Pope Francis wants to go "forward" despite the opposition to Fiducia supplicans and does not want to take the objections into account.
(Rome) Once again, Pope Francis defended the declaration Fiducia supplicans of the Roman Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which introduces gay blessings. It is Francis' second defense in a matter of days. This time it happened in the context of an interview.
The controversial declaration, which has met with resistance in the Church worldwide, was issued on December 18 with the explicit approval of Francis. Responsible for this is his ghostwriter and favorite protégé Victor Manuel Fernández, whom he has helped to a storybook career since 2009. And of whom the Argentine Bergoglian Sr. Lucia Caram declared on Spanish television that he himself was "gay".
First of all, however, Francis has so far officially commented on Fiducia supplicans. This was last Friday, in an address he gave to the members of the Dicastery for the Faith, headed by Cardinal Fernández.
Yesterday, Monday, the Turin daily La Stampa published an interview with Francis. True, the main headline is dedicated to the Middle East conflict, with the Pope calling for the implementation of the two-state solution. Fiducia supplicans, the most radical document of the moral revolution of his pontificate, immediately follows as the second part of the main headline. And that with a fierce announcement:
"They are attacking me because of the gay couples, but I don't fear a schism."
Francis prefers the path of the "informal magisterium" by giving interviews to friendly media. Almost without exception, these are secular media outlets that are willingly and supportively open to him. This time it was the turn of La Stampa, whose long-time Vatican correspondent Andrea Tornielli was Francis' house and court Vaticanist in the first part of the Argentine pontificate and is now editor-in-chief of all Vatican media.
Criticism has to be endured, Francis said, but it only comes from small "groups" that are also "ideologically" motivated. Two side blows with the heavy hardwood club. The Pope implicitly claims the Holy Spirit for the controversial Roman declaration. He also affirmed that black Africans have a cultural problem, as they still reject homosexuality, while the rest of the world no longer has a problem with it. But he hoped that everything would "gradually" subside. It is therefore only a matter of time before the paradigm shift in the recognition of homosexuality becomes universally accepted.
Francis' statements are not only about what he says and how he says it, but also about the omissions, about what he does not say, about what he is silent about. This includes, above all, his notorious "No, Yes, Yes", a message that the world to which he prefers to address, the secular media understands very well, even and above all those parts that remain unspoken.
Francis, on the other hand, does not fear a schism. In his answer, it is necessary to include an earlier statement when, on December 23, 2016, he let it be known internally that it was "not impossible" that he would go down in history as "the one who divided the Catholic Church." But, as he now let the world know, this did not impress him. In other words, he wouldn't care, because the schismatics, since he is the Pope, are by definition always the others, and ideologues what's more.
Here is the translation of the parts of the interview concerning Fiducia supplicans:
La Stampa: Last summer, in Lisbon, in front of millions of young people, you emphatically declared that the Church is for "everyone, everyone, everyone": is it the great challenge of your pontificate to open the Church to all?
Pope Francis: This is the reading key of Jesus. Christ calls everyone in. All. There is a parable of his own: the parable of the wedding to which no one appears, and then the king sends the servants "to the crossroads, and everyone whom you find, you call to the wedding feast." The Son of God wants to make it clear that he does not want a chosen group, an elite. So maybe someone will "smuggle himself in", but at that moment it is God who takes care of him, who shows him the way. When I am asked, "But can these people, who are in such an inadequate moral situation, go in?" I say, "All of them, says the Lord." I've been asked questions like this especially lately, after some of my decisions...
La Stampa: In particular, the blessing of "irregular and same-sex couples"....
Pope Francis: I am asked how this is possible. I answer: The Gospel is there to sanctify everyone. Provided, of course, that there is goodwill. It is necessary to give precise instructions for the Christian life – I emphasize that it is not the union that is blessed, but the persons. But we are all sinners: so why make a list of sinners who can be in the church and a list of sinners who can't be in the church? This is not the Gospel.
La Stampa: In the much-publicized television interview with Fabio Fazio on the programme Che Tempo Che Fa, you spoke about the price of loneliness that one has to pay after such a step: how do you live with the battle cry of those who rise up against it?
Pope Francis: Those who protest vehemently belong to small ideological groups. Africans are a special case: for them, homosexuality is culturally "ugly". They do not tolerate them. But in general, I hope that everyone will gradually be reassured by the spirit of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith's declaration Fiducia supplican: it wants to include, not exclude. It invites us to welcome people and to entrust ourselves to God.
La Stampa: Do you suffer from loneliness?
Pope Francis: Solitude is as changeable as spring: in this and that season it can be a beautiful day, with sunshine, blue skies and a pleasant breeze; 24 hours later, the weather may be dark. We all experience loneliness. If you say, "I don't know what loneliness is," you're missing something. When I feel lonely, I pray above all. And if I perceive tensions in my environment, I calmly try to start a dialogue and discussion. But in any case, I'm always moving forward, day by day.
La Stampa: Are you afraid of a schism?
Pope Francis: No. In the Church there have always been small groups of schismatic reflections... You have to let them have their way, let them pass... and look ahead.
Text/Translation: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: La Stampa (Screenshot)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG
