Father Jonathan

 Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Francis’ first papal document “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), covers almost every aspect of the life of the Church. It goes from the life of the parish to the problem of world poverty, from how to construct a homily to how to engage in dialogue with those of other faiths, and of none. It is clearly a blueprint for Francis’ papacy and is written in the direct, ‘no holds barred’ way, to which we have grown accustomed, since his election to the See of Rome. It is not a comfortable message, in the sense that it examines the life of the Church, from the viewpoint of the Gospel. What Pope Francis is intent upon is reforming the Church, so that it can fulfil its prime purpose, that is, to spread the Good News and expand the Kingdom of God, here on earth. He says: ‘There are ecclesial structures which can hamper efforts at evangelization, yet even good structures are only helpful when there is a life constantly driving, sustaining and assessing them. Without new life and an authentic evangelical spirit, without the Church’s “fidelity to her own calling”, any new structure will soon prove ineffective.’ 

Concentrate on what is most beautiful: 

Like all true reformers, Francis realises that reform starts with oneself: ‘Since I am called to put into practice what I ask of others, I too must think about a conversion of the papacy. It is my duty, as the Bishop of Rome, to be open to suggestions which can help make the exercise of my ministry more faithful to the meaning which Jesus Christ wished to give it and to the present needs of evangelization. Pope John Paul II asked for help in finding “a way of exercising the primacy which, while in no way renouncing what is essential to its mission, is nonetheless open to a new situation”. We have made little progress in this regard. The papacy and the central structures of the universal Church also need to hear the call to pastoral conversion.’

Judging by what the media has chosen to highlight over the last few decades, the impression given to the world is that the Catholic Church is concerned mainly with affirming dogma, with teaching on sexual ethics and with preserving tradition. It is an impression that is not too far from the truth, and Pope Francis advocates a different approach: ‘Pastoral ministry in a missionary style is not obsessed with the disjointed transmission of a multitude of doctrines to be insistently imposed. When we adopt a pastoral goal and a missionary style which would actually reach everyone without exception, or exclusion, the message has to concentrate on the essentials, on what is most beautiful, most grand, most appealing and at the same time most necessary. The message is simplified, while losing none of its depth and truth, and thus becomes all the more forceful and convincing.’ 

The New Commandment: 

Pope Francis insists that spreading the Good News cannot be done simply through doctrinal formation. He says that: ‘It has to do with “observing” all that the Lord has shown us as the way of responding to his love.’ Along with the virtues, this means above all the new commandment, the first and the greatest of the commandments, and the one that best identifies us as Christ’s disciples: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jn15:12).

Clearly, whenever the New Testament authors want to present the heart of the Christian moral message, they present the essential requirement of love for one’s neighbour: “The one who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the whole law… therefore love of neighbour is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom 13:8, 10). These are the words of Saint Paul, for whom the commandment of love not only sums up the law but constitutes its very heart and purpose: “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself’” (Gal 5:14). To his communities Paul presents the Christian life as a journey of growth in love: “May the Lord make you and abound in love for one another and for all” (1 Th 3:12). Saint James likewise exhorts Christians to fulfil “the royal law according to the Scripture: You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (2:8), in order not to fall short of any commandment.