and now he has indicated a spirit of renewal by tackling three of the issues that divide his church from the rest of the world.
Abortion - gay marriage - and contraception loom large within the church community as points of contention. It is unlikely that Pope Francis will suddenly reverse the stance that has existed for centuries, but his comments show a new willingness to compromise - and accept that sin does not mean automatic exclusion from the church community.
The problem is that any change in the dogma of the church will become a point of contention for purists. When the Catholic church permitted the mass to be celebrated in the language of the country instead of Latin, many rejected this change. There are still some churches that celebrate mass in a language that few understand.
Similarly, when the church dropped the instruction that Catholics refrain from eating meat on Friday, this was a habit some felt uncomfortable in adopting. It is noticeable that even today, pubs and clubs that offer " counter lunches " always include a fish dish on Fridays to serve Catholic customers who still observe that custom.
Whether the church likes it or not, gay marriage seems to have become a fact of life. It is hard to see the church accepting abortion, but the ban on contraception in this overcrowded world does not make a lot of sense - and the vast majority of educated Catholics use it anyway !
That seems to be the sticking point. " Educated " Catholics in the western world have an entirely different outlook to their less educated brethren in Asia and Africa. Changes that would be welcomed in this part of the world may be totally rejected elsewhere.
Pope Francis is a brave soul. If his church is to progress it must shed outdated dogma that no longer has relevance, but in doing this he risks the danger of schism.
That would not be a new experience for the Roman Catholic church. The Reformation split the church and formed the Protestant ethic and various Orthodox orders exist in other parts of the world. Roman Catholic congregations are expanding in Africa and Asia, but dwindling in South America and Europe - it's former home ground.
Pope Francis has undertaken a long journey on a very lonely road. Reform of the Roman Catholic church is a huge undertaking - that is long overdue.
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