I grew up Catholic, under rigid rules drawn up by old men in crimson robes. But as I got older and reality set in, many of the rules made little sense to me. And I junked my innocent childhood belief in unquestioning obedience.
But it hasn’t been easy to ignore the rules and still consider myself a good practicing Catholic. Which is why I wept when I read what Pope Francis said in a homily on October 13: “If the law does not lead to Jesus Christ and if it doesn’t get us closer to Jesus Christ, it is dead.”
I had to do a double take. Did he really say that? It felt like martial law had ended.
Pope Francis elaborated: “The God of the law is also the God of surprises.” And he went on to say we are on a journey towards “the fullness of Jesus … And when you journey, you always find new things, things you never knew before.” Somehow, he makes the experience sound like an exhilarating adventure, and not the guilt-filled obstacle course I was made to believe it should be. The path is wide open for exploration and discovery.
How refreshing to hear the Pope affirm personal freedom in our journey to Christ; how reassuring to hear him say that the law is not an end in itself, and if it does not lead us to Christ, it is a dead law.
The winds of change are definitely abroad. The spirit of Francis’ liberating homily is echoed in the midway report of the on-going Synod on the family attended by 200 bishops at the Vatican. The bishops, with the expert advice of some married couples, have come up with astoundingly realistic and thoughtful reflections on marriage, separation, divorce, annulment, migration, homosexuality, birth control and their effects on the family.
At the opening of the Synod, Francis told the participants to free their hearts and speak their minds without fear, no matter how different their ideas might be from the conventional thinking. Word is that the debates have been spirited, with marked differences in the worldviews of some bishops. Cardinal Chito Tagle, who is one of the leaders of the Synod, made a light remark about the continuing “drama” at the Synod.
To be sure, the report is not final. Cardinal Tagle said it is “very provisionary”, with much that still has to be deepened and clarified. The text stands firm on the dissolubility of marriage and categorically states its opposition to gay unions. But the wind is definitely blowing in a new direction. There is a new-found transparency in the Church, and an openness to explore new ways of looking at the painful realities that many of the faithful live with. And this is all framed in God’s enduring love for humankind.
In discussing the difficult issues such as divorce, re-marriage, annulment, homosexuality, the Synod’s report calls for patience and mercy, noting that Jesus Christ “became incarnate in human fragility not to condemn it, but to heal it”.
The report is oozing with charity and compassion, telling pastors to accept people “in their concrete being” in order to “know how to support their search, to encourage the wish for God and the will to feel fully part of the Church”, in particular, “those who have experienced failure or find themselves in the most diverse situations.”
The prose is verbose and convoluted, but if the reader can get over the language, its message is clear – being judgmental is out; sensitivity, humility and compassion are the way to go. Says the report, “The Church turns respectfully to those who participate in her life in an incomplete and imperfect way, appreciating the positive values they contain rather than their limitations and shortcomings.”
With love and compassion, “the Church must accompany her most fragile sons and daughters, marked by wounded and lost love, with attention and care, restoring trust and hope to them...”
The Synod calls for “courageous pastoral choices,” “new pastoral paths” to ensure that “each damaged family be listened to with respect and love...” Echoing Pope Francis, “The Church will have to initiate everyone – priests, religious and laity – into this ‘art of accompaniment’, which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other.”
Acknowledging the difficulties of being Catholic in a bad marriage, the report calls for reform in the process of obtaining a church annulment to make it more accessible and flexible. The matter of whether divorced and re-married Catholics should be allowed to receive communion is a hotly debated issue, but the bishops call for respect for those who are divorced and re-married, “avoiding any language or behavior that might make them feel discriminated against.”
In reference to homosexuals, the report goes out of its way to acknowledge that there are gays who “have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community”. Even as it rejects gay marriage, the Synod notes that “there are cases in which mutual aid to the point of sacrifice constitutes a precious support in the life of the partners.”
By proceeding from compassion, understanding and love of neighbor, the Church is finally speaking in the language of Jesus Christ, who walked with prostitutes and tax collectors, and made a criminal hanging on the cross beside him in Golgotha the first saint in heaven. With guidance from Pope Francis, they have brought back to the table, the powerful message of God’s inclusive and healing love for humanity. May the spirit of charity rise above all other earthly concerns as the “drama” continues to unfold at the Synod and the bishops humbly “remove their sandals before the sacred ground” as they accompany each other in their deliberations.