Catholics make up one half of the two billion Christians in the world.

  The Catholic Church traces its origins back to the teachings of Jesus Christ, and dates back almost 2,000 years, which makes it the oldest institution in the western world.

  The Catholic Church is supposed to help other Catholics worship together, as well as organize events in the community that benefit the needy.  But the poor leadership and despicable behavior from some leaders in the Catholic Church have hindered the Church’s effectiveness in these areas.

  It is outrageous that a few top Catholic officials are giving the other billion Catholics a lousy name. The vast majority of Catholics are good, faithful people, but when the people at the top of the Church are rotten, then that reflects on the whole Church.

  Many problems have plagued the Catholic Church: child molestation, money laundering, domestic abuse, and greed. The Church’s treatment of gay individuals have left many feeling alienated. The more people the Catholic Church turns away, the less opportunity all Christians have to positively impact the world.

  On March 13, 2013, at the age of 76, Pope Francis was named the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. One of Pope Francis’s first acts was to dismiss Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, also known as the “Bishop of Bling.”

   In 2013, Bishop Elst spent a whopping $43 million renovating his home in Rome, and consequently, was removed from his post in Limburg, Germany.
  With millions of people starving in the world, it was misguided for Elst to spend the Church’s money lavishly. The actions of Elst reflect horribly on the Catholic Church.

  People wonder, “How can someone claiming to be self righteous and holy act so selfishly?” They have every right to criticize Elst, but it’s unfortunate that his selfishness gives the Church a negative stigma.

  To try and fix the Church’s problems, Pope Francis is setting a new tone in the Church, that of benevolence, compassion, and humility.
  Pope Francis chooses to ride in his Ford Focus, rather than a fancy Mercedes. It’s a bad look for Church officials to ride around in luxury, when they are supposed to teach about humility and altruism. To show further modesty, he sleeps in the guest house at the Vatican. The Pope also sold his personal Harley Davidson to raise funds for a new soup kitchen in Rome.

  Pope Francis is not afraid to tackle controversial issues in the Church and in the world, such as climate change and gay rights.

  99% of scientists believe that humans are affecting the climate, but there are still many people, including Catholics, that do not believe what science has clearly proven. It is ignorant for Catholics to say that God is going to fix our global warming crisis, and just ignore the problem.

  Pope Francis denounced climate skeptics and said humans have a moral responsible to take care of the planet. He said, “The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all.”

  Historically, the Catholic Church has denounced and alienated gays and lesbians, but I strongly disagree with this practice. Just because they are different doesn’t give the Church the right to discriminate against them. Jesus never discriminated against anyone, and that should be a lesson for all. As the Pope said, “If someone is gay and searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”
  With Pope Francis bringing a new mindset to the Church, he is putting a focus on helping others rather than Church policy. The Pope wants the Catholic Church to be a “home for all”, and desires to restore its previous image of love and hope.