As the synod on the Vatican's policies involving the modern Roman Catholic family nears its conclusion, tempers and opposing ideas run high, with Archbishop Tomash Peta of Kazakhstan, a senior conservative bishop, practically charging that his more liberal colleagues were doing the devil's work, according to The Washington Post.
Peta stated that some of the policy changes, a number of which involve liberal changes to the church's doctrine, are beginning to reek of "infernal smoke."
Though his statement was met with a few raised eyebrows and a few laughs among his peers, his outburst in the synod nonetheless highlights the brewing conflicts between conservatives and liberals in the Roman Catholic Church.
Pope Francis has been quite vocal about his desire to recast the church into a more welcoming institution. His open-mindedness, his liberal views and his nonconformity to the stern traditional practices of the church has made him an icon for the common man, but it seems to be at the expense of the support of conservative clergymen in the church, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
"Pope Francis is calling for a church that, to my mind, is much more in contact with the gospel, not just proclaiming it but living it," said Cardinal Donald Wuerl, U.S. cleric on the 10-member committee preparing the synod report. "That is why so many people find him inviting, why so many people are coming back to the practice of the faith. And for reasons known only to them, there are some who find this somewhat threatening."
With the conclusion of the synod nearing, Francis, arguably the most liberal pope in history, would need to take a firm stand very soon.
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