Pope’s first term: Clear wins, mixed verdicts and unfinished business

[JPUSC]

Pope’s first term: Clear wins, mixed verdicts and unfinished business

Whatever one makes of Pope Francis, whether one finds him inspiring or infuriating, there’s no question the last four years have been an earthquake in the Catholic Church. Francis has taken the wider world by storm and shaken up the Church he leads in a variety of ways, the full implications of which probably won’t be clear for a long time…

When Francis began an arduous process of convening two separate Synods of Bishops on the family back in 2014, he said he wanted the end result to be a strong consensus among bishops and the wider Church about the right course to take. Whatever else that odyssey produced, however, “consensus” would not quite seem to be it.

Instead, there’s no more contentious issue in the internal life of the Catholic Church today than the verdict delivered in Francis’s April 2016 document summing up those synods, Amoris Laetitia, and its cautious opening on Communion for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics…

One of the traditional descriptions of the pope’s role in the Catholic Church is a source of unity for the whole Church. Catholicism is a wildly diverse assembly of 1.3 billion people in every nook and cranny of the planet, and to prevent it all from spinning apart, a strong center is essential.

Over the last four years, however, Francis sometimes has sown division as much as a spirit of common cause.

For every Catholic inspired by the pope’s social vision and reforming style, there’s usually another who finds him just too much - too spontaneous, too disdainful of tradition and convention, too combustible, and, most of all for more conservative Catholics, too liberal. The irritation all that produces in some quarters has become unmistakable, with a recent round of anti-Francis posters in Rome being merely one visible expression of it.

cruxnow.com/analysis/2017/03/13/popes-first-term-clear-wins-mixed-verdicts-unfinished-business

 

[Pulvis]

Interesting article. I only have a problem with the title. “First Term” bespeaks of an elected and temporary position, aka Pope Benedict XVI. I hope that does not become the norm.

 

[twf]

Interesting article. I only have a problem with the title. “First Term” bespeaks of an elected and temporary position, aka Pope Benedict XVI. I hope that does not become the norm.

Traditionally bishops ruled their diocese for an indefinite period. Now they’re expected to resign at 75. This is a very recent modern novelty. Ultimately the Pope is a bishop. If the Church feels that an aging man isn’t suitable to run a diocese, why do we insist that an aging man continue to carry the burden of the entire Church? Our Pope Emeritus indicated that with age he simply couldn’t handle the burden.

 

[Vasallus]

The pope has a “term?”

 

[dshix]

Interesting article. I only have a problem with the title. “First Term” bespeaks of an elected and temporary position, aka Pope Benedict XVI. I hope that does not become the norm.

I had exactly the same reaction. A rather ridiculous application of the word “term” if you ask me.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I had exactly the same reaction. A rather ridiculous application of the word “term” if you ask me.

I would have chosen “absurd” as my description of it.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Traditionally bishops ruled their diocese for an indefinite period. Now they’re expected to resign at 75. This is a very recent modern novelty. Ultimately the Pope is a bishop. If the Church feels that an aging man isn’t suitable to run a diocese, why do we insist that an aging man continue to carry the burden of the entire Church? Our Pope Emeritus indicated that with age he simply couldn’t handle the burden.

It was not simply because of age. Those who have known him across the years know the health problems he has quietly borne, and that for many many years.

 

[dshix]

I would have chosen “absurd” as my description of it.

I agree, that word fits better.

 

[TMC]

Over the last four years, however, Francis sometimes has sown division as much as a spirit of common cause.

For every Catholic inspired by the pope’s social vision and reforming style, there’s usually another who finds him just too much - too spontaneous, too disdainful of tradition and convention, too combustible, and, most of all for more conservative Catholics, too liberal.

I disagree with these two sentences, because they suggest the Church is sort of evenly split on the Pope. I believe the vast majority support the Pope and are inspired by him, although I agree that a not insignificant number feel differently.

 

[FollowChrist34]

Pope’s first term: Clear wins, mixed verdicts and unfinished business

Whatever one makes of Pope Francis, whether one finds him inspiring or infuriating, there’s no question the last four years have been an earthquake in the Catholic Church. Francis has taken the wider world by storm and shaken up the Church he leads in a variety of ways, the full implications of which probably won’t be clear for a long time…

When Francis began an arduous process of convening two separate Synods of Bishops on the family back in 2014, he said he wanted the end result to be a strong consensus among bishops and the wider Church about the right course to take. Whatever else that odyssey produced, however, “consensus” would not quite seem to be it.

