Francis still faces widespread apathy among believers, especially in the advanced industrial societies, where disaffected Catholics are increasingly questioning their commitment or simply opting out. While Francis’s soothing manner seems to be helping to slow this erosion, whether he will be able to reverse the trend remains far from certain.
迄今为止，方济各的行动未引起极权制度下体制改变时常常伴随的冲突反应或群众动员。但这并不意味着方济各会一帆风顺。他仍面临着信众之间广泛的漠不关心，特别是在发达工业化社会中，那里心存不满的天主教徒日益质疑自己的信仰甚至脱离天主教。尽管方济各的抚慰做法似乎有助于延缓这一不利局面，但能否扭转趋势远未可知。