Pope Francis closes the Holy Door to mark the closing of the Catholic Jubilee Year of Mercy in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican . Photo: Tiziana Fabi/Pool/ReutersI happened to be in Rome last weekend when the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy came to an end. This jubilee was called by Pope Francis to mark “a special time for the Church, a time when the witness of believers might grow stronger and more effective”.
To mark the end of the jubilee, the Pope issued an Apostolic Letter entitled Misericordia et misera. The title is taken from a phrase used by Augustine of Hippo to describe Jesus’s meeting with the women caught in adultery as narrated in the fourth Gospel. To me, this has always been one of the most moving episodes found in any of the four gospels. It is one of the richest manifestations of the incarnation, that is, of the fact that God became truly human in the person of Jesus Christ so that, in the words of St. Athanasius, “we might become God”.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought before Jesus a woman who had been caught in flagrante claiming that under the law of Moses she should be stoned to death. As they demand his view on the matter, the carpenter’s son bends down and starts to write on the ground and then challenges those around him by telling them: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” John narrates how “when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him”.
Jesus then looks up and says to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” to which she replies: “No one, Lord.” Jesus then tells her, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again”.
To me, this is what Christianity is about. This is why I count myself among the many who believe that Pope Francis is successfully managing to reconnect the Petrine ministry to the fundamental message proclaimed by Jesus Christ. In so doing, he has not allowed himself to be enslaved by tradition or convention. Although he has not changed Church teaching itself, he had adopted a practical attitude that focuses on the individual and on the fact that God’s mercy overcomes all.
The latest example of this is found in Misericordia et misera itself where Francis reiterated that abortion is a grave sin yet indefinitely extended the faculty he had granted priests during the jubilee to absolve those who commit or procure abortion: “I can and must state that there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father.”
Naturally, there are those who would dispute one particular act or another being categorised as a sin or not. I am not seeking to enter into the merits of what the Church would categorise as a sin. However, undeniably, it does create certain serious problems when one tries to reconcile living as a Christian with one’s choices in life that are not the result of some capricious whim yet find themselves categorised by the Church as ‘sinful’.
Despite all the negative things that can be said of contemporary society, to me it is far more Christian than before
It is true that a distinction is made between the act and the person committing the act. It is the act, we are told, that is condemnable and not the person committing the act. Yet the fact remains that there are circumstances where one finds oneself torn between who you are and what you have been brought up to believe.
Pope Francis seems to understand this. He goes the extra mile to reach out, just like Jesus himself. In doing so, he sets an example for all his subordinates within the hierarchy. Yet, my impression is that his lead is not being followed so enthusiastically in the lower ranks. Apart from hearing about cardinals and bishops openly showing signs of discomfort with the papal agenda, when it comes to the priests and religious in the local communities, they seem to be more Ratzinger’s children than Bergoglio’s.
Attending Mass and listening to homilies is, more often than not, a demoralising experience. There is no uplifting of the soul and what is preached from the pulpit is not Francis’s ‘gospel of mercy’ but either some sort of denunciation of modern society and lifestyle choices or something quite irrelevant to most of the listeners.
Sitting in the pews, one realises that many are distracted, some fiddle with their smart phones, others chat to the person sitting next to them. This is why, in my view, Mass attendance has gone down so dramatically. It’s not that people don’t care. People just don’t have time to waste on spending 45 minutes constantly looking at one’s watch and hoping it will soon be over. I recall many discussions held in diocesan assemblies or other fora trying to address the problem.
Unfortunately, I feel that the problem has become more serious because many of the men being ordained are not of the same temperament and mindset as Pope Francis. When I was a seminarian, there was a much greater sense of wanting to push forward the renewal set in motion by the Second Vatican Council. Today I see many of the newly ordained obviously very nostalgic of a pre-conciliar Church. To give an example, they seem to be queuing in line to be made a kanonku or whatever when such things are sheer anachronisms that obviously jar with the Pope’s wish for priests to be more Christ-like.
Matters seem to get worse when they attempt to ‘preach’. I recently met a group of theology students who, I assume, are either deacons or newly ordained priests. We discussed issues related to European identity and values and how these are influencing society, including our own. I could sense the unease in some of them.
I fear that many of the younger priests consider contemporary society as degenerate and godless, idealising the past and the ‘glorious’ days when the people simply obeyed without question.
Many in the Church seem to be going back to an approach where one looks upon with disapproval from the outside rather than engaging, as Francis does, in a dialogue with society, seeking to make the world a better place.
Yet despite all the negative things that can be said of contemporary society, to me it is far more Christian than before. In the past, religion was a vehicle to keep people subordinated. It was more or less part of the establishment, almost merged with the State to ensure public order and impose a code of conduct on society.
Let me give an example: many in Church circles consider issues related to civil liberties as some sort of attempt or ‘conspiracy’ to subvert Christian values rather than an opportunity to allow all individuals equal opportunities in the exercise of their civil and human rights.
However, the increasingly tolerant attitudes towards LGBTIQ persons, for instance, means that our society is showing far greater mercy than was the case in the not so distant past.
I find contemporary society to be much more Christian in so many respects. Even legislation enacted in this country over the past few years, such as the Civil Unions Act and the Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act, reflects the fact that we are more caring, more merciful.
The Jubilee may have come to an end last Sunday. However, my hope is that the process set in motion by Pope Francis will permeate throughout the universal Church and manage to find its way to our shores too and lead to a much needed renewal that could help many of us rediscover the joy of belonging to a community of faith that is rich in mercy.