Church needs to come off its pedestal to reverse decline in faith

Pope Francis will need to develop a more credible and humble Catholic Church if it is to prosper again, writes Tony Flannery

In the past, the notion of a loving God was completely overshadowed by the sermons on hell and damnation. File Picture: iStock

One of the findings of the recent census report is a decline of 10 percentage points in those identifying themselves as Catholic. 

But for anyone observing attendances at Catholic Church events in recent times, both in terms of numbers and age, there might have been an expectation of an even greater decline.