User:Hazhk/Pope

For teachings on God, the Catholic Church and religion in general, see Theology of Pope Francis.

Pope Francis at a private audience, May 2013.

Pope Francis' social and moral teachings have focuses primarily on social justice. He has affirmed Catholic teachings on sexual morality.

Francis has supported the social justice ethos of Latin American Catholicism, including a robust defense of the poor. At the same time, he has generally tended to accent growth in personal holiness over efforts for structural reform. And he is seen as "unwaveringly orthodox" on matters of sexual morality, staunchly opposing abortion, same-sex marriage, and contraception.

As bishop of Buenos Aires, Francis encoruaged his clergy and laity "to ardently defend the culture of life", by opposing both abortion and euthanasia, He further denounced a "culture of discarding" the elderly and treating them as if they are disposable and worthless due to their advanced age.

Money, wealth and economics

Capitalism

Pope Francis urged world leaders to prevent excessive respect for money, which he said had become "worship of the golden calf" (idolatry), and urged world leaders to help poor people more. Dealing with the financial crisis, the pope criticized unbridled capitalism and said it was a "tyranny" that judged human beings purely by their ability to consume goods, and that the "cult of money" was making people miserable.

Attacking unchecked capitalism, the pope said the growing inequality in society was caused by "ideologies which uphold the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and thus deny the right of control to States, which are themselves charged with providing for the common good".

— Lizzy Davies writing in The Guardian

Francis said that the economic crisis happened because we accept that money rules us, and ethics are too frequently treated as inconvenient and disregarded.

Worse yet, human beings themselves are nowadays considered as consumer goods which can be used and thrown away. We have begun a throw away culture. This tendency is seen on the level of individuals and whole societies; and it is being promoted! In circumstances like these, solidarity, which is the treasure of the poor, is often considered counterproductive, opposed to the logic of finance and the economy. While the income of a minority is increasing exponentially, that of the majority is crumbling.

— Pope Francis

Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel consulted Francis on 18 May 2013, and later the same day called for more stringent controls of financial markets. Francis has referred many times to the European sovereign-debt crisis which causes suffering in Greece and Roman Catholic Southern European nations. Pope Francis feels it matters a great deal when people care more about the financial crisis than about for example people starving, children not having enough to eat and homeless people freezing to death. George Haley of New Haven University said,

Like many people he [Francis] thinks capitalism won't survive unless it decreases income disparity, I think it's fair to say he's arguing for a more European version of capitalism going forward, especially after the Great Recession, so there's more of a safety net for people when they need it, (...) One way to turn words into action is to use the full force of the church (...) If Francis is serious about this, he could use the Vatican's diplomatic corps to lobby various governments to come up with plans to deal with the world's economic woes.

— George Haley

Rohit Arora is concerned that Francis has not come up with any specific way to solve income inequality and believes if the pope is serious he should do so. Joseph Pastore believes the wealth of the Catholic Church prevents Francis taking a position of us versus them and is unsure how far Francis can reform the Church.

During a September 2013 visit to one of Italy's poorest regions where he denounced big business and the "idolatry of money," he reflected upon his own family's experiences with financial crisis in the United States:

My young father went to Argentina full of illusions of making it in America and he suffered the terrible crisis of the 1930s. They lost everything. There was no work.

Poverty and economic inequality

At a meeting of Latin American bishops in 2007, Bergoglio said "[w]e live in the most unequal part of the world, which has grown the most, yet reduced misery the least" and that "[t]he unjust distribution of goods persists, creating a situation of social sin that cries out to Heaven and limits the possibilities of a fuller life for so many of our brothers". On 30 September 2009, Bergoglio spoke at a conference organized by the Argentina City Postgraduate School (EPOCA) at the Alvear Palace Hotel titled "Las deudas sociales de nuestro tiempo" ("The Social Debts of Our Time") in which he quoted the 1992 "Documento de Santo Domingo" by the Latin American Episcopal Conference, saying "extreme poverty and unjust economic structures that cause great inequalities" are violations of human rights. He went on to describe social debt as "immoral, unjust and illegitimate".

