VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Monday opened the most critical week of his year-old papacy: Two commissions of inquiry on Vatican finance are reporting their recommendations for reform, and preparations get under way for a summit on family issues that will deal with the widespread rejection by Catholics of church teaching on contraception, divorce and gay unions.
Francis also will preside over his first ceremony to formally welcome 19 new cardinals on Saturday. In typical Francis style, the cardinals hail from some of the poorest places on earth, including Haiti, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast.
The first half of Francis’ week is devoted to a meeting of his “Group of Eight” advisers, senior cardinals whom Francis appointed to help govern the church.
On Monday, the G8, the pope and his No. 2 heard recommendations from experts on rationalizing the Holy See’s overall financial and administrative structures. On Tuesday, they will hear from the commission of inquiry studying how to reform the Vatican bank.
In the second half of the week, cardinals will discuss the October summit, or synod, on family issues.
Francis called the synod late last year and commissioned surveys to ask Catholics about church teaching. The surveys found teachings on birth control, homosexuality, marriage and divorce were rejected as unrealistic and outdated by the vast majority of Catholics.