Here is the latest account from the Italian News
Pope’s popularity
transcends Catholicism in Italy. Polls reveal more people are drawn to pews
since Cardinal Bergoglio became Pope Francis. It seems the popularity of the
italo-argentine pontiff dwindled concern about priest sex-abuses scandals.
(ANSA) – Vatican City , April 12 – Ever since he was
named pontiff one month ago and opted to present himself without the
traditional papal red cape trimmed with ermine, Pope Francis has had no
shortage of admirers drawn to his modest, down-to-earth touch. That popularity
extends to Catholics and non-Catholics alike in Italy , according to a new poll
Friday that shows four out of five Italians view Francis favorably.
Fully 92% of Catholics
told pollsters IPR Marketing that they found Francis to be close to the
faithful, humble, determined, appealing to the young, authoritative, and also sincere.
About 77% of non-Catholics expressed similar positive opinions.
Although 60% of Italians
polled say they want the newly elected pontiff to give top priority to dealing
with sexual abuse by priests, that number has fallen from one month ago, according
to the survey. Last month, as many as 67% wanted the new pope to deal with the
long-standing problem of priest pedophilia, said the opinion poll, which
surveyed the opinions of 1,000 Italians.
Opinions may have been
swayed by the new face of the Catholic Church, who, unlike his predecessor, is
seen as a Vatican outsider with no direct
involvement in the priest sex-abuse cover-ups. Benedict XVI, who abdicated in
February over “declining physical and mental strength”, had directly overseen
the issue when he was in charge of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith, the Church’s doctrinal watchdog, before becoming pope.
Last week, Francis pledged
to maintain the same line of “decisive” action adopted by Benedict in dealing
with child sex abuse cases in the Catholic Church. In a meeting with Mons . Gerhard Ludwig
Muller, who is in charge of paedophilia issues in his role as prefect of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Francis said he would “continue in
the line wanted by Benedict XVI”.
A Vatican statement
explained that this meant “acting decisively as regards cases of sexual abuse,
promoting measures that protect minors, above all; help for those who have
suffered such violence in the past; necessary procedures against those found
guilty; (and) the commitment of bishops’ conferences in formulating and
implementing the necessary directives in this is area that is so important for
the church’s witness and credibility”.
The Catholic Church has
been rocked in recent years by a long series of paedophilia scandals, most of
which emerged under Benedict’s eight-year papacy, although in many cases the
abuse dates back decades and was hidden by the clergy. In cases in countries
including the United States ,
Ireland , Australia , Netherlands ,
Norway , Austria , Germany ,
Belgium and Italy ,
the Church was found to have discouraged victims from reporting abuse to the
police.
There were also a number
of documented cases of Church authorities moving paedophile priests away from
one post to another, where they repeated their crimes with fresh victims.
Benedict’s initial response to the scandals was depicted by many as being
defensive. The former pope also personally came under fire for allegedly
failing to respond properly to several abuse cases when he was in charge of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Church’s doctrinal watchdog.
But he became increasingly
open about sex abuse, apologised for it and in 2010 he issued new Church
instructions on dealing with paedophile priests, making it mandatory for cases
to be reported to the police. Benedict also prayed with abuse victims on many
of his trips overseas, including to Malta
and Britain .
But the German
theologian’s pastoral skills have so far been eclipsed by the warmth of Latin America ’s first pope, who is proving to be
something of a draw to the pews. According to the poll Friday, 13% of Catholics
in Italy
said they were attending mass more often because of his appeal. All of this
despite virtually no doctrinal differences between him and the pope emeritus.
.