Pope Francis has made waves from the Holy See since being elected to
the Catholic Church's top job.
As the first Latin American to hold the
prestigious position, the Argentine pontiff's outlook is no doubt more
international than any of his predecessors, but he is proving just as
keen to leave his mark on the Catholic Church in the developed world.
While increasing secularism and disenchantment with the
thousand-year-old institution are turning younger generations from the
Church in Europe, Francis seems concerned that American Catholicism's
most dire problem is its "narrow and alienating" focus on a number of
hot-button political issues such as abortion.
Addressing
American bishops at the first national meeting since the new
Pope was elected, Carlo Maria Vigano, the Vatican's U.S. ambassador,
told bishops they should not "follow a particular ideology" and focus on
making the Church more welcoming.
Relaying information from a recent
audience with the Pope, Vigano reiterated that, "The Holy Father wants
bishops in tune with their people ... pastoral bishops, not bishops who
profess or follow a particular ideology."
The remarks coincided with the end of New York Bishop Timothy Dolan's
three-year term as conference president.
The Church is also currently mired in a
drawn-out battle with the Obama administration over a requirement that
employers provide health insurance that includes contraceptive coverage.