The coronavirus crisis is causing more headaches for Pope Francis as he tries to spread his message — which has been called progressive — and create hope for the future.
The Wall Street Journal noted that Francis, who became pope in 2013, is no longer traveling to events. He largely stays within Vatican City, saying mass for a handful of people.
Policy-wise, the 83-year-old Francis' efforts on climate change, gays, and divorce have hit a roadblock because he is unable to travel for speaking engagements. And Francis' ability to continue addressing the fallout from years of scandals around the sexual abuse of minors within the Catholic church, mismanagement in the church hierarchy, and other problems has also become an issue for the pontiff.
"On some issues the potential for institutional change by Pope Francis seems to have reached a limit," theologian and Francis supporter Massimo Faggioli told the Journal.
Francis has, however, been vocal about the COVID-19 pandemic since earlier this year. He called it one of "nature's responses" to climate change and said the pandemic is "testing our whole human family."
He even pointed out that humans have had other plagues to deal with over the centuries and that the current situation has created "a time for inventing, for creativity."
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