Pope Francis is opening what observers are calling the most critical week of his papacy.
This week two separate commissions investigating the finances of the Vatican will issue their reports and make recommendations for reforming church procedures. The bank has been long believed by Italian authorities to be a place of money laundering by wealthy Italians and the Pope has vowed to make sure any illegal activity involving the bank is immediately stopped.
The preparations are also getting underway for a major family issues summit that will deal with what church officials call a “widespread rejection by Catholics of church teaching” on issues like contraception, marriage and divorce.
A survey commissioned by the Pope of lay Catholics showed that a wide majority of those calling themselves practicing Catholics reject the church’s core teachings on sexual morals, birth control, marriage and divorce. The number one reason given was that they were “unrealistic and outdated” compared to the world’s view.
The Pope and leaders will meet to determine how to bring Catholics back to the teachings of the church and Scripture and reject worldly views on controversial issues.
