ROME
The Arizona Republic
Michael Clancy
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 12, 2005 12:00 AM
ROME - American Catholics hope the world's cardinals will keep them in their thoughts as they begin next week to choose Pope John Paul II's successor.
The American Catholic Church faces a priest shortage and continues to struggle with the ongoing sex abuse scandal. Its congregations are increasingly polarized by issues such as celibacy, the possibility of female clergy, and societal standards regarding divorce, birth control and abortion.
But these concerns don't necessarily mirror the Vatican's priorities for the worldwide church. advertisement
"The way things are seen and interpreted in the United States are not necessarily seen and interpreted the same way internationally," said the Rev. Bob Rossi, a member of the Crosier religious order who worked in Phoenix in the late 1970s. "The church takes in very diverse views from very diverse cultures. What we may see as inappropriate may not be seen that way in the Vatican or elsewhere."