Pope Francis marks 10 years as head of the Catholic Church on Monday, hugely popular but facing internal dissent after a decade of reform, even if he has left basic doctrine intact.
When he appeared at the balcony of St Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013 in his plain white papal robes, the newly elected Jorge Bergoglio immediately presented an image of a different kind of papacy.
While he has not deviated from some staunch Catholic beliefs -- he has called abortion murder and homosexuality a sin -- he has shown a more compassionate and less dogmatic approach, including condemning the persecution of gay people. "The pope has engaged the Church on issues that are at the heart of Western democracies, such as the environment, education, law," added Roberto Regoli, professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University.In the face of the ongoing sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the Church worldwide, the pope's reforms have included new obligations to report clerical child abuse and its cover-up.
Despite his advancing age and health problems -- he was hospitalised in 2021 for colon surgery, and now uses a wheelchair due to knee trouble -- Francis continues to travel widely. But some criticise Francis' penchant for doing things his own way, in throwing off the trappings and traditions of the papal office and adopting a very personal governance of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, seeing it as going too far.
Some of it was stirred up by the deaths of two of the conservatives' leading figures -- Benedict, on December 31, and Australian Cardinal George Pell, in January.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
TIMELINE: The life and times of Pope FrancisPope Francis marks the 10th anniversary of his election as pontiff on March 13.
Read more »
Pope Francis' health after 10 years in the job: Slower steps, same determinationPope Francis alternates between using a cane and a wheelchair and he has continued with the same number of private and public audiences as before his knee became a constant problem in 2022.
Read more »
Russian Orthodox head appeals against eviction of church from KyivPatriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, on Saturday asked Pope Francis and other religious leaders to persuade Ukraine to stop a crackdown against a historically Russian-aligned wing of the church. | Reuters
Read more »
Francis after 10 years: Slower steps, same resolveVATICAN CITY — Ten years ago when he became the first Pope from Latin America, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio had a sprightly step and a slimmer girth. Today Pope Francis, 86, is
Read more »
Several dead in Hamburg church shooting: German policeSeveral people have been killed in a shooting in a Jehovah’s Witnesses church in Hamburg, with the gunman believed to be among the dead found in the building, German police said Thursday.
Read more »
Several dead in shooting at Jehovah’s Witness church in Hamburghttps://youtu.be/4CImadB-9aA HAMBURG — Several people were killed in a shooting at a Jehovah&039;s Witness church in the northern German city of Hamburg on Thursday, with the motive for the
Read more »