Pope Francis welcomes all families

Pope Francis has just released another encyclical that many would call as another step in the radical transformation of the Catholic Church. There are other observers who believe that his three encyclicals are not radical changes but a call for “going back to basic” for a church that was considered revolutionary at the time it was organized.

We may have forgotten that the Church was not organized by theologians or intellectuals but by uneducated peasants, laborers and fishermen. Its biggest following came from slaves and the poor. It was an institution persecuted by the rich, the powerful and the intellectual elite of its time.

In his first encyclical – Evangelii Gaudium – Pope Francis said that capitalism or what he called the “trickle down” ideology has not worked. He sees a world where the rich are getting richer and corruption and tax evasion are becoming more accepted as a way of life by the very rich. The Pope seems to have anticipated the current scandal known as the Panama Papers. In his second encyclical- Laudato Si – he called the world a heap of “dung” and asked governments to do more to preserve the world that God has given us.

His third encyclical was released this week and it is called the Joy of Love. It focuses on family and relationships. This is another document that has already created a firestorm of debates and discussions. This 256-page encyclical needs to be read several times to be truly understood and appreciated. But here are a few initial observations that may be worth further contemplation.

On divorced Catholics

Pope Francis is clear that divorced Catholics must be allowed the opportunity to be welcomed back to the Church. However, he seems to leave the exact method for this process to the bishops and priests. Here is what he says:

“If we consider the immense variety of concrete situation such as those I have mentioned, it is understandable that neither the Synod nor this Exhortation could be expected to provide a new set of general rules, canonical in nature and applicable to all cases. What is possible is simply a renewed encouragement to undertake a responsible personal and pastoral discernment of particular cases one which would recognize that since the degree of responsibility is not equal in all cases, the consequences or effects of a rule need not necessarily always be the same.

On single parents

Here again, Pope Francis clearly states that single parents must be welcomed back to the Catholic Church. He says:

“Whatever the cause, single parents must receive encouragement and support from other families in the Christian community and from the parish’s pastoral outreach. Often these families endure hardships, such as economic difficulties, uncertain employment prospects, problems with child support and lack of housing.”

Marriage advice

Pope Francis even tries his hand at marriage counselling when he included this advice in his encyclical:

“Young married couples should be encouraged to develop a routine that gives a healthy sense of closeness and stability through shared daily rituals. These could include a morning kiss, an evening blessing, waiting at the door to welcome each other home, taking trips together and sharing household chores...it also helps to break the routine with a party and to enjoy family celebrations of anniversaries and special events. We need these moments of cherishing God’s gifts and reviewing our zest for life.”

On gays

Pope Francis rejects the practice of same sex marriage. At the same time, he does not condemn homosexuals and denounces homophobia. He writes:

“Every person regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration while every sign of unjust discrimination is to be carefully avoided particularly any form of aggression and violence. Such families should be given respectful pastoral guidance so that those who manifest a homosexual orientation can receive the assistance they need to understand and fully carry out God’s will in their lives.”

Married priests

Eastern ( Oriental) Catholic Churches, like the Maronites of Lebanon, recognize the primacy of the Pope. However, they allow their priests to be married. In his encyclical, Pope Francis does not categorically state that he advocates allowing priests to be married. However, he seems to imply that married priests are more prepared to offer pastoral care for families. Judge for yourself the meaning of the following paragraph in his encyclical:

“ The main contribution to the pastoral care of families is offered by the parish, which is the family of families, where small communities, ecclesial movements and associations live in harmony...ordained ministers often lack the training needed to deal with the complex problems currently facing families. The experience of the broad oriental tradition of a married clergy could also be drawn upon.”

The encyclical apparently does not specifically state that divorced and remarried Catholics can receive Communion. However, it does state that they must be allowed full participation into the Church subject only to a “responsible personal and pastoral discernment.” That means their degree of participation is left to their personal conscience and to a private counselling between the person and his or her priest.  In the Catholic Church, “participation” includes the reception of Communion.

In previous messages, Pope Francis already said: “ ... I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber, but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy...I would also point out that the Eucharist is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.”

The message of the “Joy of Love” is clear. The Catholic Church is a family for and of ALL families.

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