Pope Francis has been a transformative figure, a force within and beyond the Roman Catholic Church. He’s inspired Catholics who’ve left the Church to return home, shepherded devout Catholics into a modern era without abandoning time-honored traditions, and even have influenced the conversion of non-Catholics into becoming Roman Catholic.
The pontiff has sparked talks about Catholicism in new ways to one that’s more compassionate, understanding, merciful, inclusive. It can be argued that under Pope Francis’ leadership, the Church’s Catechism or its magisterium remains unchanged from his predecessors, but it is Francis’ softer tone and incremental steps forward that’s been a breath of fresh air.
But make no mistake, the Vicar of Christ, leader of 1.4 billion Catholics, have spoken firmly and with fortitude on issues like pollution and degradation of the environment, the greed of unfettered capitalism causing gross inequality and a growing underclass of indigents, and the violence and legal indignity that refugees encounter.
He’s spoken about these pressing problems before the U.S. Congress, the United Nations General Assembly, G-20, G-7 and other international summits, that modern popes have stayed away from. Nonetheless, Pope Francis is welcomed by world leaders in political spaces because of his humility and grace that doesn’t produce an offsetting, awkward encounter. It’s a delicate but a forceful bending of society that this pope has done artfully, making him a global leader in not only the awesome scope the papal office grants to him alone, but in the non-religious and secular world as well.
Is Pope Francis a church reformer?
The answer to this is arguably yes and no. Pope Francis is not the wrecking ball that Catholic conservatives paint him out to be. But neither is he a liberal revolutionary. The monumental reform he has done is clamping down on corruption by setting up an administrative oversight body of the Vatican Bank and investments. He also put in place mechanisms to report sex abuse and report attempts to hide it within the Catholic Church.
On the issues, he hasn’t changed the position of the Catholic Church significantly, maintaining the Church’s rejection of abortion, women priests and same-sex marriage. To Francis and the Church, these remain black and white and unchanging.
However, the incremental revolutionary that is Francis, he has elevated more women to higher positions in the Catholic Church like naming for a first time a nun to be in charge of a major dicastery. Also, a first, women can now participate in the Synod (Catholic Church’s discussion group that acts as an advisory body to the pope). On same-sex couples, he has approved that priests can now bless them as individuals like any other individuals but maintains that this blessing is not on the same-sex union itself. At the same time, he has encouraged governments to pass same-sex civil unions for legal protections.
Health update
For a first time this last Sunday, March 16, the Vatican released a photo of the pope after over a month of hospitalization at the Gemelli Hospital for double pneumonia. The Vatican’s latest report is that the pope is stable and no longer in imminent danger. In the photo, he is seen attending mass in the hospital chapel. On the same day, the Vatican released the text of reflections for the Angelus prayer. Pope Francis wrote them while staying in the hospital. “I am sharing these thoughts with you while I am facing a period of trial, and I join with so many brothers and sisters who are sick,” the Pope emphasized. “Our body is weak but, even so, nothing can prevent us from loving, from praying, from giving ourselves, from being for one another, in faith, luminous signs of hope,” the Pope wrote.
There’s no announcement of a possible release date from the hospital where he spent just recently his 12th anniversary as pope. Inside Vatican circles, there are discussions on whether the pope would retire should he be well enough to be released from the hospital but not strong enough to continue his papal responsibilities.
Ongoing Prayers
Pope Francis was admitted to the Gemelli Hospital on Feb 14. Beginning on Feb. 24, the Vatican has been conducting a daily rosary prayer led by cardinals. These prayer events are well-attended, often by the thousands when held outdoors at St. Peter’s Square.
The first day was led by Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, second in command behind the pope. The second day had the cardinal from the Philippines Cardinal Antonio Luis Tagle officiating, known to be the third highest ranking in the Vatican because of the important dicastery he holds. The third day had the dean of the College of Cardinals Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re leading the rosary.
Prayer vigils and masses for the pope’s recovery has been ongoing globally, including in the Philippines. Locally, Filipino Catholics say they’ve also been praying for the pope. Francis once said, “The secret to a good life is found in loving and giving oneself for love’s sake.”
In this spirit, we also join many in our Filipino community in sending a prayerful love poured out to the pope that God help Francis to bear any pain with grace. We pray that the Lord helps him heal quickly to be able to continue his ministry on this special Jubilee year, and at the same time, commit to accepting God’s will. Whatever the outcome is, as Christians, we believe in eternal life and look to Pope Francis’ future with hope.
About Author
+ There are no comments
Add yours