I'm not a fan of the over-the-top press this week's papal conclave has garnered. Like so much baggage, it's overdone pomp and circumstance for a bunch of old men to elect another old man to lead the Catholic church, a man-made institution designed to control and oppress. No thanks, I'm not interested.
Pope Francis, however, does now wield a great deal of influence over millions of people on this little planet we share, so I can't ignore this as a historical event. I just hope he makes a few significant adjustments to the status quo:
- Permit Catholics to use birth control
- Give Catholic women the same rights as Catholic men
- Accept homosexuality and stop stigmatizing it as sinful
- Properly deal with the vast sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests throughout the world
I may think it's all bullshit, but ignoring the power of the church does nothing to help over 1-billion members who have drank the kool-aid. Pope Francis needs to drag this church kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
Here's hoping he's up to the challenge.
