Pope Francis bringing his church into modern era

Today in Metro Manila, an estimated six million Filipinos are expected to gather for a Roman Catholic mass celebrated by Pope Francis. The sheer size and scale of the gathering shows the extent and roots of Catholicism in the Philippines even though only 3 per cent of Asians in all are counted in Rome’s ranks of its faithful.

Francis is revolutionising his church, intent on dragging its clergy into the modern era while its followers deal with the present-day pressures of life — making ends meet, divorce and birth control. Francis is a reformer and has challenged his cardinals to be more open when it comes to the traditional definitions of family. He has overhauled his Curia, the government of the Vatican. And in Manila, he lashed out against corruption in politics, blaming governments for ignoring the people they are supposed to represent, and placing their personal greed over the common good.

But Francis is also a man of peace and reconciliation, praising the Philippines government for its willingness to broker a peace accord with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.