First of all, I would like to congratulate Pope Francis I on his election, becoming the first South American to head the Vatican. Although the Church has been having some serious trouble over the last decade with numerous scandals and harsh although often warranted criticism, I feel his election is an appropriate step in the right direction and an indication that the Catholic Church is concerned about the affairs of the New World.
In his short tenure as pope, despite what many see as a conservative ideology in matters of faith, he has already taken some admirable stands on major issues. Having grown up poor, he has condemned world leaders for their failure to take care of their poorest citizens, calling for stringent market controls, which have been supported by leaders as diverse as Chancellor Merkel and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. He recently asserted that atheists are worthy of redemption. According to some reports, he has also supported the use of contraceptives, a long-standing controversial issue within the Church.
For all the criticism faced by the Catholic Church for being a ‘backwards ideology,’ there is a great deal to admire, even if I find myself not always agreeing – their adamant pro-life stance alongside their equally prominent stands against war and the death penalty, show a strong regard for human life. It is also easy today to forget the longstanding tradition of great artwork that the faith has inspired, Michaelangelo, Botticelli, DaVinci, or the Church’s significant contributions to the sciences, supporting the studies of Roger Bacon, of Copernicus, and Mendel.
Also significant and largely overlooked, are their positions on protecting the environment and the theory of evolution, which the Church fully supports, upholding that the teachings of science are fully compatible with their theology. Continue reading
Sources
- James Sullivan in The Clyde Fitch Report
- Image: The Telegraph