Pope Francis was discharged from the hospital on Sunday (23) and resumed his activities, reaffirming his crucial role in international diplomacy. When leaving the hospital, the pontiff made a stop at Basilica of Santa Maria Maior for a brief prayer of thanks, before going to your residence in the House Santa Marta in the Vatican.
The Pope’s recovery and his return to activities bring out discussions about the influence of the Catholic Church on the global scene and the challenges he faces.
The Pope’s role in world diplomacy
THE Professor of International Relations VinÃcius Vieira He points out that Pope Francis has sought to reconfigure the Cardinal College in the last 12 years of his papacy. This action aims to balance the representativeness between developed and developing regions, reflecting the change in the profile of Catholic faithful around the world.
Francis has been striving to modernize the Church and affirm it as a force not only spiritual, but also political, without, however, being directly involved in party issues. Your focus has been the dialogue with contemporaneity and the search for solutions to global problems.
Challenges of the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church faces a scenario of decline in the number of faithful, especially in the West. Vieira points out that there is a significant migration of Catholics to denominations evangelical especially in Latin America. This phenomenon has led the church to seek new faithful in Africa and in Asia .
In addition, the institution deals with the need to recover its credibility after a series of scandals. Pope Francis has sought to face these problems through the recognition of past failures and the implementation of reforms.
The future of the church and the papal succession
The question of Francis’ succession is a relevant theme, considering his old age and recent health problems . The next Pope will have the challenge of continuing the process of modernization of the Church, balancing the progressive and conservative views within the institution.
The choice of successor may reflect the new geographical reality of the Catholic faith, with the possibility of a Pope from Latin America or Africa, regions where the church still maintains a strong presence and potential for growth.
This content was originally published in Professor explains the Pope’s role in international diplomacy on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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