Going against the esteemed Catholic tradition of neglecting science and not being the most socially accepting group in the world, Pope Francis embraces scientific evidence and adapts to a changing world. Pope Francis is on a mission to atone for the Catholic sins in prior centuries and fix the tarnished reputation that has tainted the Catholic church. Recent controversy surrounding the Catholic church went so far up as Cardinals in the Vatican, but Pope Francis has turned the tides, appealing to youthful Christians that were once ostracized by the Catholic Church. The most impressive part of the Pope’s campaign to civilize is the less than stellar precedent that has been set for him by previous popes. While any pope tends to be adored by devout Catholics, Francis stretches beyond the walls of Catholicism and appeals to people of all religious backgrounds.
By getting ahead of the curve, the Catholic church no longer needs to run from the facts; they not only soften the blow science has given the church, but they can embrace science to account for an evolving world. The Pope has mentioned evolution and climate change as legitimate scientific theories, he has embraced the Church’s responsibility of dealing with the issue of climate change. These issues, for obvious reasons, are cumbersome topics for churches throughout the world, but Pope Francis breaks through the barrier of awkwardness to get to real problems that we need to solve. He came down harsh on corporations who omit toxic emissions to increase profit, calling it our “moral responsibility” to be responsible care keepers of God’s kingdom. Instead of using religion as an excuse to not deal with this alarming issue, Pope Francis uses his faith as all the more reason to deal with with this pertinent matter.
This summer, the Pope made a call to action, using his power as the face of the Catholic Church to put an end to the fallacies spread by many of his subordinates. In addition to his pioneer position on climate change, the Pope has been involved in many more international victories including lifting the harsh trade sanctions on Cuba, embracing 21st century technology like the internet, progressing the Catholic Church’s stance on homosexuality, and apologizing for past controversies in the Catholic Church as opposed to acting like they never happened. The church has come under close scrutiny in recent years for their handling of the sexual abuse scandal and the way many people high up in the Vatican seem to have Joe Paterno’d the situation by turning the other cheek to the unforgivable acts committed by a number of Catholic clerics. While it does not come anywhere close to making up for the terrible grievances, the Pope has personally met with some of the victims of the sexual assaults, apologizing for everything that the victims had to go through and trying to help them through such difficult times.
Pope Francis has rediscovered what spirituality is all about, he focuses less on forcing his religion onto others, and more about showing them the values that his faith instills in himself. He refused to move into Papal palace because he believes life is about more than an excessively elegant lifestyle, instead he maintained his simple lifestyle while staying connected with people of all social classes. It is rumored that at night, he sneaks out of the Vatican to pray with the homeless and less fortunate.
In the past, the entire Christian religion could be a little a little bit more progressive on certain social issues, in particular the topic of homosexuality. Previously the Catholic church had avoided the issue other than saying the do not approve of the LGBT lifestyle. However, Pope Francis stuck his head out there in order to stick up for the gay community saying that tolerance and respect is more important than one or two verses written in the Bible. While the Church still has a long way to go on this issue as they still do not approve of gay marriage, the Pope’s courageous view on the topic has opened the door for a new era of Catholic progressivism.
The Catholic Church needed something new, something different than the typical anti-progressive view, something innovative and refreshing. And with Francis, the Catholic church has been blessed with a someone to answer to the Revenge of the Sith, they have been blessed with A New Pope.