Weekly Debate: Pope Benedict XVI‘s visit to Brazil

Last-minute preparations are wrapping up in Brazil in anticipation of Pope Benedict XVI's arrival there on Wednesday. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will meet with the Pope to address social issues, though protests are planned by several groups dissatisfied with Vatican policies.

The Pope will face several daunting issues during his five-day trip to Brazil which were announced in February. They include:

• the rapid growth in evangelical sects, especially in Brazil
• the belief in liberation theology which the Pope once deemed as a “fundamental threat”
• social issues that have been viewed with contempt by the Roman Catholic Church such as abortion, marriage, and birth control.

So what do you think of the Pope Benedict XVI's sojourn to Latin America? Will he be successful in addressing some of the religious problems facing the region or will it be all for naught? Will Catholicism experience a revival in the Americas or are the problems facing it being blown out of proportion?

Feel free to leave a comment to this post and/or vote on our poll located on the sidebar. (Poll closes on May 14th, which is the last day of the Pope’s trip).

My take- Unfortunately, the Vatican has been largely ineffective in addressing pressing social issues and was shortsighted in selecting a conservative German cardinal to replace Pope John Paul II rather than one from the “Third World.” As a Catholic I applaud the Pope’s effort in visiting the Americas and hope that it may bring about a fruitful debate over religion, yet I seriously doubt that his presence will cause significant change.

Previous “Weekly Debate” polls:

Who is your most popular Latin American leader?

Which candidate do you support the most on the issue of immigration?

Links- Globe and Mail, CNN, Monsters & Critics, Zenit News Agency, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Wikipedia, International Herald Tribune, The Latin Americanist, PollDaddy

Image- willowheelers.ie (Front of Sao Paolo Cathedral)