Instead, there’s no more contentious issue in the internal life of the Catholic Church today than the verdict delivered in Francis’s April 2016 document summing up those synods, Amoris Laetitia, and its cautious opening on Communion for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics…

One of the traditional descriptions of the pope’s role in the Catholic Church is a source of unity for the whole Church. Catholicism is a wildly diverse assembly of 1.3 billion people in every nook and cranny of the planet, and to prevent it all from spinning apart, a strong center is essential.

Over the last four years, however, Francis sometimes has sown division as much as a spirit of common cause.

For every Catholic inspired by the pope’s social vision and reforming style, there’s usually another who finds him just too much - too spontaneous, too disdainful of tradition and convention, too combustible, and, most of all for more conservative Catholics, too liberal. The irritation all that produces in some quarters has become unmistakable, with a recent round of anti-Francis posters in Rome being merely one visible expression of it.

cruxnow.com/analysis/2017/03/13/popes-first-term-clear-wins-mixed-verdicts-unfinished-business

We’re all Anglicans now, and I don’t think there is a cure or way back, at least to the clear-sighted.

 

[RomanoAmerio]

Dear JPUSC,

This is a good article. Thank you for sharing it.

I would agree that the Papacy of the former Cardinal Bergoglio (aka Pope Francis) has been a polarizing one.

However, I also believe that much of the “polarization” has been driven by media outlets, both conventional and “alternative”, that have vested interests in maintaining such a polarization for their own purposes. After all, as professional wrestling promoter Eric Bischoff once said, “Controversy Creates Ca$h”.

There are some things about this Pope which make me uncomfortable, particularly the entire Amoris Laetitia controversy and his off-hand remarks about contraception vis-a-vis the Zika virus, as well as his occasional intemperate language. (Of course, it is also true that Saint Alphonsus Liguori chastised those living a life of lust as “feeding on dung”, but even that great Saint refrained from using graphic terms.)

However, I believe that the unquiet caused by his social teaching is largely a result of our trying to fit the Church’s teaching into neat boxes of “conservative” and “liberal”, and decrying those positions that do not fit our own shibboleths and secular preoccupations. On this count, I believe the good Pope is far more sinned against than sinning.

 

[M-Dent]

I had exactly the same reaction. A rather ridiculous application of the word “term” if you ask me.

Unfortunately, the author John Allen tends to frame many Church related stories in political representations. Yet, this type of question was asked Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI in his Book Last Testament, which I am currently reading. I thought I would share this question and answer:

One objection is the Papacy has been secularized by the resignation; that it is no longer a unique office but an office like any other.

I had to accept that question, and consider whether or not functionalism would completely encroach on the papacy, so to speak. But similar steps had already been made with the episcopacy. Earlier, bishops were not allowed to resign. There were a number of bishops who said ‘I am father and that I’ll stay’, because you can’t stop being a father; stopping is a functionalization and secularization, something from the sort of concept of public office that shouldn’t apply to a bishop. To that I must reply: even a father’s role stops. Of course a father does not stop being a father, but he is relieved of concrete responsibility.

Anyway, since then it has generally come to be understood that on the one hand the bishop is the bearer of a sacramental mission which remains binding on him inwardly, but on the other hand this does not have to keep him in the function forever. And so I think it is also clear that the Pope is no superman and his mere existence is not sufficient to conduct his role; rather, he likewise exercises a function. If he steps down, he remains in an inner sense with the responsibility he took on, but not in the function. In this respect one comes to understand that the office of the Pope has lost none of its greatness, even if the humanity of the office is perhaps becoming more clearly evident.

(Pg. 24)

Last Testament
In His Own Words
By: Pope Benedict XVI, Peter Seewald

 

[Pulvis]

Unfortunately, the author John Allen tends to frame many Church related stories in political representations. Yet, this type of question was asked Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI in his Book Last Testament, which I am currently reading. I thought I would share this question and answer:

And so goes the secularization of the Church.

 

[M-Dent]

And so goes the secularization of the Church.

I appreciate Pope-Emeritus’ consideration and recognition of the risk of appearances which could lead some of the faithful to such questions. I still recall the struggle with Parkinson’s disease in the latter years of St. Pope John Paul II’s life, and the times he was unable to function publicly (which was quite painful to witness given his history of travel and health), and wondered then why pope’s never considered stepping down. I understand, for some, weighing health concerns may be arduous to reconcile with Christian faith that elevates martyrdom to the highest standard - yet the papacy is a unique office.

I remain somewhat torn over the resignation, but it is what it is.

 

[JPUSC]

We’re all Anglicans now, and I don’t think there is a cure or way back, at least to the clear-sighted.