The modern world is a mess and the Roman Catholic Church is having a discussion on what is the best tone and focus to deal with it. The reason that everyone is so fascinated with Pope Francis is that he seems to have adopted a very different tone and focus relative to Pope Benedict XVI and John Paul II without actually changing anything of substance. If nothing else, Pope Francis has brought a great deal of attention to this discussion through his holy and quirky persona.
My chief concern writing this article, as a loyal Catholic beholden to the teachings of Christ’s church, is the risk of causing scandal. I have three things to say to address this concern. First, to all my Christian friends who do not share in the Catholic faith, Pope Francis, the church faithful, and I do not have any disagreement on the nature of the truth that God has revealed to us through His Son. Devout Catholics all adhere to the same creed and a unified doctrine of faith. The internal examination currently ongoing within the church is a deliberation about direction and tone, not substance.
Second, Pope Francis wants us to have this kind of debate. I have heard many Catholics say that we should leave this discussion to our prelates and defer to their discretion. I would say that those Catholics are not listening to Pope Francis. He stood before a crowd of almost four million Catholic youths and instructed them to make some noise. The synod convened by Pope Francis to discuss the family was open for the whole world to see. On issues of doctrine, there is no question that we Catholics defer to the authority of Christ’s church, but the tone we strike and the expression we make is a church-wide discussion.
Third and finally, God has promised that He will protect the church from error. Pope Francis does not want to change doctrine, Pope Francis does not plan to change doctrine, and Pope Francis is not going to change doctrine.
The tone and direction coming out from the Vatican right now is not always clear. There are issues on which Pope Francis is abundantly clear, such as on Feb. 16 when he decried the acts of ISIS and proclaimed that the blood of the Christian martyrs on their hands confessed the Christ. On other issues though, he is often vague. The media’s distortions only further the confusion.
While it is unclear what tone and direction Pope Francis wants, there are many within the church who want to strike a softer tone on issues of practice like homosexual relations and divorce and place greater emphasis on social justice. Many European and some American bishops have implemented this approach for several decades. The result is empty pews and widespread, lukewarm faith with millions of Catholics ignorant about their faith and supportive of abortion. The church has served the poor, fed the hungry, and educated children more than any other organization ever has and continues to lead the way on social justice.
Social justice is not the church’s weakness. The real problem in this world is not the poverty of the world; it is poverty of the soul. Our weakness is a lack of fervency and devotion to God.
The church is strong when she is clear. I think the church should strike a tone that demonstrates greater clarity with charity. We should boldly speak the truth. This is not contrary to speaking with love and a desire to change hearts, minds, and souls. The truth is charitable. The greatest gift of love is the gift of the truth. There is no greater remedy for the soul than the gift of God’s grace and word. The church in Africa is following this way, speaking the truth with a particular focus on combating sin and spiritual closeness to God. And the faith is growing exponentially.
I encourage Catholics to listen to Pope Francis’s call to join the discussion. We are called to take an active role in Christ’s church as instruments of the Holy Ghost. Catholics should be invested enough in their faith to die for it like our brothers beheaded by ISIS. Pope Francis has called upon the faithful to participate and it is our duty to engage in our Faith. We Catholics must speak boldly and profess our faith with clarity and charity.
