Schönborn warns on reform priorities

Pope Francis is more of a prophet than a revolutionary who will introduce reforms but these may not be reforms Western society would like to see, according to Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, writes  Christa Pongratz-Lippitt.

Asked in an interview in the German daily Rheinische Post when the “radical new departure” for the Church that he, Cardinal Schönborn, had demanded would come about, Cardinal Schönborn said the message was clear: the Church must follow more closely in the footsteps of Jesus, but “the difficulty is that everyone [claims] the Gospel mandate, those for and those against reforms”.

“The decisive question is whether the Pope will take up the agenda of Western secularised society with its favourite issues like celibacy and sacraments for remarried divorcees. My impression is that he will not,” the cardinal said. His main concern was without doubt to establish “a Church of the poor for the poor”.