Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

April 24, 2016 - Can You Believe What the Media Reports about the Vatican or even the Pope?

 

The posts for the last two Sundays have been a little heavy. So I decided to lighten up for this post - not to counterbalance the two posts that were heavy, but also because a few circumstances have just caused me to be somewhat strung out, tired, lacking in focus. (How's that for animated pastoral leadership?)

There is an old story, possibly true, that Pope John XXIII was asked how many people worked in the Vatican. He replied, "about half." Many thought it was funny,. Arguably, many thought it was true. I was thinking of this as I read the flagrant misreporting when Senator Sanders appeared in the Vatican during the New York primary campaign. He announced that he had been invited and was very touched by the invitation. This gave many the impression not only that Pope Francis had invited him, but also that Pope Francis was showing a preference in the US presidential campaign. As reporters started to figure out what this invitation really was (or at least the small handful of reporters who really understand the Vatican), it appeared that there was a conference being held in the Vatican on a topic that Senator Sanders was interested in. It was not an invitation from Pope Francis, but somehow one of the organizers of the conference had invited Senator Sanders and in no way did the pope have anything to do with it. These conferences go on all the time in the Vatican. What it actually comprised was an invitation for Senator Sanders to give a ten minute speech at this rather small conference.

There were naturally press reports that Senator Sanders would meet with the pope. This required a note from the pope to the conference that he respected their work, but his schedule would not permit him to stop by and visit. Senator Sanders' ten minute speech spent much of that time quoting from the writings of several popes, including Pope Francis. Nothing remarkable about the speech, rather boilerplate as these things go. That is not a criticism, but a fact.

The press, still trying to find a major story, clustered around Senator Sanders before and after the conference. Somehow, he was given a place to stay overnight Domus Santae Marthae, which is a five story building of hotel-like rooms where Pope Francis had chosen to live rather than the customary papal quarters known as the Apostolic Palace. It is very spartan-like, but I would admit that if you want to meet the pope, it is a great location to stay. (Heck, a year before Pope Francis was elected, I was supposed to stay there during an official visit that our bishop made. Sadly, a knee injury caused me to cancel.)

So, what happened. It appeared that one of the organizers of the conference told Senator Sanders that, if he was on the 1st floor corridor the next morning at 6 a.m., he might meet Pope Francis as he was planning to embark on his brief trip to visit refugees on Lesbos in Greece. So Senator Sanders was there at the right time. Lo and behold, Pope Francis appeared and greeted Senator Sanders and went off on his way. (Also, did you note that there were no photographs of the meeting - Vatican scrutiny working at an optimal level!)

On the plane, Pope Francis was asked if he was interfering with US politics by "meeting" with Senator Sanders. He replied in a rather succinct and spiritual fashion by saying that if someone thought it was inappropriate to say hello to someone, they needed a psychologist. He said that he greeted the senator out of human courtesy.

End of story. Not much of a story. Certainly, not worth the fuss in the US media.

When you read the media saying that the "Vatican" said this or is doing that or is criticizing something,  you will be a very wise person if you try to figure out what is going on in the story. The Vatican has about 800 people who live inside its walls and perhaps another 3000 who work inside the Vatican but do not live there. Any person who gives a quote to any reporter will suddenly find that they are the "Vatican." Ain't often true.

Now that I have made these trenchant, compelling, arguments, I hope your life will be better.

If you wonder whether I am using the fact of Senator Sander's visit to highlight a more important and totally unrelated point, you would be right. Just consider all the different accounts of people commenting on Pope Francis' major publication several weeks ago about marriage and the family. Often, we have to read between the lines - and under the lines and over the lines to really understand what is taking place in the Church. It's not the ideal situation, but it is real. We are members of a 1.3 billion member Church. If you're falling prey to those with their own agendas, you may miss the point of what is taking place.

My modest suggestion:  if you want to know what Pope Francis says and does and means - why not focus on Pope Francis and not folks who really do not represent him authentically? He writes and speaks more plainly and more clearly than many popes so we have a better chance of understanding what he is trying to communicate. Just a thought.

Sigh!

