Oral Çalışlar from Posta Newspaper gave a place in his column to the good and successful works that Pope Francis has done since he took over the Office:
1. Called and consoled a 44-year-old woman who had been raped. Rape victims used to not be admitted to the church.
2. He wears plain clothes and doesn’t change his shoes until they’re old. He uses public transport when necessary. He always criticizes the extreme luxury life of church members.
3. He did what no pope could, he softened the Catholic Church and made it more lovable. It gained global admiration.
4. He chose to live in a simple two-room apartment instead of the Vatican Palace. At night, he went to poor neighborhoods without protection and shared his bread with people.
5. He started investigations against the Vatican Bank, the bank of the Catholic Church, the richest institution in the world. He continues to clear the Vatican of corruption, with layoffs and criminal charges.
6. He regained his episcopal title after German bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-Van Elst spent $41 million on his castle. As punishment, he sent him to a monastery, condemned him to serve food to the poor every day.
7. He opened the doors of his church to divorced families that were never accepted by Catholics and resulted in excommunication, saying: “In the past, the church was very harsh with those who were immoral or sinful. We no longer judge. Our church is big enough for everyone, anti-abortionists and pro-abortionists. Our door is open to conservatives, liberals and even communists.”
8. He said that the church should be there for women who had to have abortions.
9. He said, “Atheists can also go to heaven because they are good people.”
10. He established a committee to prevent child abuse in churches and changed the law to criminalize these acts. He brought the child abuser priests to justice and warned those who protected them.
11. He visited to Northern Iraq and went to the churches destroyed in the war and prayed. (Posta, Oral Çalışlar)
