Who said change is a bad thing? Pope Benedict XVI did throughout his tenure at the Vatican as the enforcer of the Christian doctrine. The new pope is facing a big challenge in his new position with declining membership and a lack of priests. His record of conservatism and being unable to face today's realities will only make his job harder. The new pope once called homosexuality an "intrinsic moral evil." He has also questioned the validity of other faiths, saying that Christ was the only way to salvation. He has also called on American politicians to oppose ideas that violate the Catholic faith.
On the other hand, many feel the choice of the new pope is wonderful because of his history of upholding thousands of years of traditional teachings. Conservatives have expressed an unwillingness to change the faith, fearing the downfall of a moral society (which is already going on). Both arguments have validity, but the conservative followers and ideology are out of touch with the reality of the world.
The spread of AIDS in Africa is an ongoing problem, as is worldwide poverty, which is one of the root causes of terrorism. The church's position on birth control is probably the most scandalous and contradictive position. The church says using birth control is a sin, and then when babies are born due to this lack of contraceptives, they are born into poverty and many with AIDS. Then Catholic relief workers come to help those in poverty.
Over time, the church has been a force for good for the most part, but it recently has fallen off the wagon with sex abuse scandals and declining finances, parishioners and priests. I would speculate this is the reason for the decline in religiosity in the United States.
The new pope has a great opportunity to turn that situation around by embracing the realities of society without dramatically changing the faith. Look at what change has brought this world in the face of strong adversaries: fewer nuclear weapons after an arms race, the downfall of Communism after a chokehold on the Soviet Union and other countries, and the U.S. Constitution and idea of self-rule after years of the ideology of monarchy.
If the new pope embraces change, he can set in motion a tremendous revolution for the better. He has the potential to, just as John Paul II did with Communism in Poland, change an entire continent. If Pope Benedict reconsidered his position on birth control, it would go a long way to stemming the AIDS epidemic, since Africa is a religious place. It would also help in South America for the same reasons.
Just as important would be a change in the policy toward homosexuality and gays. There are many gays out there who already feel isolated by a society that doesn't accept them as well as it should. Why further isolate them through their faith? It can only cause them further mental anguish in their struggle to be accepted in society. For the church to continually insult them because of their sexuality will only help dig itself a deeper grave until American membership dries up.
