Pope Francis' push for a 'more inclusive church' still faces 'vocal opposition' from hardliners: report

A decade has passed since Jorge Mario Bergoglio, aka Pope Francis, became the leader of the Catholic Church. Francis' leadership began in March 2013, and the 86-year-old pope continues to have his share of admirers and detractors.

By Vatican standards, Francis has been more liberal than his predecessors. But to his critics on the far right, Francis has been too liberal. And debates over Francis' leadership underscore the divisions within Catholicism in 2023.

On one hand, President Joe Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) identify as devout Catholics. Yet both of them are vehement critics of the U.S. Supreme Court, which is now dominated by far-right Catholics such as Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Amy Coney Barrett. And Justice Sonia Sotomayor is herself a Catholic who dislikes the Court's current direction.

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Biden, Pelosi and Sotomayor are examples of Catholics who have a more liberal — or at least a more moderate — approach to Catholicism, while Thomas, Alito and Barrett are among Catholicism's severe hardliners. And during Francis' ten years as pope, there has been a great deal of debate among Catholics about whether the pope is too liberal or not liberal enough. Some right-wing Catholics believe the Buenos Aires native is too supportive of gay rights; some liberals believe he should be more supportive.

Sylvia Poggioli, reporting for National Public Radio (NPR) in an article published on March 13, examines some of the reforms that have come about under Francis' leadership during the last ten years.

"The pope has opened up the (Catholic) Church administration, with many women in leadership positions," Poggioli observes. "And he has declared war on clericalism — that old boys' network of priests, bishops and cardinals…. Francis has promoted outreach to other religions, in particular intensifying the Church's dialogue with Islam."

But according to David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University in the Bronx, Catholicism's hardliners are not happy with him.

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Gibson told NPR, "The opposition to Francis is increasingly vocal. The opposition is very strong. It's very passionate. It's everything goes."

In Germany, for example, Cardinal Gerhard Müller has described Francis' leadership as a "hostile takeover" of the Catholic Church. And Poggioli notes that Francis' "scathing critiques of laissez-faire capitalism" and "staunch environmentalism" have "angered many conservatives."

The NPR reporter writes, "Francis' goal is a more inclusive church, where everyone can be heard and share in the decision-making. The conservatives will likely do all they can to thwart the pope's agenda."

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Read NPR's full report at this link.