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Pope Francis has outlined his vision for the future of the Catholic Church in an 84-page Apostolic Exhortation titled “The Joy of the Gospel,” calling for powers to be stripped from the Vatican, although he ruled out allowing women priests.
Pope Francis said he was seeking advise on how his role should change – using an informal style for his first “apostolic exhortation”.
“It is my duty, as the Bishop of Rome, to be open to suggestions which can help make the exercise of my ministry more faithful to the meaning which Jesus Christ wished to give it,” the pope wrote.
Pope Francis said it was time for “a conversion of the papacy”, adding that “excessive centralization, rather than proving helpful, complicates the Church’s life.”
Bishops should have “genuine doctrinal authority”, he said in the document.
On abortion, Pope Francis said the Church “cannot be expected to change her position on this question” although he added that it should do more “to adequately accompany women in very difficult situations, where abortion appears as a quick solution.”
The pontiff has instituted a council of cardinals to advise him on reforms including a shake-up of the Vatican bureaucracy after a series of high-profile scandals in recent years and disgruntlement in many local churches.
In the document, Pope Francis stressed the importance of the Church’s social message and criticized the injustices of the global economy – a priority for his papacy.
Sources
Los Angeles Times
The Guardian
The Telegraph
Image: AFP/The Telegraph
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