Pope Francis I faces challenges on reforms in Catholic Church

The world has turned its focus on Pope Francis I that inherited a church grappling with a range of challenges, with critics calling on the newly-elected pontiff to reform the Catholic institution.

According to an analysis carried by Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle on Thursday, one of the new pope’s most important challenges is to repair the tainted image of the Roman Catholic Church following revelations regarding sexual abuse of children by priests.

Critics have also urged Francis I to deal with financial corruption, increasing secularism among the Catholics and the prevalence of homosexuality among members of the clergy in the Church.

On March 3, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was named the new pope of the Roman Catholic Church, taking the nickname of Pope Francis I. The pontiff, who is the first Jesuit pope, is said to be a fan of soccer.

Pope Francis I is believed to have more liberal attitudes compared to his predecessors. However, he has supported the Vatican’s stance that denounces same-sex couples adopting children as a devil act and a “war against God.”

He also supports the idea that forbidding the marriage of cardinals, which is a war against the rule of God and human nature, has amounted to widespread corruption in the Catholic Church.

According to a report by the New York Times on March 13, the new pope will have to deal with challenges including “a shortage of priests, growing competition from evangelical churches in the Southern Hemisphere, a sexual abuse crisis that has undermined the church’s moral authority in the West and difficulties governing the Vatican itself.”

In addition, Pope Francis I should also tackle the issue of a divided church in the United States. Various cases of child abuse in the US alone have cost the Catholic Church more than USD 3 billions.

According to a recent survey, most US Catholics consider the cases of sexual abuse as the most important challenge which should be confronted by the new pope.

Pope Francis replaced Pope Benedict XVI as the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholics.

On February 11, the 85-year old Benedict XVI announced his decision to step down, saying he was no longer able to carry out his duties due to his advanced age. He officially resigned on February 28, becoming the first pope to resign in 600 years.