Many would consider America to be one of the most religious countries on Earth.
But despite that claim, more and more people are turning away from organized religion. Young people especially feel religion has become too out of touch with modern society.
The stories about religion that fill newspapers and airtime include depictions of individuals declaring holy war on behalf of God, accounts of clerical pedophilia and institutional corruption.
On March 13, the world witnessed a humble man from South America step onto the world stage. Because of his new position, Pope Francis has the ability to shift the public perception of religion in our modern society.
Instead of issuing a new papal bull or establishing a new church teaching as one of his first actions as pontiff, Francis paid for the hotel bill where he stayed during the papal elections. The man with an incredible amount of influence in the world has been gaining respect through small actions. Such small actions include wearing more modest papal garments, washing the feet of inmates, reaching out to the poor and members of different religions and opting for a different “popemobile.”
Pope Francis has preached about caring for the poor, treating others as you wish to be treated and, most importantly, peace.
These are the things religion should be all about.
Many on the political left enjoyed the Pope’s off-the-cuff comments on homosexuality, women having an expanded role in the church and allowing priests to marry.
Many on the political right enjoyed his stance against abortion and his belief in the sacredness of life.
Many who claim no religious affiliation enjoy the style and substance of the new head of the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis seems to be saying the right things to the right people at the right time.
Francis was elected to clean up after the mess that was Pope Benedict’s papacy — a papacy full of indictments of clerical pedophilia and the mishandling of church finances. Though Francis’ predecessor was an authority on church teaching and history, he lacked the leadership skills necessary to control the senior members of the Vatican and the communication skills necessary to relate to the average person.
However, as time goes on and when the rubber meets the road, the Pope will have to take strong stances on many issues.
While his off-the-cuff moments were great talking points, they carry little weight because no actions have been taken on such issues. For example, no concrete action has been taken on women in the priesthood.
And though the perception of the Catholic Church has arguably been more positive as of late, actual church teachings and practices haven’t changed.
While some will say the church’s more liberal stance on some social issues is a step in the right direction, it’s not enough. If the Pope is as serious as many say he is on making the church a more inclusive place, proper action must be taken to ensure that happens.
The real impact of Francis’ papacy lies ahead. It’s up to him to determine how he is going to shape the church and the face of religion in modern times.
What we have seen so far is what kind of man Pope Francis is; what we have to see in the future is what kind of figure in history Pope Francis will become.
Michael Beato is a UF economics sophomore. His column runs on Tuesdays. A version of this column ran on page 6 on 10/15/2013 under the headline "It’s too early to determine Pope’s impact"
