Pope Francis still committed to upholding teachings of Catholic Church

Last week, the full interview with Pope Francis, conducted by Antonio Spadaro, S.J., was released by America.

Francis certainly had much to say, and as has happened in the past, his statements were not only heard by the mainstream media and those with beliefs counter to the Roman Catholic Church, but misinterpreted and prematurely celebrated.

It seems that when the Holy Father speaks on hot-button issues such as homosexuality or abortion, those on the left welcome what they believe is a call for change, while those on the right wring their hands. This need not be the case. When Francis speaks, he is in fact, clarifying Church teachings. What he is not doing is claiming to bring about change; rather, he is speaking to a larger audience, through a more inviting tone and context.

You wouldn’t know this if you turned to the mainstream media. The New York Times lauded Francis for saying that the Church was ‘obsessed’ with the issues of gay marriage, abortion, and birth control. And if you read this same piece, as posted by The Huffington Post, you would read that the Pope Bluntly Faults Church’s Focus on Gays and Abortion. In another piece by The New York Times, there is a claim to be surprised by Francis.

What Francis says should not be surprising. It is welcoming, certainly. Perhaps it is refreshing. But it should not be surprising. As already mentioned earlier, what Francis says is a form of clarification on Church teaching. He may wish to reach out to as many people as possible, but that does not mean that the Holy Father is willing to change teachings of the Church because that may be what society wants.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception is non-negotiable. Also non-negotiable is that marriage is between one man and one woman. Bearing this in mind, let us take a look what Francis actually said to cause such controversy and confusion:

“We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.

“The dogmatic and moral teachings of the church are not all equivalent. The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently. Proclamation in a missionary style focuses on the essentials, on the necessary things: this is also what fascinates and attracts more, what makes the heart burn, as it did for the disciples at Emmaus. We have to find a new balance; otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel. The proposal of the Gospel must be more simple, profound, radiant. It is from this proposition that the moral consequences then flow.

Nowhere in this excerpt is there a call for the Church to loosen its stance on abortion. However, this is what the pro-abortion group NARAL seems to have seen, which prompted them to prematurely post memes of thanks across their Facebook.  Francis also did not actually say that the Church was obsessed, but rather that it cannot be obsessed. What I do see is a reminder for the Church to speak on these issues in a loving manner, and within context. As the Holy Father, Francis leads and guides the Church. If we speak on abortion, on birth control, on gay marriage in a way in which people do not feel condemned, then they will be more willing to listen. We will have a greater chance of reaching more people, especially those who are hurting and looking for healing, rather than condemnation, from the Church.

Let us also examine what Francis said just before his remark about abortion, gay marriage and birth control:

“This is also the great benefit of confession as a sacrament: evaluating case by case and discerning what is the best thing to do for a person who seeks God and grace. The confessional is not a torture chamber, but the place in which the Lord’s mercy motivates us to do better. I also consider the situation of a woman with a failed marriage in her past and who also had an abortion. Then this woman remarries, and she is now happy and has five children. That abortion in her past weighs heavily on her conscience and she sincerely regrets it. She would like to move forward in her Christian life. What is the confessor to do?

Dare I say that that Francis believes that the Church need not focus on condemning hurting, post-abortive women, but rather helping them find healing and forgiveness? This does not mean though that the Church will, under Francis, or under any Pope, not condemn the actual practice of abortion.

Consider, as well, that Francis is saying that the matter does not need to be discussed so much, not because he is afraid of turning people away from the Church, but because the Church is already clear on such controversial subjects. Any true Catholic should know and follow the Church’s teachings on these three matters to be in good standing with the Church.

Some may be disappointed with Francis not addressing such matters as often as expected. From The New York Times:

But there has been a low rumble of discontent from some Catholic advocacy groups, and even from some bishops, who have taken note of his silence on abortion and gay marriage. This month, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, R.I., told his diocesan newspaper that he was “a little bit disappointed in Pope Francis” because he had not spoken about abortion. “Many people have noticed that,” he said.

This disappointment is understandable, but I would say that Francis is not saying to not speak on abortion, but rather that it should be in the manner as Francis has outlined in his interview. As a man with spiritual authority, Bishop Tobin certainly has the authority to speak out on abortion himself. As a Catholic layperson, I believe in speaking out as well, and I also speak out on abortion in a secular context. As a Catholic, however, I do find guidance in the words of the Holy Father.

In what is surely providential timing, the day following the release of this interview, it also came to light that Francis spoke to a group of Catholic gynecologists, making his “strongest pro-life comments to date.” This address demonstrates that faithful Catholic clergy and laypeople need not be so concerned. And pro-abortion groups like NARAL need not have been so pre-maturely enthusiastic. Make no mistake, this Pope is pro-life!

From Francis’ address:

“Every unborn child, though unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of the Lord, who even before his birth, and then as soon as he was born, experienced the rejection of the world,” the pope said.

And, specifically to those addressed whom are Catholic and have been called to be physicians:

The pope told the doctors, “Your being Catholic entails greater responsibility: first of all to yourself, in the effort to be consistent with the Christian vocation, and then to contemporary culture, to help recognize the transcendent dimension in human life, the imprint of the creative work of God, from the very first moment of conception. This is a commitment to the new evangelization that often requires going against the tide, paying a personal price. The Lord counts on you to spread the ‘Gospel of life.'”

Francis knows that his Church is pro-life, and he knows that God is pro-life, that God means for marriage to always be between one man and one woman. The Holy Father is also aware of the fallen, hurting world in which we live in though, and how we must perhaps turn to creative means in reaching these hurting people whom God still cares for, so that they may hear the love of God along with our message.