What’s Ahead for the Roman Catholic Church

Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI is the first pope to resign in more than 600 years and cites health reasons for his decision to do so. This hour on Focus, we talk about how that will affect the Roman Catholic Church and the process and politics involved with conclave. Host Jim Meadows talks with Associate Professor of History and Catholic Studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago Kevin Schultz about what the Pope’s resignation means for members of the Roman Catholic Church and for the rest of us. We also talk about the church’s declining membership and what leaders are trying to do to reverse the trend and how the Pope plays a role in that. Tom Roberts, Editor at Large for the National Catholic Reporter, also joins the program. During this hour we also discussed contraception, same sex marriage and child sex abuse scandals and how the Roman Catholic Church will more forward. 

Are you a member of the Roman Catholic Church? Maybe you’re an ex-Catholic. We want to hear from you! Join our conversation on Facebook and Twitter or post in the comments section below.