Pope to US bishops: It’s about love as much as doctrine

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WASHINGTON — In a speech to 300 US bishops in an historic Washington cathedral, Pope Francis encouraged the prelates to soften their approach to the faithful while continuing their mission of spreading the loving message of Jesus Christ.

“Harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor; it has no place in his heart,” he said. “Although it may momentarily seem to win the day, only the enduring allure of goodness and love remains truly convincing.”

cruxnow.com/papal-visit/2015/09/23/pope-to-us-bishops-its-about-love-as-much-as-doctrine/
 
Hard to disagree.

Doctrine is what it is. It is truth, cannot be changed, and cannot be avoided. But preach it with love and compassion as much as possible.

Aka, don’t water down the truth of what we teach, but don’t intentionally brusque about it either. If you are going to call out someone’s habits as sinful, do so with a reminder that God’s still loves them and wants better for them than those sins.
 
Maximilan_Kolbe said:
Hard to disagree.

Doctrine is what it is. It is truth, cannot be changed, and cannot be avoided. But preach it with love and compassion as much as possible.

Aka, don’t water down the truth of what we teach, but don’t intentionally brusque about it either. If you are going to call out someone’s habits as sinful, do so with a reminder that God’s still loves them and wants better for them than those sins.
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Perhaps you could read the Pope’s words again. I don’t think that is what he is saying at all.
 
ComplineSanFran said:
Perhaps you could read the Pope’s words again. I don’t think that is what he is saying at all.
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I read it twice. You go read it again. That’s fine if you think differently. Why should either of us care?

The phrase “as much” imply equality. I know you’d prefer the Church ignore doctrine and just reenact Hands Across America, circa 1986, but since doctrine is defined as a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group, you can’t exactly have a Church without acknolwedging its beliefs. You simply must do so with compassion, empathy, and love.

If you think differently, great. What you or I think on the issue doesn’t much affect one another either way.
 
Joe_5859 said:
Here’s the full text of the address:

ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-to-us-bishops-we-are-promoters-of-the-culture-of-encounter/

Note, the address was not given in English but Spanish, so I’m not sure that this is the “official” English translation of the address. That will be up on the Vatican website at some point soon, I would imagine.
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Yes, definitely read the whole thing. This thread is just talking about one paragraph. (who is Crux?) The speech is quite long but very readable. And this is not the main theme of the speech, though it is one of the big points. The Pope talks about a lot of other subjects - equal time.
The Pope encouraged the US bishops to promote a “culture of encounter,” to engage in dialogue with all elements of society. Yet he urged them not to avoid speaking out strongly on key moral issues:
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Code: 
The innocent victims of abortion, children who die of hunger or from bombings, immigrants who drown in the search for a better tomorrow, the elderly or the sick who are considered a burden, the victims of terrorism, wars, violence and drug trafficking, the environment devastated by man’s predatory relationship with nature-- at stake in all of this is the gift of God, of which we are noble stewards but not masters.
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“It is wrong, then, to look the other way or to remain silent,” the Pope said.
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catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=26212
 
Pope Francis praised America’s Roman Catholic church for its “unfailing commitment” to the pro-life cause on Wednesday, saying it was “the primary reason” for his visit to the country. The statement came during an address to the assembled bishops of the United States. “I appreciate the unfailing commitment of the Church in America to the cause of life and that of the family, which is the primary reason for my present visit,” he said at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.
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Read more at: nationalreview.com/article/424524/pope-francis-pro-life-speech-bishops-us-visit

Wow. This off the cuff statement I can handle.
 
ComplineSanFran said:
Perhaps you could read the Pope’s words again. I don’t think that is what he is saying at all.
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We talk about how the media miss states what the Pope says, but even members of the body of Christ, when they don’t like his mesage, try to convince us what he “really” means.🤷
 
gilliam said:
WASHINGTON — In a speech to 300 US bishops in an historic Washington cathedral, Pope Francis encouraged the prelates to soften their approach to the faithful while continuing their mission of spreading the loving message of Jesus Christ.

“Harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor; it has no place in his heart,” he said. “Although it may momentarily seem to win the day, only the enduring allure of goodness and love remains truly convincing.”

cruxnow.com/papal-visit/2015/09/23/pope-to-us-bishops-its-about-love-as-much-as-doctrine/
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Absolutely agree with Pope Francis. Made me so proud to see the Pope greeted by the leader of the free world, President Obama. Just love this Pope.
 
Neofight said:
We talk about how the media miss states what the Pope says, but even members of the body of Christ, when they don’t like his mesage, try to convince us what he “really” means.🤷
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Who is doing that? Sanfrancompline has yet to say what she believes he said, so it is unfair to accuse her of that. Or you the arbiter of what he “means?”
 
Maximilan_Kolbe said:
Who is doing that? Sanfrancompline has yet to say what she believes he said, so it is unfair to accuse her of that. Or you the arbiter of what he “means?”
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You are correct, I haven’t stated what I heard in the Pope’s lengthy address to the Bishops. It was very helpful to have the text available to read after hearing him live. (FollowChrist34, CRUX is an online Catholic news source. John Allen, noted journalist who once was part of the Vatican press, is one of the editors. I subscribe to them).

The address was lengthy but there are three things that stood out that supported the headline ‘It’s about love as much as doctrine…’ I will not say, ‘This is what the Pope meant.’ I will only say, ‘This is what I heard the Pope say and what it meant to me.’
  1. He is addressing discord amongst the Bishops, and telling his brothers to focus on the pastoral - being shepherds. Their vocation is not standing apart and sowing division but being pastors to their priests and to all in their charge. He tells them first how much he appreciates them and their work here in the US, but there are also admonitions.
‘I know that you face many challenges, that the field in which you sow is unyielding and that there is always the temptation to give in to fear, to lick one’s wounds, to think back on bygone times and to devise harsh responses to fierce opposition.’
  1. He also speaks of the flock, or the hearers of the Word. It is about Christ and his love for each of us. And also the ‘encounter’ with each of us in dialogue. And to me, that says conversation and not rote doctrine.
'It is not about preaching complicated doctrines, but joyfully proclaiming Christ who died and rose for our sake. The “style” of our mission should make our hearers feel that the message we preach is meant “for us”. and ‘Harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor, it has no place in his heart; although it may momentarily seem to win the day, only the enduring allure of goodness and love remains truly convincing.’
  1. He also spoke of unity and mercy; a coming together in love and care for all. That was toward the end, but I was very taken by his words.
‘May the forthcoming Holy Year of Mercy, by drawing us into the fathomless depths of God’s heart in which no division dwells, be for all of you a privileged moment for strengthening communion, perfecting unity, reconciling differences, forgiving one another and healing every rift, that your light may shine forth like “a city built on a hill”.’

That is what I heard and what has stayed in my mind throughout the day. Very positive response from many, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

I would enjoy reading what others heard in this address.
 
seaton2005 said:
Absolutely agree with Pope Francis. Made me so proud to see the Pope greeted by the leader of the free world, President Obama. Just love this Pope.
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Didn’t you love the pictures of President Obama and Pope Francis laughing together? I have heard that the two of them like each other very much. And that makes me very happy.
 
ComplineSanFran said:
You are correct, I haven’t stated what I heard in the Pope’s lengthy address to the Bishops. It was very helpful to have the text available to read after hearing him live. (FollowChrist34, CRUX is an online Catholic news source. John Allen, noted journalist who once was part of the Vatican press, is one of the editors. I subscribe to them).

The address was lengthy but there are three things that stood out that supported the headline ‘It’s about love as much as doctrine…’ I will not say, ‘This is what the Pope meant.’ I will only say, ‘This is what I heard the Pope say and what it meant to me.’
  1. He is addressing discord amongst the Bishops, and telling his brothers to focus on the pastoral - being shepherds. Their vocation is not standing apart and sowing division but being pastors to their priests and to all in their charge. He tells them first how much he appreciates them and their work here in the US, but there are also admonitions.
‘I know that you face many challenges, that the field in which you sow is unyielding and that there is always the temptation to give in to fear, to lick one’s wounds, to think back on bygone times and to devise harsh responses to fierce opposition.’
  1. He also speaks of the flock, or the hearers of the Word. It is about Christ and his love for each of us. And also the ‘encounter’ with each of us in dialogue. And to me, that says conversation and not rote doctrine.
'It is not about preaching complicated doctrines, but joyfully proclaiming Christ who died and rose for our sake. The “style” of our mission should make our hearers feel that the message we preach is meant “for us”. and ‘Harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor, it has no place in his heart; although it may momentarily seem to win the day, only the enduring allure of goodness and love remains truly convincing.’
  1. He also spoke of unity and mercy; a coming together in love and care for all. That was toward the end, but I was very taken by his words.
‘May the forthcoming Holy Year of Mercy, by drawing us into the fathomless depths of God’s heart in which no division dwells, be for all of you a privileged moment for strengthening communion, perfecting unity, reconciling differences, forgiving one another and healing every rift, that your light may shine forth like “a city built on a hill”.’

That is what I heard and what has stayed in my mind throughout the day. Very positive response from many, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

I would enjoy reading what others heard in this address.
Click to expand...
But is Crux liberal? Just kidding but I thought I saw someone here on CAF the other day say it was. But I’ve seen the same said on CAF about America Magazine.

Pretty much I hear the same. But one thing I do know is harsh language was/is of no benefit to me or my soul. It merely causes me to tune out. That’s what I just love about this Pope. Doesn’t he seem to nearly always be smiling and to be such a gentle man? I watched him with President Obama and yes both genuinely seemed to be enjoying each other and being in the presence of one another. I even saw Pope Francis met the First Family’s pets, Bo and Sonny Obama.
 
ComplineSanFran said:
You are correct, I haven’t stated what I heard in the Pope’s lengthy address to the Bishops. It was very helpful to have the text available to read after hearing him live. (FollowChrist34, CRUX is an online Catholic news source. John Allen, noted journalist who once was part of the Vatican press, is one of the editors. I subscribe to them).

The address was lengthy but there are three things that stood out that supported the headline ‘It’s about love as much as doctrine…’ I will not say, ‘This is what the Pope meant.’ I will only say, ‘This is what I heard the Pope say and what it meant to me.’
  1. He is addressing discord amongst the Bishops, and telling his brothers to focus on the pastoral - being shepherds. Their vocation is not standing apart and sowing division but being pastors to their priests and to all in their charge. He tells them first how much he appreciates them and their work here in the US, but there are also admonitions.
‘I know that you face many challenges, that the field in which you sow is unyielding and that there is always the temptation to give in to fear, to lick one’s wounds, to think back on bygone times and to devise harsh responses to fierce opposition.’
  1. He also speaks of the flock, or the hearers of the Word. It is about Christ and his love for each of us. And also the ‘encounter’ with each of us in dialogue. And to me, that says conversation and not rote doctrine.
'It is not about preaching complicated doctrines, but joyfully proclaiming Christ who died and rose for our sake. The “style” of our mission should make our hearers feel that the message we preach is meant “for us”. and ‘Harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor, it has no place in his heart; although it may momentarily seem to win the day, only the enduring allure of goodness and love remains truly convincing.’
  1. He also spoke of unity and mercy; a coming together in love and care for all. That was toward the end, but I was very taken by his words.
‘May the forthcoming Holy Year of Mercy, by drawing us into the fathomless depths of God’s heart in which no division dwells, be for all of you a privileged moment for strengthening communion, perfecting unity, reconciling differences, forgiving one another and healing every rift, that your light may shine forth like “a city built on a hill”.’

That is what I heard and what has stayed in my mind throughout the day. Very positive response from many, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

I would enjoy reading what others heard in this address.
Click to expand...
I believe you heard precisely what I heard. Excellent summary.
 
Sy_Noe said:
But is Crux liberal? Just kidding but I thought I saw someone here on CAF the other day say it was. But I’ve seen the same said on CAF about America Magazine.

Pretty much I hear the same. But one thing I do know is harsh language was/is of no benefit to me or my soul. It merely causes me to tune out. That’s what I just love about this Pope. Doesn’t he seem to nearly always be smiling and to be such a gentle man? I watched him with President Obama and yes both genuinely seemed to be enjoying each other and being in the presence of one another. I even saw Pope Francis met the First Family’s pets, Bo and Sonny Obama.
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Crux? Liberal? I think they are not super conservative, but I don’t think they are so biased that they are not credible. I enjoy reading their pieces. John Allen is spot on nearly all the time. He is one of the best Catholic reporters around.

I understand your many times voiced concerns about harsh language. Or if I would put it, accusatory language. It does so much more damage than people think. We are certainly seeing the fruits of it when we read the state of religious practice in the US.

And your nice comments about the President and the family dogs being petted by the Pope. Great pictures. My pretty reliable sources tell me that the two of them do like each other very much. It shows.
 
Different things speak to different people. My deeper conversion was sparked by the conviction of sin. It was very unpleasant. I felt I had to choose between truth and what I wanted to believe. It shaped my life. However, no one spoke harshly to me specifically, but I was confronted with harsh truths. Now, I know there are people who have a different “come to Jesus” experience though, and I affirm the Pope’s sentiment. Souls are all distinctive and unique, and all this requires discernment.
 
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