updated 2:35 PM EDT, Mon September 23, 2013
Pope Francis makes some unexpected comments on issues facing the Roman Catholic Church
on Monday, July 29. He spoke on the record to journalists on a flight
back back to Italy from Brazil after finishing his first international
trip as pontiff. Among the topics he addressed were homosexuality, the
church's alleged "gay lobby," the role of women, abortion, divorce and
the Vatican Bank.
HIDE CAPTION
- Perry: Francis' impact comes from his behavior and words, not his executive power as Pope
- He says that the pope can seem so transformative is a testament to the power of his reform
- Perry: When will the rest of the Catholic Church hierarchy catch up to Francis' revolution?
Editor's note: David M. Perry is an associate professor of history and director of the Catholic studies minor at Dominican University in Illinois. Follow him on Twitter.
(CNN) -- It's time to stop being surprised by Pope Francis.
Since he became pontiff,
he's made a lot of news. His tweets echo around the world. He embodies
principles of humility and piety. He eschews the fancy trappings of
office favored by his predecessor, from the Popemobile to the red shoes.
He washed the feet of prisoners, including a Muslim woman, on Holy
Thursday. He telephones ordinary people who write to him.
In Rome, he called for
"revolutionaries" to leave the comforts of their home and bring the word
into the streets. In Rio, he told the gathered youth to "make a mess"
in the dioceses as they help the church shake off clericalism.
David M. Perry
He has sought to create a
"culture of encounter" in which atheists and Catholics might come
together. "Do good," he said memorably. "We will meet each other there."
When he announced that he would canonize Pope John XXIII, the great
reformer, on the same day as John Paul II, he emphasized continuity
among all Catholics, even those of different factions. When asked about
gay priests, he replied, "Who am I to judge?"
Most recently, he gave a
long interview in which he articulated a new vision of the church that
does seem revolutionary. In the West, reaction has focused on his
statements about hot-button social issues. For example, he said, "the
teaching of the church (on abortion, gay marriage, and contraception),
for that matter, is clear ... (but) it is not necessary to talk about
these issues all the time."
Given the constant
drumbeat of the American church hierarchy on exactly those issues, the
line comes off as a surprising rebuke. Deeper critiques lie within the
interview as well. When he spoke about doubt and dialogue, he said, "If
the Christian is a restorationist, a legalist, if he wants everything
clear and safe, then he will find nothing."
At the very least,
Francis has found a message that resonates with Catholics and
non-Catholics alike. But as repeatedly stated by commentators and church
officials, he has not changed anything. He has called for no new
doctrines. His reorganization of the Vatican goes slowly. The problems
besetting the church before his election remain. Traditionalists, who
wish to preserve gains won under the past two popes, and reformers, who
are frustrated by the pace of change, agree on this one thing. To this
point, Francis' impact emerges from his behavior and his words, not his
executive power as pope.
New pope, new path?
Pope Francis' views a 'slight departure'
What is Pope Francis' message?
And yet, he has this
power to surprise. Every time he demonstrates his humility or his
empathy, his words resonate with Catholics and non-Catholics alike. They
bring both pleasure and surprise that such a seemingly honest, humble
and holy person really could be pope.
Don't be surprised at
what Francis is doing; instead, wonder if the rest of the church
hierarchy is going to catch up. Francis' revolution emerges out of the
core of Catholicism. He emphasizes humility, poverty, social justice,
non-judgment, peace and especially mercy. That he can seem so
transformative without changing any theological principles is a
testament to the depth and power of his reform, not its limitations.
Such a reform has
historical precedent. More than 800 years ago, another Francis, the son
of a cloth merchant in Assisi, came to Rome to see the pope. The church
of the 13th century relied heavily on formula. This reliance distanced
the priests from their parishioners and was a growing problem in an era
of societal change. Francis and his disciples, who attempted to live in
perfect poverty and humility, had dedicated themselves to preaching and
outreach to the people. They tried to pattern their lives by the
principles of Christ.
The pope, Innocent III,
gave Francis his approval and supported the new Franciscan order. He
hoped that the charismatic humility of Francis might help address some
of the problems the church was facing. Eight hundred years later,
Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio became the first pope to take Francis' name
as his own.
St. Francis'
revolutionary message focused on a return to first principles, as he saw
them. While Pope Francis has ascended to the throne of St. Peter and
St. Francis never chose to be ordained, one can locate certain parallels
unfolding between the two men and their efforts at reform. This pope is
also turning to the first principles as he perceives them. Pope Francis
makes the argument that everything he needs to transform the church
already exists within the core teachings. And if this is the core, how
can anyone choose not to follow?
What would it look like
for the rest of the hierarchy to go where Francis is leading? For one
thing, they might find lots of their lay parishioners and the women and
men in holy order already there, working.
But while the hierarchy
clearly elected Francis to reform the workings of the Vatican, it's not
clear that they expected his personal piety to put such pressure on
them. Traditionalist response to Francis has concentrated on his
personal charisma while emphasizing the orthodoxy of his doctrinal
positions. Such responses seem to indicate a resistance to the idea that
they might need to change anything.
In a recent interview
with the New Catholic Reporter, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York
talked about the new pope. He said that in the wake of Francis, he found
himself "examining my own conscience ... on style, on simplicity, on
lots of things." The cardinal wondered whether his living arrangements,
in the historical residence of the archbishops of New York, were
appropriate. But the cardinal wasn't quite sure what to do about it,
given that he can't sell the building.
St. Francis would have
agreed. He carefully never argued for the church to sell of its property
or divest itself of income. Of course, he was outside the church
hierarchy and relied on papal protection for his safety.
Pope Francis, on the
other hand, might have a plan for an empty archbishop's residence if
Cardinal Dolan wanted to downsize. After all, he did recently suggest
that empty church property should be used to house refugees.
SOURCE: CNN
