The immediate problems of Francis I

The government of the Catholic Church, interrupted by a surprise Ratzinger, Pope again with a brand new nationality and a name never used before. But beyond the reflections on the origin and fascinating denomination, Francis I is now faced with two problems: one, more immediate but limited in Rome and one, however urgent, but of a broader nature. In fact, the two classes of problems of the Catholic Church can not be resolved in a separate proceeding because intimately linked. In his inaugural address, the Cardinal of Buenos Aires, has never hinted at his papal election, but occurred several times, as bishop of Rome, it is clear that the two charges are the same, however, have emphasized the the Roman his new role takes on a highly symbolic, if you think the crisis in which the papal institution has fallen in his own nerve center at its headquarters: the Vatican City. The reorganization of the Roman Curia, in fact, the first order of the urgent problems to be solved in order to allow a government of the church focused on broader issues. The new pope will have to settle feuds between the various components of the Curia, who took advantage of the weakness of Benedict XVI, a man of learning, but not the state. Intimately connected with the question of restructuring the government of the church there is the issue of finance Vatican and its bank, the Institute for Religious Works, which had too long been at the center of alleged financial scandals and economic maneuvers doubtful. Around to the bank Vatican rumors of money laundering and contacts are not too clear, that discredit the church. Gone are the days when we needed a safe to contribute to the fall of communism, the management of the Institute for Religious Works is never returned in the European standards so as to suffer restrictions, which have limited its operations. A contradiction to the consistency required of an institution that relies, first of all, to the Gospels. Expanding horizons, but always starting from Rome, the new pope will have to face and solve, once and for all, even at the cost of great sacrifices, both economic but above image, the question of sex scandals linked to pedophilia. Convictions explicit but only verbal, followed frankly too little, the papacy above, there must be a reversal of the total, to finally rid the Catholic institution from this heavy burden. Together with the sanction of past situations, you will also need an efficient prevention work carried out on a global scale in order to avoid the repetition of such barbarity. During the arrangement of these early problems, which will have a resolution soon, the action of the papacy can focus parallel, on social issues, labor, third world and the modernization of the church. The new pope has emphasized the need for a new evangelization that knows how to counter the growing secularism, but this evangelization can not be pursued with the simple utterance of the word of God, but must be supported by facts. The increasing distance between the institution and the Catholic population is measured directly on the failure to modernize the Catholic Church, still perched on positions too conservative and far from being in step with the times. Without concrete signs of approaching the real world, the churches will continue to be empty. It should be an organic treatment of labor issues, the role of women, gay, sexuality, to name a few topics that knows how to approach the common feeling, without opposing positions sterile and moralistic. At the global level is necessary to develop inter-religious dialogue, as alternative route to that taken by governments to find and maintain peace in the world. The man elected to the role of Peter has seventy-seven, an age in which it is difficult to become too open to perceived problems always with a certain address, but only if it will change the vision of the church, at least on some issues, you can celebrate renewal of the Catholic Church.