A new Pope has emerged from a conclave .... leader of the Roman Catholic world, and the most powerful figure in the Christian world.
A momentous day for South America, Argentina, and the south, and the first time the old pope has witnessed his on successor being enthroned in hundreds of years.
No doubt reams of press and coverage will be about, but this is one of the first posts .... 1.2 billion Catholics and the world are expectant. He takes over at a time when the Christian world is under assault by another 'world religion', and where in the developed world, belief in religion has fallen (except where immigration has brought Islam lapping at the door), in fact to the point where Western governments (including the UK), legislate against Catholic beliefs ..... indeed Argentina is one of these countries where the secular law has clashed with those church teachings e.g. Gay Marriage.
A time of change for the Church in the West, but not in the South ..... maybe the centre of the church is about to move away from Europe for ever, as this Popes age means that there will likely be another conclave inside the next decade, and that may mean another South American or African Pope.
HABEMVS
PAPAM
"I bring you news of great joy ..... we have a pope"
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| Pope Francis I - Jorge Bergoglio |
A momentous day for South America, Argentina, and the south, and the first time the old pope has witnessed his on successor being enthroned in hundreds of years.
No doubt reams of press and coverage will be about, but this is one of the first posts .... 1.2 billion Catholics and the world are expectant. He takes over at a time when the Christian world is under assault by another 'world religion', and where in the developed world, belief in religion has fallen (except where immigration has brought Islam lapping at the door), in fact to the point where Western governments (including the UK), legislate against Catholic beliefs ..... indeed Argentina is one of these countries where the secular law has clashed with those church teachings e.g. Gay Marriage.
A time of change for the Church in the West, but not in the South ..... maybe the centre of the church is about to move away from Europe for ever, as this Popes age means that there will likely be another conclave inside the next decade, and that may mean another South American or African Pope.
There's no denying that Christianity is on the wane in Europe, but not in the North and South America, nor Africa and that's surely where the Papacy will move.
ReplyDeleteIn 200 yrs (give or take), Rome may become for the Catholics, what Constantinople is to the Orthodox church ... a spiritual ideal, but with few or no adherents living there.
Maybe reports of the Death of the West are premature?
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