Pope Francis’s three-year-old papacy, marred by controversy from the beginning, has hit a new low.
After Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected to succeed
Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, he quickly justified his reputation as an
unconventional character who put himself on both sides of an argument
with vaguely worded pronouncements.
From his “Who am I to judge?” statement on gay people
that seemed to offer a hint at a change in church teaching, to his
fumbles on contraception, to his recent claim that Donald Trump is not
Christian, his off-the-cuff remarks cause headlines across the globe,
often followed by some sort of “clarification” from the Holy See Press
Office.
His papacy has been a litany of confusing statements
for the faithful on the most sensitive and delicate topics. While clear
on political topics dear to his heart, but where Catholics can
legitimately hold differing opinions, such as immigration, economics and
climate change, on matters of doctrine, Francis muddied the waters to
an extent that many well-meaning Catholics feel they no longer know
where the Church stands on issues of faith.
Most recently, in his latest off-the-cuff ramble on Thursday, he was asked about marriage. He said:
“It’s provisional, and because of this the great
majority of our sacramental marriages are null. Because they say ‘yes,
for the rest of my life!’ but they don’t know what they are saying.
Because they have a different culture. They say it, they have good will,
but they don’t know.”
To say that the “great majority” of Catholic
marriages are null, or invalid, is a statement that is neither true,
wise, nor fair. The Vatican has since toned down his remarks in the
written transcript to say “a part of our sacramental marriages are
null,” in apparent recognition of the damage Francis’s statement might
cause.
For a “pope of the people” he certainly doesn’t give
Catholics much credit. For a Catholic marriage to be valid all that is
needed is the freedom to marry, consent from both parties, and the
intention to marry for life and be open to children. That’s it.
Over the years, some clerics have used an
interpretation of canon law to suggest “emotional immaturity” can be a
reason for not understanding the responsibilities of marriage, and
therefore as invalid and open to annulment. But marriage is not hard to
understand, and the Catholic rite of marriage, as well as the
preparation couples go through beforehand, makes clear what marriage
involves.
For Pope Francis to say the great majority of
marriages are null implies that the great majority of Catholic are
ignorant fools who cannot understand the responsibilities of a bedrock
of society that has existed for thousands of years.
Read the rest here.
Personally, I think Francis is a breath of fresh air compared with his predecessor. I can only imagine that this stuff about mercy and goodness must go against the grain among some groups of Roman Catholics.
ReplyDeleteBenedict XVI was a Catholic theologian heavyweight and Frankie isn't worthy to hold his jockstrap. Talk of mercy is great, but it can only be meaningfully understood if there were sins to be forgiven. In Frankie's world view, there are no sins, but excuses and justifications for conduct contrary to the teaching and doctrine of the Church. Mercy is bestowed to penitent sinners not to those who find themselves in circumstances which they could control but chose not to. Mercy only means something to those who are conscious of the sin, nothing to those who think that their mistakes are due to circumstances or situations for which they claim or think they have no responsibility.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there are those of us who love and admire both Benedict and Francis, see that each has his strengths and his weaknesses, and try to listen with respect to the things they say without imposing the restraints of a world-view simplified to "liberal" and "conservative."
ReplyDeleteHow shocking are his remarks about marriage? They pretty much line up with what I see all around me. And it was something that lots of "conservatives" used to say before a "liberal" said it, and suddenly made it something to resign over.