Pope Francis: "It gives me pleasure to have debates with conservative bishops"

summorum pontificum blog ^ | 10/7/14 | Brian Kopp

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Pope Francis: "It gives me pleasure to have debates with conservative bishops"

By Brian Kopp

This recent article in The Tablet pretty much confirms, if there were still any doubt, that Pope Francis does not consider himself a "conservative" within the Church. See area in bold:

Francis: Church must reach out a hand, not beat with a stick

06 October 2014 17:50

by Hannah Roberts in Rome

Pope Francis has stated that the Church “must not withdraw into dogma” and should recognise that “the world has changed”.

As the bishops prepared to begin discussions on issues relating to with the family, Francis indicated that he wanted clergy to be less judgmental and more understanding of those living outside Catholic norms.

He told an Argentinian newspaper: “The world has changed and the Church can not withdraw into supposed interpretations of dogma. We have to approach these social difficulties, both new and old, by extending a hand to give comfort, not by stigmatising and criticising people.”

His comments were published yesterday, the same day he celebrated a Mass to open the two-week Synod of Bishops which has as its theme “pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation”.

Francis told La Nacion that while there had been “a lot of emphasis” in the run-up to the Synod on the issue of the ban on Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics, other concerns deserved attention as well, such as young people viewing cohabitation as preferable to marriage.

He said: “It is an issue that undoubtedly will be debated. But, for me, an equally important problem is the new habits of young people. Young people are not getting married. It is the culture of the time.”

He added: “What should the Church do? Expel them from their breast? Or approach them and try to bring them close and teach them the word of God? I am in favour of the latter position.”

Despite the conflicting opinions, bishops should speak freely at the synod he said, he said.

Francis said at the Synod of Bishops that took place in 2001 there was a cardinal who told them what you could say and what you couldn’t. He added: “That won’t happen this time.”

It was for that reason that he has given bishops the power to elect the presidents of their own conferences, he said.

Francis claimed he had no objection the publication of a book by five cardinals, including Cardinal Raymond Burke, head of the Apostolic Signatura, setting out their position against revising the prohibition on divorced and remarried Catholics receiving Communion.

He said: “Everyone has something to contribute. It gives me pleasure to have debates with conservative bishops when the arguments are intellectually well-formed.”

But he warned Catholics not to count on changes being announced at the end of this month’s meetings, which will be followed by a second synod next October. He said: “Don't expect a decision next week … This is only the initial push.”

One gets the real impression that some Synod members are asking us, in the name of mercy and compassion, to give a pass to this modern mass apostasy on matters of sexuality and marriage.

[circlecity]

“Don't expect a decision next week … This is only the initial push.”

I imagine a lot of trial balloons are going to be floated to see what kind of push back they get.

[Alex Murphy]

This recent article in The Tablet pretty much confirms, if there were still any doubt, that Pope Francis does not consider himself a "conservative" within the Church....

....Francis claimed he had no objection the publication of a book by five cardinals, including Cardinal Raymond Burke, head of the Apostolic Signatura, setting out their position against revising the prohibition on divorced and remarried Catholics receiving Communion. He said: “Everyone has something to contribute. It gives me pleasure to have debates with conservative bishops when the arguments are intellectually well-formed.”

Is Burke present at the synod?

[vladimir998]

He’s just a pope. They all die and are replaced. I wish people would remember that.

[oblomov]

It’s just a human institution. They all die and are replaced as well.

[ScottinVA]

I’m surprised bishops would even deign to debate His Infallibility.

[ScottinVA]

Pope Francis has stated that the Church “must not withdraw into dogma” and should recognise that “the world has changed”.

Aren't the ways of "the world" the problem here? Maybe I'm missing something...

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Yes.

[boycott]

The worldly pope.

[Alberta's Child]

Didn't we go through the same thing back in 1968 with all the "trial balloons" about contraception, only to have it all end with the publication of Humanae Vitae?

[Deo volente]

“The world has changed and the Church can not withdraw into supposed interpretations of dogma. We have to approach these social difficulties, both new and old, by extending a hand to give comfort, not by stigmatising and criticising people.”

That's the saddest thing I've read in years. Throw Catholic doctrine out the window so sinners can feel better. Very interesting times we live in.

[boycott]

His Infallibility .

---

If previous popes were infallible, why do they ever need to change any of their positions?

[Slyfox]

The Tablet used to be reliably Catholic. I went to a university library looking for an article that I was told was written in the early 1960s. It was very good back then. The person who owns it now has changed it so it is more like the Catholic Reporter.

[NKP_Vet]

It would be nice if the Synod ended with this heretic pope being thrown out on his liberal rear end. He’s trying his best to turn the Catholic Church into a larger version of the anti-God Anglican Church of England. He’ll go down in history as the worst pope of the last 500 years. I used to have hope for him, no more. He’s the Barack Obama of the Catholic Church. But let’s also not forget that the Church has survived bad popes before and it will survive this character, who I have gave up on.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Aren't the ways of "the world" the problem here? Maybe I'm missing something...

Cardinal Kasper has also indicated we need to rethink Humanae Vitae, and the Synod of Bishops on the Family's General Secretary, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, has waffled on civil unions.

As I said in the original post, One gets the real impression that some Synod members are asking us, in the name of "mercy and compassion", to give a pass to this modern mass apostasy on matters of sexuality and marriage.

[Fred Hayek]

While I do disagree with some Catholic doctrines, such disagreements are matters of theology. This latest direction does not bode well for the Catholic Church. This is heading in the direction of complete abandonment of Scripture, where there would be no difference versus the so called Mainline Protestants. Return of “liberation theology” (regurgitated Marxism), anyone? Amongst Catholics, wasn’t there a prophecy that this Pope would be a doozy? We all need to pray, and I mean ALL Christians.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

“Aren’t the ways of “the world” the problem here? Maybe I’m missing something... “

Your point is a great one, but IMHO it depends to what he is referring to when he says the world is changing. The world ‘changed’ a lot when the dogma about the earth being the center of the universe was challenged. People were put to death for that one before the dogma was abandoned. Martin Luther helped change Catholicism, as well as promote the formation of a broad array of protestant churches by his actions - which got him excommunicated at the time. God is eternal. What God deems correct is eternal. Our interpretation of the mind of God is at best, nascent, and some dogma is from God and some from man. The dogma that comes from man is subject to review and change, and maybe that’s what he’s referring to.

[VanDeKoik]

Well I guess if all else fails, Avignon might still have space to set up another Pope there.

[Alex Murphy]

Yes [Burke is attending]

There had been at least one dire warning that he would not be able to attend, due to his impending exile.

Related threads:
Exile to Malta for Cardinal Burke
The possible demotion of Card. Burke. Wherein Fr. Z rants.
Breaking: Sources confirm Cardinal Burke will be removed. But will he attend the Synod?
Exile to Malta for Cardinal Burke
Cardinal Burke: Media hijacking Synod on the Family
Interview excerpts: Cardinal Kasper responds
Cardinal Burke Rebuts 'Outrageous' Claim that Cardinal Kasper Speaks for Pope

[Gamecock]

And what happens when he mounts The Chair and make an infallable statement?