Perhaps Broader Views are Coming to Catholics


The head of the University of Notre Dame has written a book in which he wrestles with the changes taking place in the Catholic denomination. 

He discusses in the early 1900's the denomination was 2/3rds Europe and the U. S. Numbers in those countries have dropped dramatically. Now, the non-white populations on other continents, especially Africa, are the majority. He is baffled as to the cause of the drop in Europe and the U.S. but knows the huge denomination must find a new and refreshing way to tell its story if it is to continue to succeed in Africa and Asia. 

He points out one problem facing Catholicism is that the church hierarchy became more male-dominated just at the time women were becoming more independent from domination by men. It has never made an adjustment, but Pope Francis is trying to find a path forward from this dilemma. Francis has a passion for issues surrounding poverty which is new to some members of the clergy.  

Many Catholic women are asking where they fit into the Catholic future? Women of color are made worse off with every measure supported by the church and its affiliation with the Republican Party. This link says the church would have a better future if it supported parental leaves and public sector financial support for women giving birth. As it is, the denomination has simply ignored the women of color and poor women in general in favor of focus on the fetus. Refreshing, the link author says, would be a full court press by the denomination to pass legislation giving public funding to women who have babies. 

This, we know, has not been the denomination's main preoccupation. If it is to grow, the link author writes, it needs this fresh perspective. The view of itself as "caring" because of pregnancy centers falls far short of what is needed in a societal sense. 

These views are interesting to read and provide something interesting to follow as the Catholic denomination moves through its future.  

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