Pope Francis Research Paper

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Figures in the public eye all have influence over the world around them. Some have a minor amount of influence that has little impact on everyday life. However, some individuals such as politicians and religious leaders can greatly impact the world with what they believe. Pope Francis is a key member of this group of world leaders. He has taken a much more liberal approach of how to view the world and impacts how, not only his followers view society, but non-followers as well. Pope Francis influences a much more liberal view of the world over not only his Catholic followers but other people because of his position of leadership. With this paper I will show how his influence is felt and why he has so much of it. A recent study by the World …show more content…

As The Washington Post reported in a recent article, Pope Francis is awakening a religious tradition to care for the world around us. This is a teaching that, as history shows, has been mainly made by Protestant groups and leaders. However, with the wide group that listen to the things Pope Francis says, this may be the biggest movement to care for the environment ever. The pope is making this a huge issue and is taking a harder stance on this topic than potentially anyone has in the past. Another recent CNN article tells about a recent speech he gave. CNN had a very strong quote from his speech. “The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth” He continued, “In many parts of the planet, the elderly lament that once beautiful landscapes are now covered with rubbish.” These are strong quotes showing how angry he is about the issue. This same article continues to breakdown this passionate and heartfelt speech and gives examples about how large corporations, politicians, scientist, and several other groups are receiving disdain from the pope. With his hardline stance on the issue, it will be interesting to see how much progress the world can make on this issue. He is also bringing caring for the less fortunate to the forefront of faith. He made this clear from the start that he was going to make the Catholic Church more giving and forgiving. An article on Time …show more content…

He is being challenged heavily within the church. Many bishops still hold their more conservative views. A New York Times article shows how this divide has started. The debate is over the pope’s plan of a more inclusive church. He wants to allow those who have been divorced, gay, or other situations to be accepted by the church. The article moves on to talk about how these conservative bishops are causing issues in making these changes. The Columbus Dispatch highlights this issue in an article as well. These social issues are starting to cause a gap in the church. The bishops that agree with the pope are pushing for these reforms while the others want to keep the views of old. The pope doesn’t just face resistance in the church. He is also gaining critics in the United States, specifically with Republican politicians. Republicans generally use their religion as a basis as their views. However, with the new liberal views of the pope they are starting to speak against him. Fox News has started to post against him as well. A recent article called him a false prophet and claim that he is a disappointment to many followers. This article is obviously contested by the amount of people coming out and saying how great he is. A big change in ideology will lead to critics. The Chicago Tribune continued this claiming that republicans would ignore half of what the pope said in a speech to congress. This is because he is not