Pope Francis plays long game to reform Catholic Church [View all]
By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor
VATICAN CITY Wed Oct 22, 2014 9:24am EDT
(Reuters) - After winning praise around the world for his fresh and open style, the honeymoon period seems to be over for Pope Francis.
A tumultuous two-week Vatican synod exposed polarization in the Catholic Church over his push to reform its traditional approach to sexual morality by becoming more welcoming to gays and easing restrictions on divorced and remarried Catholics.
A Jesuit unafraid of frank debate, Francis has set off a clash of opinions not seen since the reformist Second Vatican Council of 1962-1965. Rather than impose his views as a pope can, he has chosen the difficult path to reform by opting to have his bishops freely discuss Catholic teaching on sex.
The pope won a standing ovation from almost 200 bishops at the synod's close on Saturday and general support for his reform drive. But a vocal minority, backed by what one cardinal called a "massive wave of attacks" on the pope from traditionalist media, emerged to block some of the reform proposals.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/22/us-pope-reform-idUSKCN0IB1K020141022
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