Posted on 03/28/2013 3:29:24 PM PDT by markomalley
Here is what I think Pope Francis is up to.
In this explanation I am not necessarily endorsing specific things that he is doing (washing the feet of females in a prison) or not doing (refusing the mozzetta, etc.).
I am trying to get at what I think Pope Francis is really up to.
Before liberals and traditionalists both have a spittle-flecked nutty, each for their own reasons, try to figure out what he is trying to do.
Firstly, we are not succeeding in evangelizing. We are going backwards, globally. Francis knows this. This has to be foremost in his mind. This fact was probably foremost in the considerations of the College of Cardinals. How could it not be? So, Francis is faced with the obligation to address the problem of evangelization.
In the wealthy west, the Church is often perceived (and it is so very often portrayed) as not being compassionate. The Church doesn’t care about women in crisis pregnancies (and therefore we don’t condone abortion or contraception because we are not “compassionate”. The Church doesn’t care about the divorced and remarried (because we don’t admit them to Holy Communion and therefore we are not “compassionate”). Likewise, getting down into the nitty-gritty of defending small-t traditions and fighting over their meaning, their larger value, history and worth today, we are not compassionate (because we talk about the details of worship we are therefore ignoring the real needs of people and we are therefore not compassionate).
There are all sorts of ways in which people have lost the sense that the Church is actually about compassion, properly understood.
I think what Pope Francis is up to is trying to project, re-project, is an image of the Church as compassionate. He is trying to help people remember (or learn for the first time) that she is actually all about compassion, charity in its truest form.
We’ve lost the message and we have to get it back.
For example , in his sermon for the Chrism Mass he indicated that priests need to be edgier, take more risks in getting out there with people. He is probably thinking (like a Latin American bishop might with enormous slums in the diocese) that you depart from certain things for the sake of connecting elsewhere. You risk being over-interpreted or losing control of the message for the sake of getting the real message out there again.
I’ll wager that, as a Jesuit, Francis doesn’t care about liturgy very much. He is just not into – one whit – either what traditional liturgy types or what liturgical liberals want.
Some liberals live and breathe liberal liturgy. On the other end of the spectrum, such as the undersigned, traditional Catholics think that liturgy is critical but for different reasons (“Save The Liturgy, Save The World”, comes to mind). Francis isn’t invested in either of these camps.
For Francis, I think, it is more a matter of “a pox on both your houses”.
Putting it in a vague way, Francis wants people to leave Mass feeling “joy”, or something having to do with the “kingdom”, etc. As he said at the Chrism Mass he wants people leaving Mass “as if they have heard the good news”.
Look. I am not saying his is the right approach. I am saying this is what I think he is doing in his liturgical and personal-style choices (where he is living, what chair he sits in, etc.).
Francis wants priests to talk to people and find out what they need and get involved in their daily struggles. Liturgy, for Francis, seems to be involved precisely in that. Do I think Francis may be missing huge points in this approach? Sure, right now I do. But I am leaving the jury out.
I don’t have to 100% embrace what Francis is doing even as I struggle to see and understand what I is up to.
I am quite sure, however, that Francis isn’t trying to ruin what Benedict and John Paul before him tried to construct. He is up to something else. He is getting at the problem of the Church not making any headway in evangelization.
Here is a problem.
Liberals will find it far easier than conservatives to claim that Francis’ actions are endorsements of their liberal thing.
Remember this: Liberals could give a damn about the gender of the person whose feet are being washed. Their focus is really the gender of the one doing the washing. Liturgical liberals are included in this. They only care about the washing of the feet of women, because ultimately they want women to do the washing. This is about the ordination of women, not about their feet.
Before these liberals start taking their victory laps, I would remind them that Francis is not going to touch doctrine. He has clearly talked about the Devil. He has spoken clearly before his election about same-sex stuff as discrimination against children. He has firmly fought Liberation Theology.
What liberals forget in their present crowing is that even as Francis makes himself – and the Church – more popular by projecting compassionate image, he will simultaneously make it harder for them to criticize him when he reaffirms the doctrinal points they want him to overturn.
Bottom line.
Francis is pushing out to the world (ad extra) an image of compassion. I think he is correcting both sides, within the Church (ad intra), which may both be, both sides, losing the forest for the trees: we are not succeeding in evangelizing and we cannot sacrifice doctrine for the sake of mere popularity or worldly acceptance.
The Church is full of holy priests and worldly priests. Ditto laypersons both holy and worldly. Sadly more of us who follow the Apostles—as they flee from the Garden!
“We’ve lost the message and we have to get it back.” Brilliantly put, snd totally true.
Mindreading. Let the man speak (or not speak) for himself.
It would appear to this non-catholic that he is demonstrating humility, which seems fully in line with what he’s all about. I’m not sure there’s any more complicated message involved.
Interesting, not very encouraging to those who come from the Tridentine through the “new order” confusion to where we’re at now. Two or three new reworked hymns from sundry denominations or changed Catholic melodys or lyrics(copyright protection) to learn at every Sunday mass we attend and the poor souls no longer get prayers for enternal rest.
It would appear to this non-catholic that he is demonstrating humility, which seems fully in line with what he’s all about. I’m not sure there’s any more complicated message involved. --RamiusI tend to agree with both of you. He's 76 years old and this is the way he's rolled since whenever. I don't think he's "up to" anything other than continuing his mission.
Mindreading. Let the man speak (or not speak) for himself. --AM
Yeah. How would anybody’s activities look, if examined with the magnifying glass some people are using, for such a brief period of time?
