Pope Francis on Faith and the Church

Pope Francis’gentle stabs at change

 

 

POPE FRANCIS

In an interview with Jesuit magazine “Civiltà Cattolica”, Pope Francis says it is important to focus “on what is essential, because this is what impassions and attracts people the most; this is what sets the heart on fire”. Francis also stressed he does not want a censorship-crazy Curia

ANDREA TORNIELLI
VATICAN CITY

It is an extraordinary 29 page portrait of Pope Francis’ outlook on faith and Church life. Understandably, what will attract readers’ attention the most will probably be the bits where the Pope talks about homosexuality, the fact that the Church should not only focus on questions linked to abortion, same-sex marriage and contraception and the bits in which he says that the Curia dicasteries “run the risk of becoming censorship bodies.” But the crux of the Pope’s message in his interview with Italian Jesuit magazine Civiltà Cattolica is the image the Pope gives of the Church as a field hospital after a battle. A hospital where wounds are treated. It would be pointless to ask the seriously injured patients – who stand for the many men and women today who have lost the meaning of life or live “irregular” lives – whether they have high cholesterol or blood sugar levels. Their wounds need to be treated to prevent them from dying. Everything else can wait.

 

The Church Francis wants is not a Church that changes its nature or shoves its dogma away in the attic. It is a Church that is capable of showing its merciful side and concentrates on proclaiming “what is essential, necessary and what impassions and attracts people the most, what sets the heart on fire, as in the case of the disciples of Emmaus." Benedict XVI also spoke about this in a memorable and yet quickly forgotten about speech he gave on a trip to Portugal in May 2010, when he said that references to morality and values don't touch people’s hearts today. So in his interview with the director ofCiviltà Cattolica, Francis responds to those who criticise his silence over non-negotiable values. As if the fact that he does repeatedly condemn abortion and same-sex marriage every week is evidence that he is not fulfilling the Church’s mission.

 

“We cannot just focus on issues linked to abortion, same-sex marriage and contraception. This is not possible,” the Pope said. “I haven’t spoken a great deal about these issues and this has been held against me. But when one speaks, this must be in context. We know what the Church’s opinion is and I am a son of the Church, but there’s no need to go on about this.” The Church has “sometimes got bogged down in small things, in small precepts.” Instead, it must go back to announcing that “Jesus Christ has saved you!” Ministers of the Church “must above all be ministers of mercy” because “the proclamation of God’s redeeming love comes before moral and religious duty. Today it seems the opposite often prevails.”
 

These words are the reverse of the approach taken by those who believe that the most important task for Christians today is not announcing the message of salvation, closeness and mercy but to constantly repeat a set of precepts and condemnations. Precepts and prohibitions have a meaning in the context of the experience of faith but they end up pushing people away instead of reaching out to them with the evangelical message when they become the main subject of preaching and pastoral care. The Pope’s words and his outlook on faith require “pastoral conversion” from the whole Church.

 

Accompanying through mercy, Francis explained, does not mean being excessively strict or too lax. The confessional is not a a torture chamber but neither is it a dry cleaners where you go to get a stain removed as if nothing had ever happened. Evil can never be called good. It is the approach one takes, the outlook one has and the priorities one has that differ.”I have one dogmatic certainty: God is present in every person’s life, Godi s present in the life of each and every one of us. Even if a person’s life has been a disaster, if it is destroyed by bad habits, by drugs or whatever it is, Godi s in their life. Every human can and must search for Him in their life.”
 

 

During the interview Francis even risponde to questions from those who expected quick decisions, immediate reforms and for him to substitute his collaborators straight after the election: The President of the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, for example espresse his criticism: “I believe it always takes  time to build the foundations of real and efficient change. And this is the time of discernment.” But that discernment can make urgent decisions and interventions necessary, when the intention was to deal with them at a later date. The Vatican bank (IOR) and the scandals unleashed by the judiciary’s investigations are a case in point.

In terms of decision-making ability and authority, the Pope talked about his experience as a young provincial priest and the fact that his “abrupt and personalist” decisions led to him being seen as an “ultraconservative” priest even though he has “never been a rightist”. This is why he now believes it is essential to discuss things and think things through carefully before making any decisions. He also wants consultations with collaborators in the Vatican and with the group of eight cardinals he chose to look into the reform of the Roman Curia to be real and sincere not formal consultations.
 

 Finally, the sections about the Curia and the Council are also fundamental. “Roman dicasteries are at the service of the Pope and the bishops: they are there to help” local Churches and bishops’ conferences. “They are helping mechanisms” and must not turn into “censhorship bodies”. Local Churches need to be given the chance to get more involved. Speaking about the Second Vatican Council the Pope said that the Gospel must be read within the context of today’s world, as suggested by Vatican II.