http://news.kuwaittimes.net/2013/03/24/welcome-to-the-new-pope/
Welcome to the new Pope Labeed Abdal The election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on grounds of health and failing physical strength, must be a new chance for hope, change and more stability. The new Pope will have a lot of work to do, starting with the challenge posed by complaints about the sexual abuse of children by priests and accusations of money laundering. Pope Francis is from Latin America after around five centuries of Popes from Italy, but the change started with Pope John Paul II from Poland in the seventies, followed by Pope Benedict from Germany a few years ago. South America now records the highest increase in the Catholic population along with Africa and Asia when it is declining in Europe. Furthermore, the challenges facing the new Pope will include same sex marriages and abortion as a lot of governments around the world are moving to legalize these. The Catholic Church is clearly against these and the former Pope followed that line and was also against extreme forms of feminism. The new Pope is clearly a reformer and is known for genuinely professing the cause of the poor around the world with a great focus on protecting the foundations of the institution of family. Meanwhile, we in the Muslim world must rise to accord a big welcome to the new Pope and give full support to these humanitarian efforts which are aimed at protecting the normal family values, combating poverty and hunger around the world, promoting religious tolerance and world peace, and sending a genuine message of love and compassion for all. By Labeed Abdal [email protected] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
