Controversy Within The Church
Since Francis’ election as Pope in 2013, he has shaken the status quo of the Catholic church. This has led to some controversy and questioning from both the church hierarchy and the outside world. We took to the streets of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, to ask random Islanders what they thought on these topics of controversy. As you watch the video, be sure to contemplate the questions yourself.
Should divorced and remarried people be able to receive communion?
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This question arises from Cardinal Raymond Burke wanting a clear yes or no answer to this question after Francis had been rather gray on the matter in his post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia. It reads:
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”In some countries of Europe and some countries on the other continents, this solution is not sufficient for many people; they wish to be publically readmitted to the Church. The problem is not so much not being able to receive Communion but that the Church publically does not permit them to receive Communion.”
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“Access to the sacraments might take place if preceded by a penitential practice, determined by the diocesan bishop. The subject needs to be thoroughly examined, bearing in mind the distinction between an objective sinful situation and extenuating circumstances”
“Because of forms of conditioning and mitigating factors, it is possible that in an objective situation of sin – which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully such – a person can be living in God’s grace, can love and can also grow in the life of grace”
Should the church take a stand on the environment?
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The question of the church's stance on the environment comes from Francis’ encyclical Laudato si'. This encyclical calls for Catholics the world over to behave more like stewards for our common home, it has been met with a mixed reception, very positively from the U.N. by way of Ban Ki-Moon praising the Pope’s call for immediate global action and not so positively from certain demographics within the church that saying that, while important, the environment is not at the top of the list of priorities. Laudato si' has also received negativity from the secular world citing the Pope’s criticism of global economic systems.
Should women be permitted to the ministerial priesthood?
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While Francis has affirmed John Paul II’s teaching in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis “I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.” He has been open to the possibility of women admitting to Holy Orders (i.e., becoming ordained deacons), and he has commissioned a study of the role of women in the early Church.
Should the Church focus on "pastorally accompanying" the gay community?
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“If someone is gay and searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” was a statement made by Pope Francis on the flight home from World Youth Day 2013. The candour and frankness of the Pope's comments were widely reported. This statement, made with a spirit of solidarity, signalled a strong sense of pastoral accompaniment to the gay and lesbian communities within the Church. While the Catechism on homosexual activity is quite clear, should the Church advance Francis’ commitment to openness and pastoral inclusion with the gay community?
Should morality effect politics?
Questions of morality and politics have long been intertwined. Within the age of Francis, an example came in a February 2016 exchange between Francis and Donald Trump, which began with the Pope stating “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.” Trump responded swiftly saying “No leader, especially a religious leader, has the right to question another man’s religion or faith.” Additionally, Pope Francis has also used his position to address the UN and call member states to action on environmental justice as opposed to “boundless thirst for power and material prosperity”.
Sources:
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[1] Synod of Bishops, Instrumentum Laboris, The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization (June 26, 2015), 93. http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20140626_instrumentum-laboris-familia_en.html.
[2] Synod of Bishops, Relatio Synodi, The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization, October 18, 2014, http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20141018_relatio-synodi-familia_en.html, sec. 52.
[3] Francis, Amoris Laetitia, Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family, (March 19, 2016), 305. https://w2.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia_en.pdf.
[4] Michael Sean Winters et al., "World weighs in on 'Laudato si',''" National Catholic Reporter. June 18, 2015. https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/eco-catholic/world-weighs-laudato-si (accessed April 03, 2017).
[5] John Paul II, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, Apostolic Letter on Reserving Priestly Ordination to Men Alone (May 22, 1994), 4, https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1994/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19940522_ordinatio-sacerdotalis.html.
[6] Stephanie Kirchgaessner and Harriet Sherwood. "Pope Francis to consider ordaining women as deacons." The Guardian. May 12, 2016. Accessed April 03, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/12/pope-francis-consider-ordaining-women-female-deacons-catholic-church-commission.
[7] "The Pope Francis Statement That Changed the Church on LGBT Issues." Time. July 28, 2015. http://time.com/3975630/pope-francis-lgbt-issues/. (accessed April 03, 2017).
[8] Ben Jacobs, "Donald Trump calls Pope Francis 'disgraceful' for questioning his faith." The Guardian. (February 18, 2016). https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/18/donald-trump-pope-francis-christian-wall-mexico-border (accessed April 03, 2017).
[9] Jim Yardley et al, "Pope Francis Addresses U.N., Calling for Peace and Environmental Justice." New York Times (September 25, 2015). https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/world/europe/pope-francis-united-nations.html?_r=0 (accessed April 03, 2017).