Few doubt that Pope Francis is different from his two immediate predecessors. His unexpected style took everybody by surprise the very first moment he greeted the crowd as Pope with a “Buona sera.”
However, the difference in approach goes much deeper. Pope Francis brought about a change of emphasis. Whereas the ministry of John Paul II and Benedict XVI insisted on the truth which had to be safeguarded, Pope Francis insists on giving people time.
Some people, including some prelates, have been baffled by this approach. They had made themselves very unpopular in order not to deviate from what they profoundly believed to be right and true and, above all, God’s will. When Pope Francis put subjects such as admitting remarried divorcees to Holy Communion on the synod agenda, they must have experienced great confusion.
Rather than taking sides, it would be more useful to try to understand Pope Francis’ vision. In spite of his emphasis on the need for mercy, Pope Francis never repudiated any of the Church’s teaching. Regarding debated issues he simply said the Church has already spoken very clearly about them.
Only recently, in the Philippines, he reiterated Pope Paul VI’s teaching on contraception. However, even before finishing the sentence, he enjoined confessors to be very merciful “because it is very hard”.
As I see it, the root of this is Pope Francis’ vision of the Church. He sees the Church not as a static reality but as a ‘becoming’. In this he can easily refer to the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church of Vatican II, which speaks of the Church as the “People of God in pilgrimage”. “In pilgrimage” says it all. Those who are in pilgrimage have not arrived yet. They are still walking towards their destination or towards perfection.
Writing to the Philippians, St Paul speaks very clearly about this phenomenon. Paul is talking about perfection vis-à-vis his own spiritual situation:
He is totally aware of how much patience is needed for us to grow a little
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3,12-13). For Paul, striving is what matters most. Of course, this is done with God’s help.
Francis’ approach expresses his deep empathy with humankind. He is aware of our weakness and he is not scandalised. Being one of us, he knows well what stuff we human beings are made of; he is totally aware of how much patience is needed for us to grow a little. So, he preaches patience, mercy and encouragement, and with simplicity he states that the Eucharist is not a prize for the perfect but medicine for the weak.
This is not setting truth aside. On the contrary, this is respecting truth – the truth that we are not there yet! As we have not reached the fullness, God does not demand the fullness of us. So, allowing married divorcees to receive Holy Communion is not the same as saying marriage is dissoluble but that, given our weakness, God tolerates our limitations.
Of course, while tolerating our limitations God does not want us to remain stuck in them. God wants us to continue to cooperate with His grace so that we would be able to give more:
“Be perfect like your heavenly father is perfect” (Mt. 5, 48).
I believe this is what is endearing Pope Francis to so many. He is a high priest “that is made completely like his brothers so he can be a compassionate and trustworthy high priest” (cfr. Heb. 2, 17). We feel that he understands us, that he is on our side. Besides, he is himself, not a role. It is not only the faithful who have understood this but also the journalists and they too have been won over.
ajsmicallef@gmail.com
Fr Alfred Micallef is a member of the Society of Jesus.