 

 

 

April 17, 2016 - Pope Francis on Issues Involving Divorce, Remarriage, and Officially Receiving the Eucharist

This is a little heavy. Hopefully, it is clear.

The issue of the Church officially permitting persons who are divorced and remarried to receive Communion continues to be a matter of great discussion and disagreement. In his major document on Love in the Family, Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis raised this question and tried to place it in the proper context. But many questions were still raised. As Pope Francis returned from his trip to the island of Lesbos yesterday, he was asked about this by one of the reporters on the plane.

Here is the official text of the news conference by Catholic News Service:

The pope was asked to settle debate about his postsynodal apostolic exhortation on the family and whether the document opened new possibilities for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion under some circumstances. "I could say, 'Yes. Period,' but that would be too short a response," the pope said. "I recommend everyone read the presentation made by Cardinal (Christoph) Schönborn" at the Vatican news conference presenting the document. The cardinal, archbishop of Vienna, had said the document represented "true innovations, but no break" with church tradition. Still, the pope said, much of the news media focused so much on the question of Communion for the divorced that they skewed the public's perception of the 2014 and 2015 meetings of the Synod of Bishops, the pope said. "Since I'm not a saint, this annoyed me and then saddened me," the pope said. "Don't they understand that the family throughout the world is in crisis?" "The family is the foundation of society," Pope Francis said. The great problems a reluctance by young people to marry, extremely low birth rates in Europe, unemployment, poverty—"those are the big problems."

So the above comments are Pope Francis’ take on the issue. When his Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, was released, one of the cardinals who spoke about it at the Vatican was Cardinal Schonborn. This cardinal is a highly respected theologian. Now, to try to wade through “Church-speak” – I would note some interesting things. Pope Francis was asked by the reporter if his document had presented something new on the topic of communion being officially permitted for those who are divorced and remarried. In essence, the reporter was asking if what Pope Francis had said was just a continuation of past documents or something new.

Here is the interesting point: Pope Francis said on the plane that there was indeed something new in the pastoral approach to this question. I am copying here what Cardinal Schonborn said at the press conference in the Vatican to help you see what is going on in this back and forth:

"What is possible is simply a renewed encouragement to undertake a responsible personal and pastoral discernment of particular case. How this personal and pastoral discernment can and should be is the theme of the entire section of Amoris Laetitia constituted of paragraphs 300-312. In the 2015 Synod, in the Appendix to the statements by the Circulus germanicus an Itinerarium of discernment, of the examination of conscience that Pope Francis has made his own.

“What we are speaking of is a process of accompaniment and discernment which “guides the faithful to an awareness of their situation before God”. But Pope Francis also recalls that “this discernment can never prescind from the Gospel demands of truth and charity, as proposed by the Church”. Pope Francis mentions two erroneous positions. One is that of excessive rigour: “a pastor cannot feel that it is enough simply to apply moral laws to those living in ‘irregular’ situations, as if they were stones to throw at people’s lives. This would bespeak the closed heart of one used to hiding behind the Church’s teachings” (AL 205). On the other hand, the Church must certainly never “desist from proposing the full ideal of marriage, God’s plan in all its grandeur” (AL 207). Naturally this poses the question: what does the Pope say in relation to access to the sacraments for people who live in “irregular” situations? Pope Benedict had already said that “easy recipes” do not exist (AL 298, note 333). Pope Francis reiterates the need to discern carefully the situation, in keeping with St. John Paul II’s Familiaris consortio (84) (AL 298). “Discernment must help to find possible ways of responding to God and growing in the midst of limits. By thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and of growth, and discourage paths of sanctification which give glory to God” (AL 205).

He also reminds us of an important phrase from Evangelii gaudium, 44: “A small step, in the midst of great human limitations, can be more pleasing to God than a life which appears outwardly in order but moves through the day without confronting great difficulties” (AL 304). In the sense of this “via caritatis” (AL 306), the Pope affirms, in a humble and simple manner, in a note (351) that the help of the sacraments may also be given “in certain cases”. But for this purpose he does not offer us case studies or recipes, but instead simply reminds us of two of his famous phrases: “I want to remind priests that the confessional should not be a torture chamber but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy” (EG 44), and the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak” (EG 47).