During a 48-hour public servant strike in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio observed the differences between "poor people who are persecuted for demanding work, and rich people who are applauded for fleeing from justice". In 2002, during an economic crisis, Bergoglio harshly criticized those in power, saying, "Let's not tolerate the sad spectacle of those who keep seeking new ways to lie and contradict themselves to hold onto their privileges, their rapaciousness, and their ill-earned wealth." During a May 2010 mass celebrated by twenty bishops commemorating the bicentenary of Argentina in front of the basilica of Luján, an important Catholic institution and destination of pilgrimage, Bergoglio criticised "those who had sufficient means to live on" (los suficientes) who "do not take the poorest into account", and exhorted Catholics to ask the Virgin of Luján to "take care of our motherland, particularly those who are most forgotten". In 2011 Bergoglio said, in informal lanuage: "There is an everyday anesthesia that this city knows how to use very well called bribery, and with this anesthesia [people's] consciences are put to sleep. Buenos Aires is a city of bribery." He added that schools' teaching that slavery had been abolished was a "cock-and-bull story" (cuento chino):

In this city, slavery is the order of the day in various forms, in this city workers are exploited in clandestine sweatshops and, if immigrants, are deprived of the opportunity to get out. In this city, there are children who have been living on the streets for years... This city failed and continues to fail to free them from this structural slavery that is homelessness.

In line with the Catholic Church's efforts to care for AIDS victims, in 2001 he visited a hospice where he washed and kissed the feet of twelve AIDS patients.

Pope Francis spoke out over the Savar building collapse and condemned the low pay workers received.

Francis has called for sympathy for refugees, displaced persons and victims of human trafficking. He said that such people require special pastoral care to help them to integrate into the host society.

Shortly after his accession, it was said that

Francis is hard to pigeonhole as a “conservative” or “liberal” when it comes to politics or economics, partly because he has written so little compared to his predecessors. He comes from a country that is “corporatist, mercantilist and almost fascist,” Father Sirico says, but although he feels the Pope will veer towards supporting the welfare state, he also has a “rich understanding of the importance of work and paying one’s bills.”

Impoverished migrants

The first pastoral visit outside Rome that Francis made was to the Italian island of Lampedusa where many illegal Muslim immigrants land. Some are refugees, others are economic migrants. He spoke against "global indifference" to their plight and called for a "reawakening of consciences" to counteract this. Francis threw a wreath into the sea as a memorial to those drowned attempting to get to Europe and said these deaths were "a thorn in the heart". The Pope stated, "We have lost a sense of brotherly responsibility," and "have forgotten how to cry" for migrants who die on the journey, also "We have become used to other people's suffering, it doesn't concern us, it doesn't interest us, it's none of our business!". The pope also condemned people traffickers who profit from carrying desperate migrants in unsafe boats.

Food waste and starvation

Pope Francis believes wasting food is like stealing from the hungry, he said

“ This culture of waste has made us insensitive even to the waste and disposal of food, which is even more despicable when all over the world, unfortunately, many individuals and families are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. Once our grandparents were very careful not to throw away any leftover food. Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food, to which, at times we are no longer able to give a just value. Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry. ”

Pope Francis feels it is scandalous that in the 21st century people are still suffering and dying of starvation and calls on the FAO to ensure that adequate food reaches everybody. The pope feels food resources are adequate but food is distributed unequally.

“ Something more can and must be done in order to provide a new stimulus to international activity on behalf of the poor, inspired by something more than mere goodwill or, worse, promises which all too often have not been kept. Nor can the current global crisis continue to be used as an alibi. The crisis will not be completely over until situations and living conditions are examined in terms of the human person and human dignity. ” — 

Position of women

See also: Theology of Pope Francis

Francis spoke out often about the "fundamental importance" of women in the Roman Catholic Church, stressing that they have a special role in spreading the faith, and that they were the "first witnesses" of the resurrection.

Francis has addressed the subject of women in the church a number of times. Like Benedict XVI and John Paul II before him, he views women in the Church as "special" and fundamentally different from men. Without women, the Church "would be missing maternity, affection, tenderness." Despite this, in the opinion of Francis, all people in the Church should follow the teachings of the Magisterium given by the pope and bishops faithfully and obediently remaining loyal to the catechism.

