As the number of young people who are part of an organized religion dwindles, one rather important man has managed to reflect many of the same values as that demographic: Pope Francis.

According to a study conducted by National Public Radio reporter David Green, one-fifth of Americans consider themselves “unaffiliated” with any specific religion, which is the highest this number has been in the history of the United States. The general consensus is that many modern day religions require adherence to a strict set of rules very difficult, some make it even harder to seek forgiveness for mistakes.

It is clear that Pope Francis understands that the world is not what it was at the birth of the church, and he is trying to rectify this with his new rulings.

Pope Francis has shown that he has heard the cry of the youth by simplifying the process of marriage annulments last week and forgiving women who have had abortions. Many members of the Catholic faith have viewed these decisions as “radical;” however, those people have not taken the time to understand the reasoning behind the pope’s decisions.

Love and relationships are very complicated subjects. There is an extremely high level of physical and emotional relationship abuse and divorces have become incredibly commonplace. Today, one in four women will become the victim of severe violence by an intimate partner.

Catholicism, however, does not recognize divorce. In order to end a marriage in the Catholic Church, an annulment must be obtained. In the past, this process was very long and emotional. Some would desert the church because they did not want to stay in an abusive relationship for their religion.

According to Reuters, “Francis said the procedure should be free and the new rules mean that a marriage might be declared null and void in just 45 days in some cases.”

The divorce decision was preceded by another action that will forgive women who have had abortions. Because 51% of U.S. women obtaining abortions are younger than 25, this announcement will have the largest impact on the lives of younger women of faith.

In an honest response to criticism facing his decision to allow all priests to forgive women who have had abortions, the pope said, “The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented.”

Anyone who believes that the pope is too “radical” or “non-traditional,” should realize that the objectives that Pope Francis has set out to accomplish, including forgiveness, inclusion and understanding, are feats that all Catholic priests should work to adhere to, as these values are the very basic foundations of the Church.

While Catholicism is not even close to being the only organized religion, it’s no secret that its leader, the pope, receives more press coverage that most. That being said, the pope is using his influence effectively by reaching the young demographic of the church that needs the most assurance that they are welcome in the faith.

Victoria Razzi is a sophomore advertising major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at vcrazzi@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @vrazzi.

Published on September 15, 2015 at 12:36 am