Few would disagree that the Church, at least in the Western world, is tired. Adherence to the Church is falling every year. Catholic Austria loses around 40,000 members each year. Mass attendance in Catholic Malta has also been diminishing. The paedophilia crisis was the last straw for many to lose credibility in the Church.
With the new Pope, there seems to be some change. There is the sensation that something new is happening. Many are experiencing a breath of fresh air. There is the feeling that he will introduce long-desired changes in the Church, rendering it more relevant. But will he?
People have different ideas of what ‘modernising the Church’ ought to consist of. The first phrases along these lines were uttered by Pope John XXIII when he spoke about “opening a window onto the world” and “aggiornamento” (updating). This gathered momentum with Vatican Council II.
However, almost 50 years after the Council, many are insisting that it did not change anything. Pope Benedict spoke repeatedly about the “hermeneutic of continuity” of the Council and had a predilection for things of the past, like the celebration of Mass in Latin.
On the other hand, Church historian John O’Malley produced a thick volume on the innovations brought about by the Council.
I think the two positions can be reconciled. On the doctrinal level, nothing changed, although there has been a development in ecclesiology; on the pastoral level, a great deal changed. It is important to keep this distinction in mind because it shows us what to expect when we long for the ‘modernisation’ of the Church.
Surely, Pope Francis won’t change the doctrine; he may change the pastoral approach as, in fact, he is doing. Ultimately, a lot depends on where the accent is placed. A couple of examples will illustrate this.
If all the Church has to do is to adapt to culture, then there would be no reason for it to be
Pope Francis will never justify abortion or acknowledge the dissolubility of marriage. On the other hand, he might accept that, sometimes, a situation may have been arrived at when it is impossible for an original marriage to be reconstituted, and remarried divorced Catholics may be allowed to receive Holy Communion.
To stay on the subject of marriage, Pope Francis quoted a friend of his who believes that 50 per cent of the marriages celebrated are probably invalid because of the lack of maturity or of understanding by the people contracting them. This might lead to a revision of the impediments to a valid marriage, rendering annulment less difficult.
Then there are things which are simply a question of Church discipline and which can be changed. Among these one can mention priestly celibacy and the ordination of married men.
I also expect Pope Francis to free the Church of clericalism, the tendency to associate the Church with the hierarchy. Francis says that clericalism is a particular temptation for bishops and priests but, to some extent, also for the laity and, in great part, it explains some lay people’s lack of maturity and Christian freedom.
I believe that the most urgent reform needed in the Church is the re-introduction of collegiality in its governance, sadly undermined during the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. This brings the knowledge acquired from the grass roots to bear on decisions.
In the process of modernisation, the Church will never adapt to culture in such a way as to change its principles. The Church continues the mission of Jesus Christ, who came to make culture more genuinely human, not to adapt to it. If all he had to do was adapt to culture he would not have come. In the same way, if all the Church has to do is to adapt to culture, then there would be no reason for it to be.
Jesus’ words – and, consequently, the Church’s words – are not always pleasing to all ears. Some heard them and walked away. Jesus’ reaction was to address his disciples: “Do you also wish to go away?” Some will go away. Some others, with Peter, will respond: “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6,65-68)
alfred.j.micallef@um.edu.mt
Fr Alfred Micallef is a member of the Society of Jesus.