Pope Francis' vision for a more inclusive Church divides Catholics

Hot-button topics include divorce and homosexuality

An outburst during a major summit of the Roman Catholic hierarchy served as undeniable evidence that not everyone accepts Pope Francis' vision of a more inclusive Church.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The Washington Post reported an outburst during a synod by Archbishop Tomash Peta of Kazakhstan. He claimed policy changes discussed at the synod carry the scent of "infernal smoke."

The accusation came after discussions of several family issues within the Church, including communion to divorced and remarried Catholics and less contempt for homosexuals. Though talks of policy alterations were brought up, many in power cling to traditionalist ideals, leaving some to compare Pope Francis to President Obama.

Reverend Thomas Reese, a senior analyst for the National Catholic Reporter, said, "Francis has the same problem that Obama had. He promised the world, but Congress wouldn't let him deliver. If nothing much comes of this synod, I think people will give the pope a pass and blame the bishops for stopping change."

The senior church officials will complete their vote on a final document by Saturday, but Pope Francis has the power to accept the synod's recommendations, withhold judgement to encourage further debates or reject the recommendations. Whichever decision the pontiff makes, he will be risking the anger of conservatives, liberals and fans.

Massimo Franco, author of The Crisis of the Vatican Empire and a columnist at the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, said that Pope Francis could agree fully with the synod and "there might be a collapse of his popularity in world public opinion, but there might also be an increase of his popularity among Catholics."

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