A special holiday here due to Pope Francis visit. / myLot

Chile

January 16, 2018 8:30am CST

Good morning, friends. I am here, but also with the TV on to watch the visit of Pope Francis. While he is in Santiago, there is going to be a holiday here. Then, when he visits other places, stores and work places will close. The idea is to be able to hace more security measures during his visit and to give the people who want to see him the possibility of doing so. I am not Catholic, but I am grateful that he asked for pardon for the abuses that members of the church have done with children. He was applauded when he said that and I hope that from now on the church will not be so lenient with the priests who have done that. I like a Pope who says things like that, but I am not sure if he has the power of changing anything. What do you think?

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9 responses

John Roberts

@JohnRoberts (109857)

• Los Angeles, California

16 Jan 18

He can try to motivate people to make positive changes.

3 people like this

marguicha

@marguicha (215346)

• Chile

16 Jan 18

I hope so. Now that more people are daring to talk about abuses done to them, I hope that helps stop abuses.

2 people like this

Starla N

@Starla_9 (256)

• United Kingdom

16 Jan 18

@johnroberts, I agree.

2 people like this

L. Jenkinson

@MarymargII (12422)

• Toronto, Ontario

16 Jan 18

Yes he does have the power to change things and I believe he is trying.

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marguicha

@marguicha (215346)

• Chile

16 Jan 18

I hope so.

1 person likes this

L. Jenkinson

@MarymargII (12422)

• Toronto, Ontario

18 Jan 18

@marguicha I agree with you- they should be way harder on any priests who are involved- and I'm Catholic!

celticeagle

@celticeagle (158958)

• Boise, Idaho

17 Jan 18

He may not but he has the ability to bring people together.

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celticeagle

@celticeagle (158958)

• Boise, Idaho

18 Jan 18

@marguicha ......Good.

marguicha

@marguicha (215346)

• Chile

17 Jan 18

He is trying.

1 person likes this

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Anna

@LadyDuck (457925)

• Switzerland

16 Jan 18

It's not enough to ask for pardon, he should do more. I am Catholic, I know that there still are a lot of bad things going on.

1 person likes this

marguicha

@marguicha (215346)

• Chile

16 Jan 18

I agree with you. Still, it is a step in the right direction. But I don´t know how much he can really do, having powerful conservative priests in the Vatican.

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marguicha

@marguicha (215346)

• Chile

16 Jan 18

@LadyDuck I agree. I never was convinced that was the illness.

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Anna

@LadyDuck (457925)

• Switzerland

16 Jan 18

@marguicha He was pretty young and he did not look at all sick when he became Pope.

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josefina

@josie_ (9763)

• Philippines

16 Jan 18

Pope Francis will have his hands full trying to reform the Catholic church hierarchy. The institution is a close society with their code of silence (omerta)

2 people like this

marguicha

@marguicha (215346)

• Chile

16 Jan 18

I think so too. But it is an important step that there is now a Jesuit at the head of the Church.

1 person likes this

What'sUp_Cel

@rheicel (7068)

• Philippines

17 Jan 18

Pope Francis is a very humble person. I like the way how he handles changes in the Catholic Church he's open to many ideas but with consideration for not violating the sacred rules.

1 person likes this

marguicha

@marguicha (215346)

• Chile

17 Jan 18

I feel the same. I also like that he is a Jesuit.

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marguicha

@marguicha (215346)

• Chile

17 Jan 18

@rheicel I hope so too. I have heard that he chose very small lodgings at the Vatican.