ROME – Wednesdays in Rome generally belong to the pope, because that’s when he holds his weekly General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, and during the second week of the 2015 Synod of Bishops, Francis certainly found a way to put his stamp on what Americans often refer to as “hump day.”

The pontiff delivered an unexpected mea culpa at the beginning of his weekly audience, which was largely dedicated to the synod’s theme of family life.

“The word of Jesus today is strong: ‘Woe to the world for scandals’,” Francis said, referring to the Gospel reading in the daily Mass for Wednesday. “Jesus is a realist, and said, ‘It’s inevitable that scandals happen, but woe to the one who causes those scandals.’

“I would like, before beginning the catechesis, in the name of the Church, to ask for forgiveness for the scandals which recently have fallen both on Rome and the Vatican,” he continued. “I ask you for forgiveness.”

That’s all the pope had to say, which left everyone free to speculate on exactly which scandals he had in mind.

In fact, the pope’s mea culpa in many ways functions as a Rorschach test for whatever individual observers happen to feel is the most scandalous aspect of Catholicism, or the Vatican, or even the city of Rome, at the moment.

Read the article “What Did the Pope’s Mea Culpa Mean?” on cruxnow.com.