Is it an excessive challenge for pastors, for spiritual guides and for communities if the “discernment of situations” is not regulated more precisely? Pope Francis acknowledges this concern: “I understand those who prefer a more rigorous pastoral care which leaves no room for confusion” (AL 308). However, he challenges this, remarking that “We put so many conditions on mercy that we empty it of its concrete meaning and real significance. That is the worst way of watering down the Gospel” (AL 311). Pope Francis trusts in the “joy of love”. Love is able to find the way. It is the compass that shows us the road. It is both the goal and the path itself, because God is love and love is from God. Nothing is more demanding than love. It cannot be obtained cheaply. Therefore, no-one should be afraid that Pope Francis invites us, with Amoris Laetitia, to take too easy a path. The road is not an easy one, but it is full of joy!

If you are still reading through these things, here is what I believe it means. A couple who are divorced and remarried is to enter into a process of discernment with their priest and do this individually through confession. Pope Francis in his document outlined questions that should be discussed with individuals in order to conclude whether in fact they should receive the Eucharist. This is not simply an automatic “ticket” to receive the Eucharist officially. It is a serious effort to explore in the depths of a person’s conscience the questions that Pope Francis raises.

We need time to study and to reflect on what Pope Francis is asking. My take is that he is placing a huge responsibility on priests to work with couples and help them through this process of discernment. The way forward is not as clear-cut as many people would like. It is cumbersome, but ultimately, it may be the best possible way to work through these situations. Frankly, as a pastor, we'll get better at this as things move along.

Pope Francis recognizes that most people would like a black and white answer to this situation. He suggests that such an answer does not exist. Rather, the answer comes through proper discernment and the development of a person’s conscience before God. The least helpful thing to do would be to just rush towards judgment on these important things. The most helpful thing to do would be to prayerfully work with a couple so that they can experience the mercy of God and the help of the sacraments.

As a pastor, I do not see a “quick-fix” solution here. What I do see is that, in the midst of all these pages and pages of guidance, we can find something new to help our people. And that is not a bad thing.

These are serious issues not to be taken lightly. But, we who preach and believe in the Gospel of Mercy must do everything possible to help our people. That is why we are here.

Pope Francis Major Document on Love in the Family, Amoris Laetitia, April 10, 2016

(This particular post is much different than I had originally intended. I thought that I could give a nice summary of Pope Francis' new article and perhaps make some observations. But when I saw that it was 256 pages, I said to myself, Nah. So I regrouped and will give you some thoughts and also some articles from different viewpoints. I hope that you do not find this too tedious.)

This past Friday, Pope Francis issued a major document, called an Apostolic Exhortation, on love in the family. The official Latin title is Amoris Laetitia. This was a process lasting almost three years which included worldwide consultations, two meetings in the Vatican called Synods, and now the pope's response to all the meetings and consultation. It is a major document of his papacy. Naturally, it caused worldwide reaction - much of it favorite, some of it lukewarm, and others, shall we say, not favorable. He was writing with the mind of a genuine pastor who has listened to his people for decades. The language is clear. It is not generally in "Church-speak", although there are some lapses into "Church-speak."

Because of the many topics that had to be addressed, it is rather long, 256 pages. He noticed this reality in the first chapter of the document where he urged people to read it slowly and in small doses. Actually, that is an excellent idea. I strongly urge you to read the document. Definitely read it in little pieces. I am going to use this over the next few weeks so that I can think about what he is saying and consider how I must respond to it in my own ministry. Goodness knows, he has placed enough challenges in it for pastors.

Just click here for the link: Amoris Laetitia. Then you will have the entire document. I was amazed to just discover that amazon.com already has this as a paperback for $13.99. They list it as "in stock." An incredibly rapid publishing operation.

There is truly so much in this document that, to begin commenting on each major point, would end up being as long as the document (which would be boring for you and incredibly tiring for me!).

So I'm going to give you some articles written about Pope Francis' document which give a rather fair response and summary to what he wrote.

