Reading Francis through Benedict (and the Church): Setting Things Straight

NB: This short essay was a thing I wrote for English class. And when we talk about religion, and want something good to discuss, Ratzingerians often look at the present Pontificate, and see it in the light of the previous ones... And here it goes....

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“Pope Francis is the coolest, kindest and best Pope ever! He kisses infants, hugs lepers and even lives in a simple house rather than within the palaces of the Vatican. No Pope has ever thought of “the poor” while deemphasizing major issues to make the Church friendlier and inviting. He dresses simply, unlike his predecessor who likes to romp around like an emperor with new clothes. With his “Francis Effect”, he reaches out and inspires Catholics to live the Faith better and invites non-Catholics to enter the Church in a way no other pope can.”

This is how modern media and the secular world paints Pope Francis. They praise his picture-perfect actions, follow his fervent and intense homilies, listen to his audiences and rave about him far better than his predecessors. They admire his charm and tenderness, while raving about his “no-comment” attitude on controversial issues. Contrariwise, they paint his predecessors as villains who did the Church more harm than good by blaming them for the issues that surround the Church, such as the sexual abuse crisis, the corruption present in the Roman Curia, the “gay lobby”, among others. But far from their attention is the fact that our current Pope must be understood within the context of the Church’s history, especially during the pontificate of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

A few months ago, Pope Francis “shocked” the world with his stand on the gay issue: ‘If someone is gay, and he searches for the Lord, and he has good will, who am I to judge?”. These words sparked intense reactions, and among them were those liberal-minded people who claim that “mercy” has finally won over dogma, that Francis will now support same-sex unions, allow manifest homosexuals to receive the Sacraments, and later on recognize homosexuals as regular members of the Church.

Debates and reactions once again went up as the Pope and some selected clergymen gathered last October in Rome for the Extraordinary Synod on the Family. The media and the secular world enjoyed it as they heard of “positive”comments and saw the Synodal documents which contained support for critical issues such as the approval of same-sex unions, Communion for the divorced and remarried, etc. Some declared it was an “act of courage” and a “new direction” for the Church, and expected drastic changes out of it (but were saddened at the release of the Synod’s final document). But, all of us should not buy into these interpretations; as the media will deliberately portray Francis to push their agenda and influence (or trouble) Catholics with their own brand of Francis.

First of all, Francis is not a pope different from others. He is not a different epoch, nor another person different from the long line of 265 popes who faithfully served the Church. He is and must be seen in line with the Church he serves; her history, perennial teachings and dogmas, and not the opines of others.

For example, his statement on the “gay lobby” may shock others, but it is really a simplified version of a similar stand taken by the Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI: “Christianity, Catholicism, isn’t a collection of prohibitions: it’s a positive option. It’s very important that we look at it again because this idea has almost completely disappeared today”. Francis, in stating a “via media” opinion, seeks not to favor any opinion, nor be “politically-correct”, but only to encourage all to seek the Lord’s will and do it, whether you are a member of any lobby or not. For him, “mercy and compassion” is indeed what it means in the Christian context, and it is not the relativistic “tolerance and condoning” attitude that he subscribes to.

Moreover, he is not different from other Popes in terms of his governance. A few months into his Pontificate, we already have seen some things that may displease modern sensibilities. First, he excommunicated a priest who supports same-sex unions and women’s ordination. Second, he has supported the reform of the US Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which was started by Pope Benedict in 2010. Moreover, he has also been intensely pro-life; speaking against abortion, contraception and euthanasia as grave sins against those who are marginalized in the “peripheries” of life and society. And best of all, he has explicitly used the thoughts and words of previous Popes such as St. John Paul II and Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI to enrich his catechetical and theological discourses and his homilies.

Finally, he is not different from any other Pope in terms of his actions. If Francis practices picture-perfect actions and speaks quote-worthy statements; who would forget the actions of his past predecessors that made history? Who would forget Pope John Paul II embracing his assassin, kissing an AIDS-infected child, or his legendary globe-trotting? Who would forget Pope Benedict’s liturgical grandeur or theological expertise, and best of all, his humility as he tendered his resignation? Who would forget the deeds and words of the previous Pontiffs whom Francis recently beatified or canonized? Indeed, he is not different from them, nor is he a “revolutionary” in papal robes, as the media portrays.

The challenge for us now is to really listen to what our Pope has to say about things. Now is the time to be more careful in listening to commentaries, and stop listening to distortions and misunderstandings. Let us particularly take time to read for ourselves, the documents and statements issued officially by the Vatican, and not by any secular commenter.  Let us not be fooled into the secular media’s image of Pope Francis, but indeed see him as a part of the wonderful line of saintly, human and humble Popes who served Christ’s Church. Pope Francis is a wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit to us, reminding us of the ever-present vitality of Peter’s leadership in the Church: “Popes come and go, but the Papacy never dies!”