Pope Francis: The Church is to Come Out of Herself (Part I)

05-01-2016Weekly ReflectionFr. Chad King

On my way up to the mountains for a few days of vacation, I listened to a series of CD's from Catholic Answers that I had checked-out from our Parish Library. (Did you know we have a library in the office for you to check-out books and CDs for free?) In the next couple of bulletin letters, I want to share with you some of what I heard:

In the period leading up to a conclave, the cardinals of the Church gather in a series of meetings that are known as the "general congregations." In these meetings, they are allowed to make brief statements—known as "interventions"—about the problems they feel need to be addressed in the Church and what kind of man the next pope should be.

Before the recent conclave, Cardinal Bergoglio gave an intervention, which didn't even last four minutes but which got the attention of his brother cardinals. According to some, this speech was a major moment in his path to becoming Pope Francis. The soon-to-be Pope Francis said:

1. Evangelizing pre-supposes a desire in the Church to come out of herself. The Church is called to come out of herself and to go to the peripheries, not only geographically, but also the existential peripheries: the mystery of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance and indifference to religion, of intellectual currents, and of all misery.

My thoughts: The Church is meant to, as Pope Francis says: go to the peripheries. The peripheries are geographical, as Jesus commands the Church to "make disciples of every nation," (Mt. 28:19). But more than just being a missionary to those far-off cultures, Pope Francis reminds us that the peripheries include all human beings who are dealing with sin, pain, injustice, and those who are indifferent to religion. We are called to evangelize, to share the good news that the hope, the answer to every human condition is the person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, faith cannot be private; it must be shared. Too many Catholics are silent when it comes to sharing their faith and love of Jesus Christ because they are afraid to offend others. Many are afraid to reveal the sinfulness of others or to show them the pain they are bringing upon themselves because of it. But yet these same people will admit that we are called to love others. My brothers and sisters, love means to will the good of the other, especially when it is difficult. To not share with them the love, freedom, and hope we have in being in relationship with Jesus Christ, is to not truly love them or will their good. Therefore, it is an offense to NOT share the Good News with them.

Look again at the examples Pope Francis uses of the human beings in the peripheries: those consumed by sin, pain, injustice (can't forgive others), ignorance and indifference to religion, etc. Don't these examples look a lot like the Spiritual Works of Mercy?

• To instruct the ignorant • To counsel the doubtful • To admonish sinners • To bear wrongs patiently • To forgive offences willingly • To comfort the afflicted • To pray for the living and the dead

Of course we are called to practice these in charity. We are not hypocrites if we approach others as a fellow sinner who is struggling to overcome our own sin and as someone who was ignorant but has come to know Christ for oneself, or as one who is searching for knowledge and understanding. Bishop Sheen said, "There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be." It is not us against them, but we need to learn to have respectful dialogue with those who differ from us. Pope Francis is calling us to practice the Spiritual Works of Mercy. During this Year of Mercy, I encourage us to reflect on how we can grow in practicing these in our relationships.

Next week I will include other inspiring words that the soon-to-be Pope Francis made prior to the conclave.