Since Pope Francis came to us from the Jesuits, let's see what some Jesuits can teach us.

Even though I urge you to read it and Pope Francis invites you to read it, it is still a 256 page document. A parishioner gently inquired if there was Cliff Notes version available. I came across something which could suffice as a Cliff Notes help to learn the most important points. Father James Martin, S.J., as usual, has written an excellent summary in America magazine. Jim writes with insight and joy. I always find his writing well worth reading. Here is his article on the top ten "takeaways" for the document. Top Ten Takeaways

Pope Francis has made his own suggestions for how we should read the document. He observed that this document will treat a wide variety of questions. Then he wrote this line: "Consequently I do not recommend a rushed reading of the text. The greatest benefit, for families themselves and for those engaged in the family apostolate, will come if each part is read patiently and carefully, or if attention is paid to the parts dealing with their specific needs. It is likely, for example, that married couples will be more concerned with Chapters Four and Five, and pastoral ministers with Chapter Six, while everyone should feel challenged by Chapter Eight. It is my hope that, in reading this text, all will feel called to love and cherish family life, for families are anot a problem, they are first and foremost an opportunity." (I added this next sentence at 7 a.m.) If you're married or in a relationship, please read Chapter Four - it is one of the most beautiful and practical pieces I have ever read on love in relationships and community.

Since I knew that I had to read the entire document right away, I could not approach it leisurely, but I did read it thoroughly - and will read it through in little pieces as a meditation over the coming weeks.

Gerard O'Connell (not a Jesuit!) wrote an article in America dealing with what the pope said we should do to integrate people into the Church. O'Connell is a very clear writer and journalist. This gives a good explanation of this new emphasis that the Pope is stressing. Here is the link: Pope Francis: The Church Must Integrate, not Exclude, Catholics in 'Irregular situations."

Pope Francis has received a decent amount of criticism from the United States and other "enlightened" countries for not seeming to be up to speed on matters involving women's roles vs. men's roles. I was interested to see this article, also in America, by Megan McCabe, a feminist scholar at Boston College. She was more appreciative of Francis than I had expected. Here is her article: Francis, Family, and Feminism.

While America would be considered progressive, the National Catholic Register (as distinct from the National Catholic Reporter which is more liberal) had some overall appreciation for Francis' document,  but definite concerns about Chapter 8. Here is the article by Edward Pentin: Pope's Document Tackles Complex Pastoral Challenges 

The articles I have offered links for you to consider were first from the wildly wonderful Pope Francis camp, then the rather restrained Pope Francis observers, so I thought you should see an article, if you wish, from someone who is clearly not in the wildly wonderful Pope Francis camp, Dr. Edward Peters. Dr. Peters is a lay canon lawyer, faculty member of a seminary in Detroit, and also an adviser to the Apostolic Signatura in Rome, appointed by Pope Benedict. My hunch is that he really liked Benedict and, in terms of Francis, not so much. Dr. Peters is a very careful writer who probably could not be more opposite from the approach and even writing style that Pope Francis uses. Here is his initial critique: Dr. Edward Peters first thoughts on Pope Francis document

I identified so much with Pope Francis since he was elected pope. I could identify with his pastoral insights, his challenges to priests and bishops, and his awareness that much of life is messy. In his first major document on the Gospel of Joy, he had this passage which just resonated with me as a pastor: "The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak. These convictions have pastoral consequences that we are called to consider with prudence and boldness. Frequently, we act as arbiters of grace rather than its facilitators. But the Church is not a tollhouse; it is the house of the Father, where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems."

I need time to think through what Francis has offered in Amoris Laetitia. I'll use it to serve people. My hunch is that this is why Francis gave us this document.

(added at 10 a.m.) A major Catholic blog indicated that this photograph showed Pope Francis praying before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe - before the draft of the document was finished. That was the ultimate sounding board for Pope Francis:

 

 

 

Weekly Blog - April 3, 2016 - MERCY

No Getting Around Mercy

(I made some slight editorial revisions on 4/4/2016 at 7:30 a.m.)

This is going to be an interesting week in the Catholic Church with Pope Francis on the topic of Mercy. Today is called Divine Mercy Sunday. Pope Francis addressed major gatherings in the Vatican this weekend on the topic of God’s Divine Mercy. He preached about mercy in reflecting on the Scripture readings in today’s Gospel.

As you may recall, Pope Francis had two meetings in Rome called Synods. Their major topic was on marriage and the family.  At the end of the last meeting, he promised that he would have his own response to the work of those Synods within a specific time period Now it has been announced that he will issue a major document this coming Friday, April 8. The title of his document will be Amoris Laetitia, translated in English as The Joy of Love. In church language, this upcoming document is called an Apostolic Exhortation.

Since the last day of those Synod, there has been a great deal of speculation about two major practical areas:  marriage annulments and whether people who had been divorced and remarried would officially be permitted to receive Communion. In reality, those meetings discussed many different topics, but these two topics were the ones most talked about after the Synod.

Pope Francis did make some practical changes in the procedures for marriage annulments. By essentially eliminating the former mandatory appeal of any annulment which was to be given, this cut the amount of time for an annulment in half. Depending on the diocese, this could mean that an annulment which could have taken several years may now take half the time. He also has issued permission to streamline other parts of the annulment process, but frankly the results of this streamlining have not really been seen yet in dioceses around the world.

There are some sharp divisions in the Church today with respect to Church leaders and these topics. Below are two different positions. I believe that I am characterizing fairly these strongly held schools of thought. Some leaders believe that to officially welcome people to communion who are divorced and remarried would weaken the unity of the Church itself and the sacrament of marriage and could lead the Church into heresy. Some leaders believe that people who are divorced and remarried need to be offered a way to full participation in the life of the Church as an exercise of God’s forgiveness and mercy. My hunch is that those who hold either of the above two opinions do not see how the opposing opinion is a good thing for the Church.

Make no mistake. These two schools of thought are strongly held. Their adherents are passionate about their beliefs. By even opening up topics for discussion, Pope Francis had clearly raised expectations on the part of many.

 

DIGRESSION: Let me digress just a little to talk about the expectations that Pope Francis has raised. Pope Francis’ papacy raised the hopes of many who were troubled by certain things in the Church over the past few decades. Sociologically, people were drifting away from active participation in the Church. From the 1970’s into the 21^st century, many things were on the decline. Just in the United States, the number of Catholics would have been far less if we had not had a large migration into the country of Latinos. The numbers of persons in religious education are down. The number of Catholic schools is down. The number of priests and religious sisters and religious brothers is down. The number of Church weddings is down. Mass attendance overall is down. The awful handling by Church leaders of the crime of sexual abuse of minors by priests cost the Church anything from $2-4 billion in the United States – not to mention the ways in which the faith of our people was hurt severely. The above demographic observations are in no way the total picture of the institutional life of the Church. So many good things happen and conitnue to happen. But we cannot look at the Church through rosy glasses and ignore the awful and discouraging things that have happened as well.

When Francis  became our pope, many had their own expectations of what must be done – and they placed their expectations on him. My fear about his papacy has been that so many people have placed an incredible number of expectations on Pope Francis – and it would be impossible for any person to meet them. Francis was also working against so many things, including corruption, that it would be impossible for any person to make much progress.

Pope Benedict’s tremendous sacrificial gift to the Church was resigning when he did not feel that his health would allow him to make the necessary corrections in the life of the Church. It was left to the Holy Spirit and the election of Francis – a person from the other end of the world without strong institutional backing in the Vatican. For those who try to be reformers, it is always difficult to work against the “old boys network.” END OF DIGRESSION.

I, for one, do not know what Francis will say or do in his Apostolic Exhortation this coming Friday. I will certainly make some comments about it in next Sunday’s blog – and will give you some links to articles and other things that you might not come across in the regular media.

I do know this. I’m going to pray extra hard this week for Francis, Successor of Saint Peter. He has an impossible task this week – to renew our Church, to unite our Church, and to make us filled with hope for the future. Francis will undoubtedly say that the way to do this is by mercy. May God help him and have mercy on us all.

Francis is tough and will do what is right. Here is his approach to difficult things: