Francis: Portrait Of A Pope, Part Four
In one of the most surprising statements made by Pope Francis, he reached out to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in ways that no other pope has in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. “Who am I to judge them if they’re seeking the Lord in good faith?” Pope Francis told reporters. In other statements, he has talked of a greater role for women in the church (though he has ruled out the Priesthood for women.)
“It does reflect a different attitude,” said Utah’s Bishop John Wester, who has spent time with Pope Francis. According to Wester, there have not been any major changes in church doctrine or teaching, but rather a different attitude. “It’s not so much a punitive kind of an attitude,” says Wester. “But it’s more of an ‘I accept you as a human being.'” Wester says that catholics are focusing more on trying to be good neighbors, and live with people in a humble way. “And our hope is that that will be evangelizing, that people will see that,” said Wester. “The light of the gospel will shine forth and they’ll be attracted to it themselves, and that they will then be able to follow Christ themselves.”
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Wester says that the pope has conversed with people of many different religious backgrounds, or no religious background, and that he honors them respects them as persons. “Jesus didn’t say ‘Go out to all nations and proclaim the gospel except to the atheists, the agnostics and those that don’t agree with our moral teachings.” Wester says that in the end, the message of the church is that God’s grace, God’s love and God’s mercy will win the day.
“I believe that the way that the church evangelizes best is by follow Christ,” said Wester. “And that’s the way of the cross. And Jesus was vulnerable, He was crucified. And here’s the creator of the whole universe, who became one of us, and is so vulnerable that He died on the cross.” Wester said that he gets nervous when the church becomes “too cozy” with power, money and influence, and that the means that is proper to the church is the cross, not power.
“Work is to serve human beings, not the other way around,” says Wester. “The bottom line should never trump another human being.” Wester believes that Pope Francis has a way of living these teaching is very observable. Wester tells of being at the Vatican after the conclave where Pope Francis’ was first elected pope. Wester was staying in the Casa Del Clericot, where Pope Francis was also staying. “There he was paying his bill,” Wester laughed. “As pope, he owns the building, and he’s paying the bill.” Wester calls this another symbolic action. “He’s saying you know, you gotta pay your way in this life.”
During the next installment, Gephardt Daily will be looking at Pope Francis’ commitment to ending priest sexual abuse, and what is planned for the future, including the issue of marriage of priests and nuns.
