Pope to global elite: Do more for poor

[olegramps]

17. The Catholic Church's past abuses have seriously damaged any hope for respect.

Many acknowledge and welcome Pope Francis' redirect the Church's focus to the fundamental teaching of Jesus. However the hypocrisy and the massive abuse of children that was systematically covered up can not be easily dispelled. The redirection of the Catholic Church's rigid interpretations and stringent doctrines on a number of issues appears to make it virtually impossible to reexamine the Church's position on a number of critical issues any time in the near future.

The Tea Party extremists remind me of the same danger they share with the Catholic Church of taking positions that do not allow for any deviation or possible compromise. The question remains can the Catholic Church change its positions on these fundamental issues and remain the Catholic Church. Its positions on these so called immutable issues indeed is the very definition of itself. Timeless and unchanging.

The only choice for many Catholics was not to remain and hopelessly cling to the notion that the Church would change its views, but, often with a sad heart to simply abandon the Church. Some left in anger, some, including clergy and nuns, disillusioned by the dashed hope that had been fostered by Vatican II, and the massive exodus of young people who simply see the church as totally irrelevant to their lifestyles and needs. A large portion of those who remain simply choose to want to belief and what the simple ignore. Francis has an impossible task and is a prisoner of the very doctrines that define who and what he is.