At a visit to La Croix during a Paris conference organized by the German, Swiss and French bishops’ conferences on “The common good in Europe,” Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich, a member of Pope Francis’ advisory council of cardinals, reflects on the crisis that the Church is currently experiencing.

“Since Vatican II, we have asked ourselves how the Church should situate itself within a modern, pluralist society where people are free to believe or not that Jesus was raised from the dead and that they can actually meet him.

What we need to imagine is not ‘a new Church’ but a Church that situates itself ‘in another way.’ Catholics themselves have said they want change.

However, this is a slow and painful process. Raising awareness does not occur at the same pace everywhere and some prefer to seek security in the past.

This is reinforced today by a loss of credibility resulting from the revelations of sexual abuse, as well as from a lack of financial transparency and a culture of secrecy.