Is Pope Francis Waffling on Hot-Button Issues?

Dear Readers,

Did I say in the last post I would only write one more post about homosexuality?  What I really meant to say is... uh... no I'm not.

Recently a lot of liberals have been rejoicing over some comments Pope Francis has made about homosexuality.  I just want to give a bit of advice about determining what Pope Francis is really saying.

Read the context.  Instead of reading a few quotes or headlines, read entire articles.  Slate magazine's headline was, "Pope Francis is a Flaming Liberal."  The person who wrote that headline has little understanding of Pope Francis and frankly, little understanding of God.  Primary sources trump secondary sources.  Read the entire interview in question.  Don't read his words filtered through National Public Radio or Slate.com or the Huffington Post or other liberal sources.  And don't even read the Pope's words through the filters of Breitbart.com or World Net Daily or other conservative sources.  Read the primary source material for yourself and see what you think. 

Place more emphasis on the Pope's official sermons, not on his off-the-cuff remarks during interviews.  Remember, it's the media- and Telemoonfa Time, apparently- who are obsessed with the hot-button issues like abortion and gay marriage.  But what does the Pope choose to focus on?  He chooses to focus on Jesus Christ.  In that interview, perhaps the crucial line is, "the most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you."  And what do his public sermons focus on?  Read them and find out.  Here's one that I read and enjoyed, called "Truth is a Person."

Be wary of the media's bias and ignorance.  There have been a ka-zillion articles about the Pope's "changing tone" and his "progressive" ways.  When was the last time there was a flurry of articles written about the Pope visiting poor people and preaching the gospel to them?

And if you want to, read my spin on what the Pope was trying to say, which is as follows:

Pope Francis did not change doctrine.  In his extemporaneous responses during this relaxed interview, he did not overrule 2,000 years of Catholic teaching on homosexuality.  He explained that he chooses not to repeatedly condemn gay people because it isn't very helpful.  Pope Francis emphasizes that God loves gay people. 

(I hesitate to use the terms "gay Christians" or "gay people" because those terms reinforce the notion that homosexuality is an inseparable component of a person's identity.  I would rather use the terms, "those who struggle with same-sex attraction" or "those who identify as gay" but they are kind of long and cumbersome, much like this parenthetical interjection.)

In other words, Pope Francis said that God loves sinners.  Is this news?  One of the beautiful things about the gospel of Jesus Christ is the idea that Christ descended from his throne on high and humbled Himself so much that he was born as a baby to a lowly mortal family in the humblest of circumstances, in a stable in Bethlehem.  During his mortal ministry, Christ reached out to sinners.  He broke bread with them, he walked with them, he lived with them.  He dealt with people as individuals.  He knew best how to serve each individual and bring him or her closer to spiritual wellness, perfection, salvation and divinity.  I think the Pope in his remarks is acting very Christ-like.  When Christ encountered the woman caught in adultery, he said, "neither do I condemn thee.  Go thy way and sin no more."  I think the Pope's attitude is that instead of badgering the point that God forbids X, Y, and Z, let's do our best to heal people's wounds, let's tell them the good news of redemption and mercy.  Once a person is converted to Christ, the convert will gradually change his or her life to one that is more in harmony with Christ's teachings.  

The Pope's attitude reminds me so much of the wise words of Mother Theresa. 

We are not social workers but contemplatives in the world….I cannot analyze systems, economic patterns and ideologies… There are in the world those who struggle for justice and human rights and who try to change structures. We are not inattentive to this but our daily contact is with men who do not even have a piece of bread to eat. Our mission is to look at the problem more individually and not collectively. We care for a person and not a multitude.

Those who argue for or against gay marriage are interested in analyzing structures and ideologies.  Don't get me wrong.  Arguing for or against laws, structures and ideologies have their place.  Government leaders have to do it.  But for most of us common people, the best thing to do is to pray for the guidance of the Holy Ghost and then interact with people as Jesus did, as individuals on a case by case basis, meeting them where they are, and doing your best to sympathize, to help, and to point them to God. 

Peace be with you.

Sincerely,
Telemoonfa