Pope Francis, representing Jesus the Good Shepherd, is authorizing the giving of blessings even to those who are in "irregular situations" as individuals or as couples, but without it resembling a marriage ritual - Isn't this confusing? If confusing; to whom is it confusing?

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian witnesses and writers in reflecting on life, encounters, and various situations, in a desire to enhance our understanding of what it means to be a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ at the service of the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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On December 18th, 2023, in an audience with Víctor Manuel Card. Fernández, Prefect, and Mons. Armando MATTEO, Secretary for the Doctrinal Section of the DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, Pope Francis signed the following document in several languages: 

Declaration Fiducia Supplicans On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings

        Now, people are wondering and sending me questions and statements about what this really means and how it will play out in reality among us flawed human beings. Here follows an email exchange I have been having with one such seeker of the truth, goodness, and beauty of God. My reply is followed by the seeker's commentary and questioning.

The document itself in ENGLISH.... and in FRENCH 

Home page of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith 

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First of all, the best we can do is to prayerfully read the actual document itself. You will find links to the document in English and in French up above. 

My initial reply in this dialogue exchange and reflection.... 

We can be too quick to jump to conclusions and not take the time to understand what exactly is intended by these declarations and decisions by Pope Francis and the Vatican dicasteries.

What is a blessing?

I understand blessing first of all in its fundamental sense: to say good words. Jesus clearly expects us to do that unconditionally for anyone and everyone we meet, even enemies, and perhaps especially to enemies and those we may consider "unclean"; which is something Jesus reproached the Pharisees for refusing to do.

The spiritual dimension of a blessing

On a more spiritual or mystical level, to bless someone is to believe that when we do or say good to someone, God himself is the One who truly blesses. Every human being, even criminals, have a right to be blessed because God wants to bless them. A blessing is never an approval of sin, but aimed at the soul in order to lift it up closer to God.

In this particular case, people in irregular situations are already suffering to various degrees in their persons. The simple fact that they seek a blessing from the Church or from a priest, deacon, or bishop indicates that they in some true sense are calling out to the Lord. We have no grounds upon which to withhold a blessing from anyone who asks, no matter their condition. That is why Pope Francis keeps repeating that we should not subject them to exhaustive moral scrutiny and examination before even considering their request, or go so far as to subject them to a humiliating moral examination and judgment of their life and conditions as the Pharisees did. 

From the "ivory tower" and "glass castle" of their wealth, prestige, power, and authority; the Pharisees looked down upon people as "lesser human beings" and, for the most part, as "ritually unclean", that is, as not observing every last one of the 619 laws, rules, and prescriptions and interpretations of the commandments and prescriptions given by God to Moses for the people to observe in order to be righteous before God. 

Now, when a soul is asking for moral guidance or confession, well, that is clearly something else. Then we are certainly obliged to guide them through an examination of their conscience based on divine revelation and all that God wants them to know; so that they can adjust themselves and begin taking steps towards aligning themselves with God's will. They may not always be able to go the full distance all at once or even in their lifetime, but may be able to make progress over time, one step at a time. No one has any right to impose the full journey instantaneously on demand on anyone... the journey is intended by God to take a lifetime, whether that turns out to be long or short. No one has the right to insinuate themselves in between God and a soul... that territory belongs to God alone.

Blessings as sacraments

On a sacramental level, the blessing of couples as couples, especially in a ritual resembling marriage, can clearly only be given to a man and a woman, and even then, under the right circumstances and personal dispositions.

I find it sad when people at any level of status or condition in the Church react with great indignation to Pope Francis' determination to get the Church to stop being so judgmental, so Pharisaical, and turn around and become more pastoral in order to welcome people in their simple requests for a blessing. 

Jesus will one day return on the clouds as Judge to separate the sheep from the goats, but in the meantime, He presents Himself as the Good Shepherd. Every time Pope Francis calls on us to welcome people, regardless of their life situation, and in this case to give a blessing, he also makes it clear that for couples in irregular situations (still bound before God by a previous marriage, or both of the same gender, as in two men or two women, and so on), the blessing cannot resemble anything like a marriage ritual. He cannot make it clearer than that. 

We have no right to tell anyone that they don't belong and can't have access to God's blessing and mercy. Jesus keeps the door to Himself open, and no one has the right to slam it shut in anyone's face, no matter their condition or situation. Jesus made this clear to Sister Saint Faustina Kowalska when He made her the "Secretary of Divine Mercy" and told her how much his merciful love wants to pour itself out into souls; they have only to ask. 

However, none of us has the authority to change God's original plan for marriage and family. One husband married to one wife is God's ideal plan for the procreation and parenting of children. There is some wiggle room, as there was for Mary, who became pregnant with the Son of God by the action of the Holy Spirit. Joseph still married her, after the angel Gabriel told him the child was from the Holy Spirit, and he served Mary well as a good husband and Jesus as a "foster father". Joseph was the only earthly father that Jesus knew and loved. 

All this huffing and puffing by ecclesiastics and even lay people who take it on themselves to criticize and even condemn Pope Francis smacks of clericalism and moral superiority and is light years away from anything resembling humility; which is the only way to approach Almighty God. Such people show nothing but contempt for souls and the suffering of humanity and expose themselves as living in some kind of glass castle or ivory tower. They feel called to act as the great defenders of morality, the ten commandments, and the dignity of the Church and of God Himself, but they are deluded. 

God can and does take care of Himself and of his truth and doesn't need champions. It is enough for us to do as Jesus did and to teach and proclaim the truth, simply, and peacefully; letting people take it in and take the time they need to assimilate it and integrate it into their way of living and behaving towards others over their lifetime. Proclaiming the truth does not exempt us from the obligation to obey Jesus' command to love one another and to extend his mercy to others. 

It is wrong and might even be mortal sin to try to pound moral principles into people's hearts, minds, and souls as a complete package that they must absorb in its entirely NOW because WE DEMAND IT. Treating people this way objectifies them, reducing them to objects who must receive our demands. We then have no respect for the dignity God our Creator has given them as human beings. To make such declarations and demands with everyone on every occasion, every circumstance, at all times and in all places, is a pretence of moral righteousness. It puts obstacles in front of people as pre-conditions to receiving any and all services or blessings. This I believe is the entire point of Pope Francis' campaign to get the Church to become more pastoral, more welcoming, more humble like our Master the Good Shepherd; that is, to get out of the way of people seeking God and let them go to Him.

