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Inter-religious dialogue
Whilst the late Pontiff made important and remarkable acts of rapprochement and dialogue with the Hebrew and Islamic religions, some believe he did not manage to bridge the divide with the Anglican Church. The next Pope is expected to ensure dialogue with Islam is a must in a world of growing fundamentalism and religious divisions.
Contraception
The critics say John Paul has blood on his hands, but that’s only people like Marxist academic Terry Eagleton, who wrote that the late pontiff’s intransigence on contraception ensured more African Catholics died of Aids due to the Vatican’s staunch opposition to condoms. The Vatican contends that abstinence is the best way to counter HIV but liberal theologians and even members of the clergy such as England’s Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor say artificial birth control could be necessary to prevent a greater evil.
Abortion, stem cell research and cloning
The Vatican opposes all these but the debate continues. Will the Church hold out long enough in the face of unstoppable technological changes? Integralists amongst cardinals in the conclave want to see a pope that will call on governments to legislate against abortion, stem cell research and cloning.
Women priests, homosexuality
Whilst the Vatican is probably ruling out the ordination of women priests, a papabile like Belgian Cardinal Godfried Banneels said women should have the possibility to be in the government of the Church, but stopped short of saying women should receive ordination. The Church will also have to address the subject of gay Catholics and gay Catholic priests. Dubbed ‘intrinsically evil’ by the Vatican, the gay issue could be a continued source of contention for the Catholic Church if its rigid stance is not changed.
Decentralisation
John Paul made his authority felt on many issues – during his papacy, the Vatican silenced no less than 22 Catholic theologians believed to be too liberal on issues of Catholic doctrine. This also included the criticism of liberation theology. Many accuse him of having reneged on collegiality and strongly centralised power, so the next Pope will have to decide whether he will take the same role of absolute power.
Paedophilia
The child abuse scandals that rocked the Vatican in John Paul’s last years revealed the great extent of paedophilia in the Catholic Church, further distancing many disillusioned faithful. Playing down the problem, supporters blamed ‘liberal’ convents of encouraging the moral decay. Critics want to see Canon law revised and remove celibacy for the clergy but the Church disagrees that celibacy has turned a tiny minority into paedophiles.
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