“Move on, Move on.” Encouragement from Pope Francis

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There is so much to love about the leadership style of Francis I, Pope of the Catholic Church. I know that many of you are not Catholic and maybe not even be near the understanding of what a pope is or how this man is considered one of the most energizing and far-sighted leaders of a religion fully entrenched in the living Gospel of Jesus Christ. You do not have to be Catholic to like this guy. He loves and respects all faiths because he understands the connections, we all share in the core of our religious beliefs, even the non-Christian faiths. This makes him a happy man. You won’t see him ever scowling or even pointing the disciplinary and chastising finger at a miscreant theologian or writer. Nope. Francis’s tent is big enough for all. He knows in his big, full heart of love that God is there for all of us, no matter our beliefs or unbeliefs. And no matter our sexual orientation, marriage situation, rap sheet, annual income, addictions, you name it, and Francis is there for you. 

Formed as a Jesuit (a religious order of Catholic priests and brothers who follow the charism of St. Ignatius Loyola) and educated in rigorous Jesuit scholarship, Francis served as a bishop in Argentina, his familial home since childhood. He took the bus to work in his chancery every morning. He loved being among ‘his people,’ more than hob knobbing among the wealthy and prestigious Catholics of Buenos Aires.

Last week we have seen numerous news reports of Francis’s disenchantment with the ultra-right reactionary views of some American Catholics who have organized opposition to many of the directions Francis is trying to encourage. To be brief: Francis is a man who urges mercy more than rigid obedience to arcane legal practices of the faith. If you were to compare him to someone in the American legal system who believes in an evolutionary interpretation of the Constitution as opposed to someone who believes in the strict constructionist view of the Constitution, he comes down on the side of the evolutionary interpretation. And that includes Church law and some doctrine.

The reason for most of this galvanizing coverage of Francis lately is the approaching Synod in which he has included women and laymen who will be allowed to vote on crucial issues. This is an obvious move toward a more inclusive church in which we will hear voices inspired by the Holy Spirit that we never heard before at least in a full context of debate. And for this, Francis has drawn fire from reactionary clerics (why do they fear the voice of the Spirit?) and a swath of punctilious hierarchy who hear their power rattling and shaking. The Synod will take place in Rome in October.

Some people ask me how to sort out the issues surrounding Francis and his governance of the Church writ large. I say, look, the Church is growing in the Southern Hemisphere of the world; the U.S. is only 5% of the 1.3 billion memberships of the Church. The Catholicism of the poor of the world must address extreme poverty and climate change, two of Francis’s major concerns. It must address anarchy and the rule of governments that are tyrannical. Some of this poverty exists in the U.S. as well and Francis exhorts the faithful to get off the concentration of “sins fixated below the waist”—the so-called ‘pelvic theology,’ of birth control, same sex marriage, and abortion, and start helping people to find a caring God in ministries addressing hunger, climate change, political oppression, immigration, the obliteration of human rights in dictatorships. And the list goes on. This is where the Church should be, he says, not on one-sided partisan issues that appear moral on the surface but are really a cover for political power. Sadly, some of our American hierarchy are entrenched with the handouts wealthy power offers them and they do not share the view that a free and loving Francis champions.

According to David Gibson of The Washington Post, American conservatives don’t simply disagree with Francis, “they see themselves as more Catholic than the pope and are not shy about saying so” claiming Francis is “undermining the faith or is teaching error.” Yes, there are conservative Catholics all over the world who glare with a slanted eye of suspicion on Francis’s leadership. But he was called to give comfort where it is needed and to challenge those who hold back on giving of their largesse and their education to assist those who live in sewers in Latin America and Africa but who will someday rise and challenge us. How will they do that without faith?

Reflection

As Catholics, we all need to believe in the same God the same way and in God’s Son whose personal mission was to redeem a fallen world. We are called to believe this way in connection with all Catholics everywhere and with all non-believers as well. How can we do this without understanding where they are coming from, what they honor, who they really are? Francis has said, “Doctrine can evolve as it has with slavery, the death penalty, and LGBTQ2.” We cannot bring people into the Church when we have guardrails that keep them out. What are some of the issues you can think of that might require more openness on your part as you reflect on our Pope’s initiatives especially in preparation for the Synod?

Are there members of your family and friends who have given up on the Church? Did you ever ask why? Maybe they are looking for help in reconciling themselves or understanding better the faith practice they have left.

During his visit to Mongolia a few weeks ago, the Pope responded to reporters who asked about his criticism of the U.S. reactionary Catholics, saying: “Yes, they got mad. But move on, move on.” Can you move on from any disagreement with the Church and be on the side of Francis and the billions who need this kind of leadership?

Finally, pray very hard for the coming Synod. 

God bless all my readers and Anonymous Angels. I love you.       

Articles referred to are:

“Pope’s Remarks on ‘Reactionary Catholics” Rankle and Resonate.” By Ruth Graham. The New York Times, September 3, 2023, p. 17.“U.S. Conservatives Are Not More Catholic Than the Pope.” By David Gibson. The Washington Post as reprinted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 6, 2023, p. C8.