How about assuming the simple interpretation is the correct one for now, and waiting a long time for a fuller pattern to emerge?
Right. He is saying, well, I hve been doing this forever, and I won;t STOP now. Like when the disciples asked Jesus: where are you going,m and he said, “Come and see.” Would that we did.
Good evangelization analysis.
I agree with Fr. Z.
From the very first I saw this. Trying to identify with both sides.
Wait till he makes friends with the liberals and then starts putting his foot down on the laws of the Church.
Stay tuned!
Cardinal Dolan: Confession is The Sacrament of New Evangelization
Archbishop Chaput: Catholics responsible for evangelizing US {Ecumenical}
Lessons from Catholic Evangelists
Catholics adopting evangelical methods on college campuses {Ecumenical Thread}
Pope: Catholic education part of New Evangelization (Make Catholic Education Catholic!)
Pope: U.S. Catholics Must Lead Church Revival
US Bishops Issue Document on New Evangelization
Catholic Voices heeds Pope's call for public witness in US
"“Derided as Simple-Minded” [Justice Scalia to Catholics: "Brave the Scorn of the Worldly"]
Father Cantalamessa's 4th Advent Sermon: "The Current Wave of Evangelization" (Catholic Caucus)
Father Cantalamessa's 3rd Advent Sermon: "The First Evangelization of the American Continent"
Father Cantalamessa's 2nd Advent Sermon: "The Second Wave of Evangelization" (For History Buffs)
Father Cantalamessa's 1st Advent Sermon:"The First Wave of Evangelization" [Cath/Ortho Caucus]
Vatican considering dialogue with non-believers in Chicago and DC
From sinner to saved, from Cameroon to Zagreb; Two Men Talk of Hope
Court: Evangelism is free speech [Dearborn, Michigan]
The Need of Zeal
New Missionary Age: New Year Calls Catholics to the New Evangelization
Retrieving the Strays
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] It’s Time to Obey Christ and His Command that We Evangelize
New Evangelization: Faith Clips featured on EWTN
Obedience vs. Conscience (Help Lapsed Catholics Return to Christ and His Church) [Caucus]
Magazine: Growing Trend--Evangelicals ‘Crossing the Tiber’ to Catholicism
Young Evangelicals Crossing The Tiber
[ECUMENICAL] Evangelicals ‘Crossing the Tiber’ to Catholicism
Benedict XVI Creates Council for New Evangelization -- Will Be Dedicated to Secularized Christian Countries
A Tri-Lingual Catholic Blitz: An Interview with Carlos Caso-Rosendi [JW now Catholic evangelizer]
Evangelize? Sorry, But I’m Catholic!
I’ve never seen Catholics evangelize!
Evangelization: In with the 'new,' while maintaining the old
Priests and laity both responsible for evangelization, asserts Spanish bishop
They Know I’m Catholic, Right?
Why Evangelize?
Pope Benedict creates 'new evangelization' Curial Department: headed by Pro-Abort
A Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization to be Formed? Bring it On!
Pope expected to create new dicastery to re-evangelize Europe, US
Report Says Pope to Launch 'Pontifical Council for New Evangelization'
Archbishop Gomez urges laity to evangelize 'de-Christianized' American culture
Pope invites Christians to join in 'new, intense evangelization'
Coming Home Network: a Catholic apostolate for converts
New Catholic radio station launches ‘channel of evangelization’ in Phoenix
A New Missionary Age: The Year that was and the Year that will be are a Prelude.
Mary is the star that guides us to holiness, says Holy Father during Angelus [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Benedict to Visit London: Is the Rebirth of a Christian Europe Underway?
Catholics are coming home
Cardinal George's Plan to Evangelize America
Jews protest Catholic document on evangelization
Singapore prime minister: Evangelization threatens nation’s stability
Catholic Word of the Day: CONGREGATION FOR THE EVANGELIZATION OF PEOPLES, 06-29-09
Go! Rebuild My Church! [Catholic Caucus]
Ordinations End Shanghai Diocese's Celebration of 400 Years of Evangelization
(Catholic Caucus) Pontiff Says Word of God Is Church's Priority
[Oregon] Rosary Bowl focuses on links between prayer, evangelization
Editorial: The Pew report is an invitation to New Evangelization
Do not be afraid [of evangelization] Catholic Caucus
Catholic Schools Must Commit to the "New Evangelization", Australian Bishops Exhort
Denver Archbishop, Catholic young adults take faith to downtown streets
Mel’s Passion, the New Evangelization and You
Catholics plan 'Passion' evangelism
The Heart of an Apostle If you want to make converts, begin by converting your own heart
Catholic Caucus: 12 Painless Ways to Evangelize
Announcing New Life -- Christians are called to be not only defenders of life but also restorers
I’m not knowledgeable here—do they still have alter girls and why was it a disaster?
*altar*
Ping!
Why? Why not just trust Christ?
Or why not show Pope Francis, a distinguished and successful man even by simply worldly standards, the basic human respect of not acting as if he might be an utter idiot?
I wonder if Pope Francis would wear the National Sarcasm Society t-shirt, in order to tell all such contingent and "helpful" folks, "Like I need your support!"
A pope is above all a priest. There is no hidden agenda in that.
We are not going backwards globally in evangilization. Just the opposite actually. We are going backwards in the morally corrupt west but its full steam ahead in the global south and east.
Something about Francis makes me very uneasy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.