The Most Holy Trinity know in their infinite wisdom that human souls come only with great difficulty to the full knowledge, acceptance, and living of the truth, of goodness, and of beauty, and as St. Peter wrote in his letter, what appears to us as delay is God's patience shown to souls. He "wants none to perish, but all to come to repentance." Great will be the shock of those with rigid, judgmental minds when they draw their last breath and come into the overwhelming radiance of truth, goodness, beauty, justice, and mercy of the Love of the Most Holy Trinity. That first entry into God's Presence will be terribly embarrassing for many who are so convinced of their moral high ground in this life. That is why our merciful Father provides for the possibility of purification in Purgatory.... Thanks be to God for that. I will quite likely need it, and you may need it too. 

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The original query from a devout Catholic seeking clarity in these confusing times:

According to the latest document from the Vatican, under certain conditions couples in “irregular” (sinful?) situations and same-sex couples could receive blessings, provided these blessings don’t give the appearance of sacramental matrimony.

           Since the publication and promulgation of this document, cardinals, bishops, even entire episcopal conferences have stated that they will not implement such blessings.

           This brings to mind two approved apparitions and their prophecies – Fatima and Akita:

           From Fatima: Sr. Lucia of Fatima told Cardinal Carlo Caffarra that a "decisive battle between the kingdom of Christ and Satan will be over marriage and the family."

From Akita: On October 13, Mary then warned of the impending dangers for the Church.

"The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres...churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.

           Folks – these prophecies have come true!

           Let us pray many rosaries of repentance and for the Holy Spirit to send us courageous cardinals, bishops, and priests who will lead us to our salvation by “preaching the Gospel in season and out of season”  (II Tim 4:2).

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Dialogue partner's reply to my response as above to the original quwry, eagerly seeking the truth and what is right and in accord with God's will:

Whatever is intended by Pope Francis in this or other writings/speeches he has made, there is almost always great confusion; his remarks, while well intentioned, can be taken many ways, and those include by enemies WITHIN the Church!  Lest we forget, Pope Paul VI had proclaimed that the smoke of Satan has entered the Church.

I’m absolutely sure that the Blessed Mother revealed the prophecies to Srs. Lucia and Agnes for our edification and salvation.  Well, here are the facts - cardinals and bishops ARE against each other; the issue of homosexuality has been in the background for a long time, including so-called “gay marriage”. Couples living together (“irregular situations”) without the sacrament of matrimony are living in sin. That is the teaching. It is the duty of every baptized Catholic to pray, regularly receive the sacraments, and encourage everyone to do the same. That is also the mission of the Church.

While the document takes great pains to differentiate a blessing from an endorsement of these “couples”, it is not clear what the purpose of this blessing is - a call to repentance?.../why people in such situations seek a blessing? Confusion!

Fatima and Akita are approved apparitions; the BVM does not lie! Sorry Gilles, but I strongly disagree. I continue to pray for all of the ordained.

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My further reply, also seeking God's will for us all: 

I frankly enjoy these dialogues with you, because you never lack for an expression of conviction. Still, on this Earth, I believe that none of us are capable of comprehending, let alone giving appropriate and just expression to, the complete and full wisdom of the Most Holy Trinity. The best we can do is mutter partialities, like the "ligue du vieux poêle" who make hockey commentaries fun.

The social upheaval of the 20th century

In our societies that were not devastated as were the "theatres of war" during WWII - there emerged a generalized selfishness due to the sudden prosperity of the 1950's, which we must remember was a result of society's mobilization for world war. This sudden prosperity creared a disparity between our society's values and the new "lifestyles of prosperity", which in turn caused a crisis in parenting. The new generations may not have understood it, but they observed the prosperity which came out of the business of killing people in war. 

We can understand how the young would have trouble with this disparity between responsible values their parents tried to pass on to them from the past and what they now saw as at times reckless living due to prosperity in the present. It would be untrue and unjust to shift the entire blame to these youth for becoming part of what is now seen as their irresponsible "teen age" demographic. These rapid changes were accompanied by the cultural, psychological, societal, and spiritual "explosion" of the 60's - this would include what is still called the "sexual revolution", which is ongoing today all over the world. 

All this upheaval ushered in what we could call a carefree abandon of morality and bold exploration of human boundaries inherent in civilized societies until then. Going beyond the boundaries, demolishing them, and substituting other values or even anti-values went on throughout the 70's, 80's, 90's and even until today. Many are those who have lost any bearing to the truth or any moral compass, and legion perhaps are those who never had the benefit of even hearing about a moral compass or direction, meaning, or purpose for their life.

The outbreak of scandals in the past three decades

However, much of what we have seen of scandalous sin in recent decades was already there to some degree, but was hypocritically hidden behind carefully starched collars and fine lace. Divine Providence has allowed the past century to happen for God's divine kind purposes. One reason people rebelled against the morality of their parents and society is because until then it had been imposed, without much room for questioning or understanding. You recall how in the 1950's we had to render our memorized catechism answers, complete with correct punctuation. Questions were not allowed, and understanding was deemed unnecessary. Only blind obedience was required. 

This entire approach to the education and formation of the young and of evangelization was wrong. God does not impose his will on us; that is not his way. The ways of the Lord are not our ways. Rather, his ways are more like the behaviour of the farmer who watches and waits for the crop to arise on its own. It is true that obedience is the highway to communion with the Most Holy Trinity, but God wants our obedience to be not blind, but freely and gladly given, and with increasing understanding. 

The authoritative Church past did not help people face life's challenges with free will 

In times past, the Magisterium behaved much like a hammer, and when you're a hammer, everything becomes a nail. For centuries, the documents emerging from councils were long lists of condemnations to hell. In Québec, if people have abandoned the Church, it is manifestly because for centuries the Church failed to mentor people toward love of God; failing to direct people to grow to moral maturity and learn to make their own right choices, attitudes, and behaviours, as well as works. For this to have happened, it would have been necessary for the Church to accept the risk that people would make mistakes, which God does with us.

When you apply unrelenting pressure, you prepare the way for an inevitable explosion. This is a law of nature. No matter what stance a pope takes, there will always be plenty of those around who will misinterpret and wreak havoc; which is the way of the enemy of humanity, ever ready to exploit us at our weakest point.

Thankfully, the landscape of the Church was not entirely bleak. There were some religious teachers and some pastors with greater maturity, autonomy of mind, understanding and wisdom of heart; who did in fact mentor other religious, pastors, and also parents. They taught them not only to understand the Word of God and the Church's teachings and Tradition, but also to apply the truth to life and to think and take responsibility for themselves. 

Reality is complex and we need to let Jesus be Lord 

As usual, this discourse cannot but go around in circles unless we admit that the reality is far more complex than can be delineated in a few paragraphs. For my part, I cling to the belief that the Lord Jesus is not on vacation, nor asleep; nor has he retired or quit. He remains Lord of Lords and King of Kings, but also the Good Shepherd. Both are true: God's divine justice and his divine mercy. His mercy is just and his justice is merciful. We cannot attempt to have one without the other.

One thing seems certain: there is no going back to a Church with which the Pharisees would have been most comfortable or would have admired - a Church wherein the "righteous" from on high in their ivory or glass towers and rich palaces condemn all the "unclean" - and see themselves as superior to the rest of humanity, "the great crowd of the unwashed". Jesus died to manifest the hollow emptiness of that attitude and approach, and I believe He will not tolerate his Church emulating or trying to go back to that hypocritical backwardness.

God wants all to be saved and we had best not hinder his efforts

Yes, Pope Francis is trying to convey to both clergy and laity alike, to unbelievers and atheists, and to all, that God is both just and merciful - that Marriage is only between one man and one woman for life in all fidelity and chastity - but that all those unable or unwilling to enter into that mode of living still remain children of God, whom He loves, and for whom Jesus died and rose again. Therefore, all can approach in their search for God and seek a blessing, or guidance, or confession, or Christian initiation. 

We may fool humans for a time, but no one can fool God 

If any attempt to approach with a false conscience or in a futile attempt to extract from the Church anything for which it has no authority to grant; then they may fool humans for a while, but they will never be able to fool God. When the ultimate and terrifying moment comes for us to find ourselves face to face with the Almighty, the Creator of the universe; then all pretense will fall away, and the soul will find itself irremediably naked before the Divine Scrutiny, which is both just and merciful. What will happen then will depend a lot on the soul's disposition. If it still refuses to bend to the Divine Will, it will opt for hell with all the rebellious angels and other human souls in that frame of conscience.

If it accepts to humbly bend to and make room for the Divine Will but is still too embarrassed to endure the intense and radiant Divine Love, it will opt to remove itself for a time from that blazing light and heat and find refuge in Purgatory; for as long as it takes for it to fully embrace the Divine Will, Truth and Goodness, Justice, Mercy, and Love.

For those who are already there, they will hear: "Beloved of my Father, enter into your divine inheritance. Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your Master's Joy." 

As my lively dialogue partner has indicated, we had best pray to God - and ask our Blessed Mother Mary to intercede for us sinners, for all of humanity - so that we may all come to the knowledge and love of God. 

See 2 Peter 3:8-10; Ephesians 3:19-21; 4:13-16; 1 Timothy 2:1-6

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My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian witnesses and writers in reflecting on life, encounters, and various situations, in a desire to enhance our understanding of what it means to be a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ at the service of the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2024 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2024 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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The Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, and Lawyers are at it again, only this time, instead of going after Jesus it's Pope Francis!

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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The nitpickers are at it again. This time it's articles covering the launch of a new Italian film on Pope Francis called "Francesco"; only it's not about him but about the many troubles and issues in the world about which Pope Francis cares a great deal such as: "the environment, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination". He cares about these issues because he cares about people; as well he should as Pope and as well we should, especially those of us who claim to be Christian.

I don't know about you but I for one am becoming not a little irritated at all those apparently so eager or taking such pleasure in attacking Pope Francis because he doesn't go through a litany of condemnations against every human evil imaginable - especially these people's pet peeves regarding "sexual sins" every time he opens his mouth. For people with this mindset everything has got to be black and white. They would have been the first to throw stones at the woman caught in the very act of adultery that the religious leaders brought to Jesus to trap him up over what to do with her. John 8 

The Mosaic Law was abundantly clear: such people must be stoned to death; however, not only the woman but also the man. Where was the man? If they caught her "in the very act of adultery" then there must have been a man. Why did they only bring the woman to Jesus? No doubt that the "one" who caught her in the act was the man himself, but on perceiving that one or more witnesses were about to catch them he decided to switch roles to that of accuser. 

Why did the woman not denounce him? Probably because women are more loving than men generally and it appears she chose to face the accusations alone rather than implicate him. Typical feminine selflessness versus typical male selfishness, and we know what the outcome would have been had Jesus not outsmarted the religious leaders who took on the role of Satan, "the accuser of mankind". 

If Jesus knew that one of those accusers was probably the man who committed adultery with her, since Jesus could read people's minds and hearts, why then did He not denounce the man? Instead he just "wrote in the dirt with his finger".... You see what God is like? He doesn't accuse; rather He gives us time to realize our fault so we can have the credit of changing our own mind and heart. John tells that the men - probably reluctantly because they were looking forward to making and example of the woman and stoning her to death - slowly dropped their stones and walked away, beginning with the eldest. Why the eldest? Because they had lived long enough to have realized by now that they were sinners too; whereas the younger men may still have needed to learn this hard lesson. It is much easier to accuse others than to admit our own sins. The truth is very painful; which is why God is so gentle. 

Well the religious leaders were furious with Jesus showing this woman gentleness and mercy, even forgiving her sins, and letting her go in peace. Why did these religious leaders have Jesus killed? Because he had the temerity to act friendly with known sinners when, in their view, he should have been accusing and condemning them. The ones who are most eager to insist on the full measure of the Law being carried out are generally the ones who have the most to hide; so they try to appear just and righteous themselves in the eyes of others by becoming the loudest accusers. 

So what as Pope Francis big "crime" this time? It wasn't even anything recent that he said or did, but a remark he made over a year ago in an recorded interview which didn't get televised at the time. This time for the sake of the film "Francesco", since the issue of homosexual unions came up, they used that bit of recorded interview. Here's what he said: "Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God... You can't kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered." 

What is so terribly wrong about what Pope Francis said in that previous interview? Those who attack Pope Francis do so because they can't stand the possibility that anyone might "be getting away with anything"... perhaps they might want "to get away with some things" but if they can't; then they don't want anyone else "to get away with anything" either. I won't go so far as to insinuate that Pope Francis' accusers are hypocrites, but it appears they would want the Pope - every time he opens his mouth - to rime off a list of condemnations of people who do all the things that they find bothersome. 

There were times in the past when the Church was a lot heavier on the "accusing and condemning" side of things. At the Second Vatican Council, the Holy Spirit reminded the Church that Jesus came to bring the Good News that: 

"Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." John 3:14-21 

As a result, since Vatican II the Roman Catholic Church has been rediscovering how to carry on the mission entrusted to her by Jesus, namely, to proclaim the Good News that we are to repent because the Kingdom of God is at hand. As Mark reported it in 1:15, Jesus went about declaring: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." Now Jesus did continue to proclaim this Good News in many ways, mostly be telling parables. Why did He do that? Because He knew, as his Father in Heaven knows, that we're a wretched bunch of sinners and we're generally not ready to repent completely... we need more time... until the day when our time is up.

Jesus never went around grabbing people by the scruff of the neck to yell into their faces: "Hey you! Don't you know what you're doing is wrong... it's against THE LAW! You're breaking one or more of the ten commandments; so STOP IT!" Jesus never does that... Satan is the one who goes around accusing everyone. Check out the Book of Job and you will find that it is Satan who does the accusing. 

You might turn around and argue that Jesus did accuse the religious leaders... so what about that? Yes, Jesus did accuse them, but only because they were HYPOCRITES who pretended to observe the Law so that people would admire them, but in their hearts, they didn't really love God and they hated their neighbours and had nothing but contempt for the poor and those who manifested some external signs that they might be in a sinful condition, or at least that they weren't observing the whole Law.

As if that wasn't bad enough, these Pharisees and Sadducees, Scribes and Lawyers made sure to impose the full weight of the Law on the people, especially on the poor and wretched whose hard lives made it impossible for them to keep the whole Law, and they refused to lift a finger to do anything to try to alleviate these burdens on God's people. Well their behaviour really stirred up in Jesus the wrath of God because He is a jealous God out of love and tenderness for his people, much like a mother springs to action whenever her children are threatened with harm. 

Saul was a Pharisee just like the ones who had Jesus killed and he fully approved and supported the stoning of the Deacon Stephen, our first Christian martyr. Saul went on a rampage to wipe out all the Christians he could lay his hands on until Jesus stopped him in his tracks. Once Jesus appeared to Saint Paul and he realized the error of his way of thinking. From then on, Paul preached it is impossible for us to make ourselves just before God by attempting to keep the whole Law. The Good News that Jesus brought is that God offers to CONSIDER US JUST if only we are willing to believe in Jesus his Son and to admit our sinfulness and poverty and do our best to accept his grace to repent, to change our lives, to turn away from our sinful ways and try to live as children of God. 

How do children of God behave? Jesus commanded us to love God with our whole self and to love our neighbor as our self. He even went further and commanded us: "Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you." Luke 6:27 Well, we certainly aren't loving our neighbor or our enemies by going around trying to "pin the tail on the donkey" for everyone who may behave in ways we don't approve or in ways we consider contrary to THE LAW.

Pope Francis' many accusers just can't stand it when he makes statements like the one he said on a plane 3 or 4 years ago in answer to a question from a journalist about homosexual unions: "Who am I to judge?" That one really sticks in their craw because they want CONDEMNATIONS. Actually Pope Francis' stance in the face of homosexuals or anyone else who may or may not be in a state of sin is the correct stance we should all adopt. Only God has the competence and clarity of vision to judge justly and mercifully. Of course society must have laws and police and courts and judges for the sake of a minimum of law and order. Check out what Saint Paul wrote to the Romans about judging (Rm 2).

However, when it comes to sexual morality, it's not only sexual behaviours that God would take into consideration but also the lives that people are living. Let's put it this way. A married man who has violent sexual relations with his wife, in effect raping her every time, will be judged far more harshly that two men or two women who are in a long term civil union by which they care for each other with tenderness and do their best to live good lives and possibly raise their children. 

No one is condoning expressions of human sexuality that are in discord with God's plan for marriage; however, when God looks at us, He doesn't only see our behaviour, but He looks deeply into our mind, heart, and soul as well as our body. Only God is competent and qualified to judge. We are not to compare ourselves to others or our behaviour to theirs; rather, we are to compare ourselves to Jesus, who is our model. 

Take another example. One day the religious leaders disputed with Jesus over what authority he was claiming by teaching the things He taught. He replied with a question of his own, but they refused to answer; so Jesus told them that tax collectors and prostitutes were entering the kingdom of heaven ahead of them. That really stuck in their craw. 

Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.“Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him." Matthew 21:23-27, 31-32 

Another dimension overlooked by Pope Francis' accusers is that our human society, humanity, isn't identical to the Kingdom of God. Our society is not a theocracy with God as King and everyone on Earth as subjects. Yes, we Christians believe that Jesus is in truth King of the Universe, but not all human beings know or accept that truth yet. Jesus is not the kind of King who goes around clobbering anyone who doesn't kneel down on sight. Remember how He behaved on the day He died? He went quietly, not shouting, not defending himself, quietly, like a Lamb to the slaughter. He loved even his accusers and tormentors and refused to raise his voice against them; letting them have as much time as possible to come to their senses on their own and realize what they had done. 

Islamic countries that abide by Sharia Law from the Qu'ran are in effect theocracies, societies regulated by religious law. If you are caught stealing, they cut off your hand. If you do it again they cut off your foot, and so on. Perhaps Pope Francis' accusers would want him to do something along those lines and condemn all the people whose behaviours these accusers don't like. These are not the Lord's ways.

Pope Francis is teaching us that civil society must have its laws for the common good. Under those laws he said that it would be good for two men or two women living together to have a civil union; so that they would be "covered" by civil law, like everyone else who tries to establish and live in a family. 

Those of us who claim to be Christians and try to follow Jesus and live as children of God live by a different set of "rules" which are actually more demanding. Jesus came to fulfill the Law by raising it to a higher standard: "Love one another as I have loved you." Are we ready to lay down our lives for those in homosexual households? Or for our enemies? Jesus did. He laid down his life for us, and we're all a pretty rough and tumble bunch of hard-hearted sinners. It's difficult to follow Jesus, in fact, it's humanly impossible; which is why we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We cannot save ourselves, but we can accept Jesus as our Saviour, confess our sins daily, and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and makes us every day a little more like Jesus, a little more like Pope Francis! 

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Is the Pope a heretic, or are we Pharisees, Sadducees, Chief Priests, Scribes, or Lawyers?

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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Is the Pope a heretic, or are we Pharisees, Sadducees, Chief Priests, Scribes, or Lawyers?

Thanks be to God for Catholic TV and Radio

Like many Roman Catholics I have been pleased to watch programs on EWTN and Salt + Light. I was in seminary when in 1981 Mother Angelica listened to the Holy Spirit and boldly had the first TV and Radio studio built. It was seen as a remarkable act of God and an act of mercy for his Church and for all his children, the people of our time. 

Who are we to accuse this particularly fine Pope of heresy?

To my dismay, and that of many, perhaps countless R.C. Christians, there are now some who in the name of reporting news are joining voices that accuse Pope Francis of heresy. A number of analysts suspect that the primary motive of these accusations – which have been shadowing Pope Francis almost from the start of his pontificate – is that certain people don’t like the Pope’s call and efforts at reform in the Church. 

Is this a contemporary echo of what happened to Jesus?

The more I reflect on this and pray about it, the more apparent it seems to me that Pope Francis is being offered by our Lord Jesus an opportunity to suffer what He also suffered during his short 3-year mission on Earth. Jesus tried to reform the Temple’s practice of cluttering up the “Court of the Gentiles” with merchants selling sacrificial animals and bankers changing currencies. The Court of the Gentiles was part of the Temple intended by God to be a place where interested Gentiles could come for conversation with Jews about God.

Jesus’ efforts to reform the faith of Israel included reminding people about God’s mercy towards sinners, and to remind people that not doing any work to honour God on the Sabbath Day did not excuse anyone from the duty of performing works of mercy towards those who presented themselves in their need on that day.

Jesus’ reform met with severe criticism, unjust arrest, and false accusations, trumped up charges, unjust condemnation, incarceration, torture, and execution. It is obvious that Pope Francis is not the innocent and holy Son of God, but he is a good, just, and righteous man, a true believer, a devout Catholic Christian, a holy priest, an exemplary bishop with a long commitment to pastoral care of all the faithful and a predilection for the poor, and now, finally, an exemplary pope. 

Who were the Pharisees, Sadducees, Chief Priests, Scribes, and Lawyers who accused and executed Jesus?

First of all, they were all men. Second, they were men of privilege, because they enjoyed the highest of all privileges obtainable in their society: education, wealth, and position of influence. Third, in principle, they belonged to the ruling classes, which exist to cultivate order and harmony by their service to their society.

What balance exists between privilege and responsibility, wealth and the common good, power and service? 

Such privileges come with social obligations towards the rest of the population who, through no fault of their own, have little or no access to any or all of those privileges. Those who accumulate to themselves the lion’s share of a society’s resources cannot escape from the truth that all the resources of Planet Earth belong to all for the common good of humanity as a species. Privilege enjoyed without responsibility towards the rest of society could define despotism. Wealth enjoyed without assuring public services could define tyranny. Power wielded without serving the common good could define totalitarianism.  

How could men convinced of their righteousness and religious devotion be so wrong?

The Pharisees, Sadducees, Chief Priests, Scribes, and Lawyers who arrested, accused, and executed Jesus were to all appearances prominent men, religiously devout, and dedicated to their religion and its faith practice. How could they be so wrong about Jesus? How could they fail to see what was obvious to ordinary people, namely, that Jesus was a good and righteous man, a holy man, yes, and possibly even the Son of God? 

The only explanation I can see is that they were unwilling or unable to be self-critical. They were convinced of their perfect record in obeying all of God’s laws, prescriptions, and observances. Jesus had to remind them that they were forgetting the heart of God’s Law which is mercy. They didn’t buy it. They wanted everyone to be clearly identified as the sinners that they were, in accord with all their external failures to perfectly observe all the religious laws and prescriptions. They were mad as hell that Jesus accused them right back of interior sinful intentions and desires, because their good reputation mattered more to them than God’s judgement. Jesus took them to task for their hardness of heart and unwillingness to alleviate the people’s burdens.

How can people be so convinced that Pope Francis is a heretic? What is bothering them so much about him?

Frankly, after having read so many texts by those who accuse Pope Francis, and listening to a few people I know who feel the same way, I can only conclude that in our own day we have – without realizing it – slipped into the hard heartedness and hard headedness of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Chief Priests, Scribes, and Lawyers who arrested, accused, and executed Jesus. 

We / they want it to be very clear who the “sinners” are, so that we can be clearly distinguished from “them”. Those who don’t like Pope Francis, or are angry with him, or despise him or some of his statements and his attitudes towards “them”: those who identify as LGBT etc., or any other issue distasteful to them, disagree with his efforts to reform the Church. They believe the Church is fine the way it is and doesn’t need reform.

How can we who are convinced of our righteousness and religious devotion be so wrong?

Surprisingly, or shockingly, I believe that we could characterize what happened to the religious leaders in Jesus’ day and is happening to the critics of Pope Francis as “vestigial adolescence”. One of the defining characteristics of adolescence – as a child emerges from childhood and begins to notice all that is wrong with the world which they are inheriting from the generations of adults who have gone before them – is shock at the mess they see and anger at the deficiencies in the inheritance we are bequeathing to them. 

When an adolescent gets stuck in that shock and anger – which are perfectly normal reactions to an abnormal situation – the shock and anger compel them to rebellion and misbehaviour which can harden into juvenile delinquency. By definition, a juvenile delinquent is an adolescent who is angry at the world, sees everything that is wrong with the world, but has no sense of personal fault or responsibility. The delinquent’s eyes are exclusively focused on all that is wrong “out there”, but unable to be aware of anything that might be wrong “in here”, that is, within me. If I cannot admit anything that is wrong with me, by the same token I am unable to appreciate anything that is right and good with me. This is a different kind of hardness of heart. 

The advent and development of a new professional field: that of the psychoeducator

If you search “psychoeducation” on the web, there are indications that this professional was developed around 1980 and much is made of developments in Germany. However, in the French society of Québec, Canada, in 1940 a priest founded Boscoville, inspired by the American “Boys’ Town”, and in the 1950’s and 1960’s they developed the process of re-education into a process of awareness raising and responsibility. Today there is a postgraduate degree in psychoeducation which produces licenses psychoeducators who participate in the province’s health and social services. 

The primary discovery during those decades of development was that when an interested person who accompanied a delinquent took interest in whatever good they were doing – rather than constantly harping on all that they had done wrong – in trying to speak about the good they had done, the delinquents began to exist in their own eyes. From that point on, they could begin to choose to take responsibility for their own life, and by the same token, had less need to blame the rest of society or to find fault with others. 

It is a well established principle in the Christian life that the best way to avoid becoming obsessed with the faults of others is to assiduously examine one’s own conscience and regularly confess one’s own faults and work on replacing bad habits with habits of virtue. 

Why are some Catholics / Christians critical of others rather than “walk humbly with their God”? (Micah 6:8)

Eurasia and the Middle East – a heritage of empires

This part of the world went through successive empires, invasions, wars, and eventually the development of nations. Human nature being what it is, the various peoples accumulated experiences of domination and exploitation by monarchs and invading tribes. At times they enjoyed benevolent rulers, but it didn’t last. Some nations developed empires of their own: the Ottomans, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Holland. They in turn expanded, conquered, and exploited other peoples. 

The Americas

The European nations and empires set their sights on the “new world” and some settlers came to escape the tyrannies they had known there. Unfortunately, the settlement of the Americas collided with native peoples, and the general policy practiced by the settlers in effect carried out the results found in genocide. The native peoples of the Americas were, more or less completely, wiped out or subjugated in destructive ways.

The United States of America

Most prominent among American states is the U.S.A. which has taken the name of “America” to itself. From the beginning, those who developed this nation have taken a posture of superiority towards all others with whom they have had dealings. They took over much of the Spanish colonies in the south and west, and even so far as the Philippines. Through various policies over the centuries they have exerted such influence and power over other states in the Americas; that few if any have enjoyed similar freedom to develop their own forms of government and effectively care for their own populations. Holding other nations back or assuring that they are ruled by dictators or governments willing to do American bidding is seen as a duty to assure “American interests”. 

It is increasingly becoming apparent to American citizens that government policies pursued in the name of “American interests” are not necessarily oriented towards the common good of citizens, but rather towards the good of the largest and most influential corporations. In other words, more and more of the resources in the land are at the service of profiting the very small minority of people who own those corporations. There are too many documentaries to be counted that report the American countryside resembles more and more a third world or undeveloped society. Companies exploit an area for profit and abandon it when it suits them.

The legal system, the health system, large corporations, and the military industrial complex are extremely efficient at assuring their own interests and development; while citizens experience that increasingly none of these players have any interest in the well being or development of citizens, families, or communities. This dimension of America is deeply infected by the virus of profit and greed that excludes the common good. We could call the virus “American capitalism”. 

Canada

Like the U.S.A., in World War II Canada had the impression of standing on a higher moral ground than the people of Europe, where the war was principally being fought. However, we were not very hospitable to Jewish refugees trying to find a safe haven from the Nazi death camps. We didn’t object very strongly to the bombing of civilians in Germany and other nations. We weren’t overly sad at the atomic bombing of civilians at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but only too glad that those atrocities may have accelerated an end to the war.

The death of western civilization

Sadly and embarrassingly, Canada is now on the forefront of those championing “open season” on humanity: abortion on demand, euthanasia increasingly on demand, and what will be next? When a society no longer acknowledges the existence of a Creator, God, let alone any responsibility of gratitude and worship towards the Divine Being; it is a very short step for human beings to begin behaving as though they were god, exercising with reckless abandon power over life and death. What we found so abhorrent in Hitler we now embrace with hardly a qualm of conscience. 

Is there any remaining sense of the common good on the Earth?

One reason that America, Canada, European nations, Japan, China, India, and many nations have at some point been great and retain a capacity to be great nations is the existence within them of great people. Human beings attain greatness when they develop depth of conscience and greatness of spirit, which becomes manifest in their positive contributions to their own society and to other societies.

Poland

Citizens of Poland have with great effort maintained a collective sense of identity and survived very harsh and destructive regimes. Many of their citizens have shown greatness, and now they must meet the challenge of a form of capitalism that focuses primarily on personal profit without due consideration for the common good. They must now contend, like most nations on the Earth at this time, with the virus “American capitalism”. 

Africa and Latin America

The nations and peoples of Africa and Latin America have been exploited by the ancient empires of Greece, Babylon, Chaldea, Syria, Assyria, Egypt, Rome, and others. These were replaced by the Arabic Empire which came to be known later as Islam, the best known and longest lasting version of which was the Ottoman Empire. In turn it was displaced by the European empires and now by the American Empire. For a time they were caught in the cold war between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. With the fall of the former, there now is only the latter. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the American empire – particularly through its transnational corporations – is greatly interfering in the development of nations and their ability to look after the proper interests of their own peoples.  

Japan

The Japanese have long been impressive as a people. Their rise from medieval society and poverty at the end of World War II into an economic powerhouse and highly developed, educated, and sophisticated society has been truly remarkable. The whole world has been impressed with their response as a society to natural or other disasters, at which time their whole society mobilizes as though a single man. Their practice of wearing masks in public transit in order to avoid spreading respiratory infections is very impressive. However, not even the Japanese have been able to resist the virus of “American capitalism”. They are having so few children that their whole population is tipping into old age. Their development has not been without fear for the future. 

China

We westerners have been effectively brainwashed into seeing only the harsh violence of the communist revolution when we consider China and its people. As a child I was deformed with stories of missionaries tortured and killed. The narrative given to us came from our own societies which had been formed by their own interests as empires of exploitation and conquest. When missionaries came from European nations to the Americas – as they did to Asia, Africa, and Oceania – they travelled on the same boats that brought soldiers on a mission of conquest and exploitation.

The Communist Revolution in China had as its first goal the elimination of outside empires and their policies of conquest and subjection for exploitation. Only recently have I discovered that 80% of Chinese in China today self identify as Han. They are an almost completely homogeneous people and their language is Mandarin. Their current rapid progress is due to the hybrid development of capitalism and private ownership and enterprise with a central government operating according to communist principles. 

The Basque economic revolution

One of my most astounding discoveries in the past year has been to hear and read about a different form of capitalism that not only exists but is thriving in our world. In 1956 a Roman Catholic priest encouraged his unemployed and impoverished people not to wait for capitalists to come and invest in creating jobs for them but to go ahead and do it for themselves. Well, they did. Today, the Mondragon Corporation includes over 100 companies entirely owned and operated by the workers themselves. 

Workers evaluate supervisors instead of the other way around. Profits are not siphoned off for the benefit of a handful of owners or share holders, because the workers all have equal shares in the company and together they operate develop it. They set up their own university to assure the development of cooperation as a more beneficial form of capitalism, more beneficial for the whole of society, because the corporation reinvests in the nation in which its owners, the workers, dwell. The corporation pays its fair share of taxes, rather than seeking refuge in foreign tax havens.

Mondragon Corporation reinvests 10% of profits into education, 45% into research and development, and 45% into the worker / owners’ pension funds; where until they retire they are reinvested into the Corporation’s ongoing development and growth. The highest paid worker earns not more than 5 to 6 times the least paid worker, unlike American corporations where the difference is more like 300 times more. Is the success of Mondragon due to the strong sense of collective identity enjoyed by the Basques? Can others emulate and reproduce their success? Can cooperation co-exist with American capitalism and, in time, even replace it? 

Are we any longer capable of recognizing goodness, righteousness, and mercy, or of practicing them?

We are descendants and products of genocidal empires and plutocracies. We modern homo sapiens are ever more convinced of our superiority and inversely willing to recognize any external authority. To put it in a Roman Catholic context, the Pope cannot possibly be infallible because everyone else already is. While it is shocking to see TV reporters and commentators taking what appears to be glee in insinuating if not outright accusing Pope Francis of heresy; it is not surprising, and it is disappointing. 

Because of our political en economic heritage, but especially because of our human nature, we are almost incapable of recognizing authentic goodness, true righteousness, and divine mercy when we see them. It appears that we have very little appetite for practicing such virtuous attitudes and behaviours. However, the situation is not without hope, because it is merely further evidence that we stand in need of a Saviour. Thanks be to God that He has given us One: Jesus, his only-begotten Son, for whose coming once again we now have the privilege of preparing through yet another Advent Season.

Blessed Advent to you and your family!

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Controversy and confusion over Pope Francis & "Amoris Laetitia" Part 1 - Many are uncomfortable with God's mercy and prefer to "lay down the law".

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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There is no denying that currently in the Roman Catholic Church there has come to light some disagreement - even at the highest levels among bishops and cardinals - over some of Pope Francis' writing, speaking, and teaching. Since Pope Francis' election I've been observing how people tend to divide in how they understand or feel about Pope Francis, his words, actions, attitudes, teaching, speaking, writing, and demeanor. This was already happening before "Amoris Laetitia" and only increasing with time. Given popular support for Pope Francis, however, it was difficult for those who, for various reasons, opposed him to do so openly, or at least, without substantial grounds. This has changed.

Previously, a year or two before "Amoris Laetitia" came out, a thought occurred to me that what was happening around Pope Francis resembled what first happened around Jesus. Not only that, but I remembered Jesus' warning that the very same that was happening to Him would also happen to all who follow Him and try to carry out the mission with which He was entrusting them, and now, us.

Jesus stated He did not come to change or abolish the law but to fulfill it, that is, assure that it was effective in accomplishing its purpose, which is, namely, to bring his people back to God. Jesus accused the Pharisees and Sadducees, lawyers and scribes, and Temple priests of not only not doing that, but He actually accused them of making it even more difficult for his people to return to the Lord. They set insurmountable obstacles that only the wealthy and powerful could hope to accomplish, with all their servants bearing the brunt for them, of all the legally and meticulously defined burdens.

He accused them of being only superficially concerned with God's law, while simultaneously being far away from the heart of the law, which, Jesus reminded them, was about the love of God and of neighbor. He even gave them a little "shock therapy" with his parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee who both went in to pray. Jesus did not show the tax collector as finally repentant and definitively turning away from all sin, but only as humble in his confession and plea for mercy. Nevertheless, He said, the tax collector went away justified while the "ritually pure" Pharisee did not. Luke 18:9-14

In the current confusion and controversy over the issue of whether people in irregular marriage situations or situations of adultery, it seems to me that among all those who participate in or contribute to the discussion and writing, very few if any are focusing on Jesus' own diagnosis of what was going on in all of the opposition He was facing in his time. It seems to me that what is actually happening now is directly related to the trouble Jesus stirred up. I believe Jesus would say to us that we are more concerned with the keeping of the law than we are with the return of sinners to God's mercy.

Just after the call of Matthew, tax collectors and sinners sat at dinner with Jesus and his disciples and the Pharisees challenged "his disciples: 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?' But when he heard this, he said, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.'" Matthew 9:10-13 In addition the evangelists give abundant testimony to Jesus' inclination to forgive sins and pardon sinners, even when that is not what they asked for, but only a healing or deliverance.

In each instance, Jesus read the minds and hearts of people, because, although "many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing... Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them because he know all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone." John 2:23-25 Jesus, like the Father, distinguishes between those who are superficially coming to God and those who are coming with their whole heart, those who have an appetite for signs from those who hunger and thirst for truth, justice, and mercy, those who want to be considered pure from those who truly long to be pure.

There was no contradiction in Jesus publicly teaching the truth while receiving people in such a way that He risked giving impression that in practice He eased the repentance of sinners and kept the company even of those sinners not yet ready to repent. He wanted everyone to come to know the love of the Father; so that the time for them to return to the Father might be hastened. Jesus' inclination was to teach the truth publicly, while at the same time, He extended the divine mercy to individuals as He came across them, one at a time. Later He instructed the twelve and then the seventy-two to go out and do the same. "'Freely you have received; freely give.'" Matthew 10:8

In the face of the religious and secular culture of his time, and in light also of his opposition, Jesus warned all who heard him against casting judgements. "'Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgement you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.'" Then He gives the well known image of criticizing a neighbor for having a speck in his eye all the while having a plank in our own, hindering our sight. Jesus tells us to see to and look after our own soul first, always first, and to approach others as He does, with humility, respect, kindness, and understanding; which is love.

Pope Francis has spoken and written frequently about the inclination of some to take refuge behind the letter of the law, to assure at all times that the Church never tires of dogmatically repeating moral teaching and continually dictates the application of that teaching in all instances, lest there be allowed to linger any doubts in the minds and hearts of people. Whenever Pope Francis addresses clerics, both bishops and priests, he keeps calling on us to get close enough to the faithful to "acquire the smell of the sheep", that is, not to fear to "get dirty" as a result of getting close enough to them to be troubled by their troubles, to be moved to weep with those who weep, and to be lifted up to laugh with those who laugh.

In his letter to the Romans, chapter 12, verses 9ff, St Paul describes the "marks of the true Christian", including that we should "rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." v. 12 We accept generally that St Paul was correctly interpreting Jesus' complaint regarding "this generation. It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another. 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.'" Matthew 11:16-17 People criticized both John the Baptist and Jesus, because of the hardness of their hearts. They were not moved by John to repent and they would not let Jesus lift them up to the loving and merciful view of the Father. In rejecting Jesus they were rejecting the one who sent Him. Luke 10:16

We can't have it both ways. We can't take shelter behind the fortress of "the law" and at the same time mingle with the sheep in the hope of leading them to proper pasture. Jesus used the image of sheep intentionally, we are sure. They are strong willed and follow their nose, which leads them constantly into trouble whenever the shepherd gets distracted to takes a snooze. Jesus urged shepherds not to beat the sheep but to carry them tenderly. I believe that Pope Francis is telling all of us, in no uncertain terms, that we must put aside the era of dogmatic formulations and wholesale condemnations and "get dirty", get closer to the sheep and identify with them and, by winning their trust through mercy, succeed in leading them - some more quickly but others by degrees - to pasture.

If Pope Francis continues to ignore the challenge wrapped in respectability by by such words, attitudes, and actions as the "Dubia", with all due respect to the esteemed authors of those texts; it seems clear that he is ignoring it for the same reasons Jesus chose to have as little to do as possible with the Pharisees and other religious leaders and influential people. Jesus knew that as long as they persisted in their legalistic mindset they would never understand nor accept Him nor what He was saying and doing. He knew that, in the end, they would commit deicide. God simply exceeds our human categories and parameters, but we keep trying to "tame" Him and "squeeze" Him into our nice, neat, little categories. We keep doing that because we are afraid and we need to find reassurance of our own likelihood to be saved by clearly defining all those who will be damned.

More recently Pope Francis has said that he believes those who insist on demanding clearer formulations in the interest of the well being of the faithful are in fact more likely to be hiding behind that respectable facade to conceal their own need for clarity, and they are doing that because, fundamentally, we human beings stopped trusting in God. Isn't that what happened with the original sin? Since then we prefer our own opinions and judgements and are loath to accept those of the Lord. We don't want to wait to let God sort it all out, we want to sort it out ourselves, and we want to do it now.

So what is really going on here, in this controversy and confusion over chapter 8 of "Amoris Laetitia"? I believe that it is a contest between the divine view and the human view. The divine view got Jesus killed, and it seems now likely that it may obtain the destruction - in one form or another - of Pope Francis; in which case he will have the joy of sharing in Jesus' passion to the very bitter end. There can never be compromise or accommodation between these two views, the divine and the human. Either we persist in our limited human view and continue to kill God in the souls of people or else we humble ourselves and get with God's program and follow the lead of the Good Shepherd. It has to be one or the other, we cannot have both, and having it our way only leads to death for ourselves and as many as we lead away from the Good Shepherd's voice.

While all of us in the comfort of our homes, studies, offices, churches, rectories, computer screens and keyboards, and all other "fortresses" continue to add fuel to this confusion and controversy; in the meantime people are suffering the ravages of our secular age, often with no one willing to stop and care like the "good Samaritan". People carry the wounds of neglected parenting while both their parents worked and abandoned the full time burden of forming, humanizing, and loving their children. In other instances, separated and divorced parents oversee damage done to their children while they struggled to "find happiness". The true litany of woes is only becoming longer and more complex as civilization as we know it disintegrates all around us.

In "Laudato Si" Pope Francis dared to formulate a judgement on our society, which many believe to be God's own judgement, that our social apparatus, ways of doing, institutions, attitudes, and way of life is almost entirely articulated around the absolute value given to "the dollar" or whatever currency is local; while the human person in all its dignity and rights is made subservient. From the beginning the Creator intended it to be the other way around, but we resist even the remote possibility of this truth, let alone doing anything to change it. This is one of the facets of what original sin looks like in our own day. Until the end of the world we will never be able to escape struggling with it, against it, but God wants us to do it with his help and following his guidance.

However we are all, myself included, collectively and personally squirming, I believe, when we hear what Pope Francis says, read what he writes, and see what he does. I believe we would not be much more troubled if Jesus came and walked among us again in Person. We are not much better than his contemporaries were, even if we would prefer to think better of ourselves than the religious leaders of Judea. The longer we continue to resist trusting Pope Francis, the longer we refuse to pay attention to the "whole perspective" of what he is saying, writing, and doing, the longer we will continue to crucify Christ all over again, and we do it for the very same reasons they did it the first time. To be fair though, now we can sincerely believe that we have the best interests of the faithful at heart by insisting that no one in the circumstances of adultery should approach the sacraments, ever. We can be sincere but quite wrong.

It is not a coincidence that Pope Francis gave us the "Jubilee Year of Mercy". How is it that we fail to take this into consideration, as in 'been there, done that'? Why do we so resist taking on ourselves the characteristics of God's own divine mercy? I believe we are fundamentally afraid to entrust ourselves, our lives, our Church, our society, and our world to God. We believe He will mess it up. So we take refuge behind Jesus' reiteration of the Genesis revelation about marriage in the face of challenges regarding divorce. We ensconce ourselves firmly in Jesus' own teaching about adultery and who commits it. Then we go on to ignore his shepherd's attitude and behavior in caring for the sheep and the lambs. We do it because we are uncomfortable to hold both at the same time. We don't want to wait for God to judge when it is time. We want to cast judgement now.

I believe that many in the Church have still not accepted as genuine and as pastoral inspirations from the Holy Spirit such declarations by Pope Francis as:

"our church doors should be open" - the Eucharist "is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak" - "God save us from a worldly Church with superficial spiritual and pastoral trappings" - "This I ask you: be shepherds, with the 'odour of the sheep', make it real, as shepherds among your flock, fishers of men. True enough, the so-called crisis of priestly identity threatens us all and adds to the broader cultural crisis; but if we can resist its onslaught, we will be able to put out in the name of the Lord and cast our nets." (Chrism Mass homily March 28, 2013) - "the Church is called to be a 'field hospital' with doors wide open" Cf full quote following...

Homily of Pope Francis in the Vatican Basilica on October 4th, 2015 at the Holy Mass for the opening of the XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

"And the Church is called to carry out her mission in charity, not pointing a finger in judgment of others, but – faithful to her nature as a mother – conscious of her duty to seek out and care for hurting couples with the balm of acceptance and mercy; to be a "field hospital" with doors wide open to whoever knocks in search of help and support; even more, to reach out to others with true love, to walk with our fellow men and women who suffer, to include them and guide them to the wellspring of salvation.

A Church which teaches and defends fundamental values, while not forgetting that "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mk 2:27); and that Jesus also said: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mk 2:17). A Church which teaches authentic love, which is capable of taking loneliness away, without neglecting her mission to be a good Samaritan to wounded humanity." 

I understand Pope Francis to be calling us away from shoving a burdensome moral code incessantly at people so as to instead go back to proclaiming the essentials of God's mercy as Jesus did. Then, as people encounter God's mercy, He will manifest his sovereignty in their lives and set his light in them and, in his time but not our time, they will see that light and feel moved to amend their ways. That will be for them the day of salvation, which is always God's day and not our own.

This is a good shepherd's approach, not beating the sheep into submission - as all too often we have as Church done in the past (think only of the Spanish Inquisition which some people apparently would want restored in our day). A bad shepherd uses elements of the Gospel as a club to coerce submission (as we accuse of radical Muslims trying to do); but a good shepherd proposes the good news for what it fundamentally is: God loves us so much He sent his Son among us, to live our life and suffer our death, to get our attention and win our hearts, minds, and souls; so that we may freely, humbly, and gratefully respond to his outpouring of divine life for us.

In conclusion, are we going to see an "easy fix" anytime soon? I don't think so. However we must all of us face the real issue at hand, namely, will we humble ourselves to pay attention to what God is doing in our time through the person and ministry of Pope Francis, or will we continue to fortify our fortresses and press to clear definitions of the law; as did the religious leaders of Jesus' day who in the end put Him to death? Do we secretly covet the removal of Pope Francis? This is a question that each of us must answer.

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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