Postscript

He’s back in Rome, but Pope Francis continues to win the hearts even of lapsed Catholics.

Flying out of Manila, the pope gave guidelines to the faithful on the stand of the Catholic Church on birth control. It was the most nuanced position yet on the controversy taken by the pontiff, whose word is deemed infallible by the Catholic faithful.

He is for responsible parenthood, Pope Francis said. While the Church is standing firm on its position against artificial contraception, this doesn’t mean Catholics should breed (Francis used “be” not “breed”) “like rabbits.” The pope is for natural methods and sexual abstinence during certain days.

Because of the importance of this position in our predominantly Catholic nation, I am running verbatim the English translation of the pope’s Italian statements. The translation was done by the reporter of the Jesuit publication America Magazine together with several other journalists on Philippine Airlines’ Rome-bound “Shepherd One.”

The question was posed by Christoph Schmidt (CIC): How does the Church respond to the criticisms about its position on birth control given that the world population is growing so much? And to the criticism that the poverty in the Philippines is due to the fact that Filipino women have an average of three children each?

POPE:  I think the number of three per family that you mentioned, it is the one experts say is important to keep the population going – three per couple. When it goes below this, the other extreme happens, like what is happening in Italy. I have heard – I do not know if it is true – that in 2024 there will be no money to pay pensioners (because of) the fall in population.

Therefore, to give you an answer, the key word is the one the Church always uses all the time and even I use it: it is responsible parenthood. How do we do this? With dialogue. Each person with his pastor seeks how to do that responsible parenthood.

That example I mentioned shortly before about that woman who was expecting her eighth (child) and already had seven who were born with caesareans – that is irresponsibility. (That woman might say) “no but I trust in God.”  But God gives you methods to be responsible.

Some think that – excuse me if I use that word – that in order to be good Catholics we have to be like rabbits. No. Responsible parenthood! This is clear, and that is why in the Church there are marriage groups, there are experts in this matter, there are pastors one can seek, and I know so many, many ways out that are licit and that have helped this. You did well to ask me this.

Another thing in relation to this is that for the most poor people, a child is a treasure. It is true that you have to be prudent here too, but for them a child is a treasure. (Some would say) “God knows how to help me” and perhaps some of them are not prudent, this is true. Responsible paternity, but let us also look at the generosity of the father and mother that see a treasure in every child.

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During the in-flight press conference, Pope Francis also elaborated on his appeal for an end to corruption, which he said is a global problem (including in the Vatican, where several bureaucrats have been sacked for graft). Rising through the ranks of the clergy in his native Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was critical of government policies that worsened poverty and weakened social justice.

He narrated that in 2001, when his homeland was under a “not so corrupt” government (the president at the time was Fernando de la Rua), he asked “the chief of the Cabinet” who was “a true man, clean” how much of the aid sent into the nation’s interior actually reached the recipients. The Cabinet member said “35 percent.”

The pope admitted that even the Church is vulnerable to corruption. Again, since this is a topic close to Pinoy hearts, I am quoting his remarks verbatim:

I remember once, in the year 1994, when I had been scarcely named bishop of the Flores quarter of Buenos Aires, two employees or functionaries of a ministry came to me to tell me, “You have so much need here with so many poor in the villas miserias (shanty towns).”

“Oh yes,” I said, and they told me, “We can help you. We have, if you want, a subsidy of 400,000 pesos.”

At the time, the exchange rate with the dollar was one to one – $400,000. “You can do that?” “Yes, yes.”

 I listened because when the offer is so big, even the saint is challenged. And they went on: “To do this, we make the deposit and then you give us half for ourselves.”

Equally interesting was the pontiff’s reaction to the proposed kickback:

In that moment I thought about what I would do: either I insult them and give them a kick where the sun never shines or I play the fool.

I played the fool and said, in truth, we at the vicariate don’t have an account; you have to make the deposit at the archdiocese’s office (chancery) with the receipt. And that was it.

“Oh, we didn’t know.” And they left.

But later I thought, if these two landed without even asking for a runway – it’s a bad thought – it’s because someone else said yes. But it’s a bad thought, no?

In the Philippines, how would our SUV-loving bishops have reacted to the offer, even if pared down to $200,000 after the kickback?

The speculative answer to that question is the reason Pope Francis is seen in this country as such a rejuvenating breath of fresh air in an ailing Church.