Francis would like women to lead more in administration and pastoral activities but has ruled out the possibility of women priests, saying that:

As far as the ordination of women, the Church has already spoken out and the answer is no. John Paul II made the Church's stance definitive. The door is closed. But let me tell you something, Our Lady, was more important than the apostles, bishops, deacons and priests. Women play a role that's more important than that of bishops, or priests. How? This is what we have to explain better publicly.”

Erin Saiz Hanna of the Women's Ordination Conference, however, says that the Pontifical Biblical Commission had once concluded that there were no scriptural or theological objections to the ordination of women. Hanna accuses Francis of citing only precedents he personally favors.

“ Pope Francis' cop-out rationale illustrates a very selective theology: to blame a previous pope for his stance on women priests, and then in the very same interview contradict his predecessors by acknowledging an open understanding for gay priests. (...) He could have quoted the Vatican's own the (sic) Pontifical Biblical Commission that concluded in 1976 that there is no valid scriptural or theological reason for denying ordination to women. ” — 

Unwed mothers

In criticizing the priests who refused to baptize children born to unmarried women, Cardinal Bergoglio argued that the mothers had done the right thing by giving life to the child and should not be shunned by the church:

In our ecclesiastical region there are priests who don't baptise the children of single mothers because they weren't conceived in the sanctity of marriage. These are today's hypocrites. Those who clericalise the church. Those who separate the people of God from salvation. And this poor girl who, rather than returning the child to sender, had the courage to carry it into the world, must wander from parish to parish so that it's baptised!

Children

When presenting the Aparecida Document, Bergoglio denounced what he characterized as a cultural tolerance of child abuse. He spoke strongly against the abuse of children as "demographic terrorism" and decried their exploitation saying, "Children are mistreated, and are not educated or fed. Many are made into prostitutes and exploited."

In October 2007, Bergoglio denounced the tolerance of child abuse, which he called "demographic terrorism". He told a conference:

Children are mistreated, and are not educated or fed. Many are made into prostitutes and exploited. And this happens here in Buenos Aires, in the great city of the south. Child prostitution is offered in some five star hotels: it is included in the entertainment menu, under the heading "Other".

In 2011, Bergoglio condemned child trafficking and sex slavery in Buenos Aires:

In this city, there are many girls who stop playing with dolls to enter the dump of a brothel because they were stolen, sold, betrayed ... In this city, women and girls are kidnapped, and they are subjected to use and abuse of their body; they are destroyed in their dignity. The flesh that Jesus assumed and died for is worth less than the flesh of a pet. A dog is cared for better than these slaves of ours, who are kicked, who are broken.

Abuse scandal in the Church

During most of the 14 years that Bergoglio served as archbishop of Buenos Aires, rights advocates say, he did not take decisive action to protect children or act swiftly when molestation charges against Church clergy surfaced; nor did he extend apologies and compensation to the victims of abusive priests after their misconduct came to light. Later, Argentina was among 25% of bishops conferences that did not reach the deadline for putting policies in place to deal with complaints and priests accused of abuse.

Pope Francis told Gerhard Ludwig Müller, who leads the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and is the Vatican official in charge of dealing with the crisis, to act decisively, protect minors, help victims of past abuse and introduce unspecified "necessary procedures" against perpetrators who should be punished.

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) called for action instead of words. Others, including Jeffrey Anderson, an attorney who fought many court cases on behalf of abuse victims, are hopeful that Francis will act to protect children.

Labour

Pope Francis described child labour as a plague which prevents children getting a normal healthy childhood; children should have time for play, study and growth. The pope said that many girls endured domestic labour in conditions comparable to slavery, and many endured abuse. He had already spoken strongly in 2011, before his election, against the "structural slavery" of exploitation of the homeless children of Buenos Aires.

Sexual morality

See also: Catholic teachings on sexual morality

Pope Francis, according to news reports summarizing the August 2013 La Civiltà Cattolica interview, claims the church has concentrated on supervising sex, particularly abortion, contraception and homosexuality while neglecting other important teachings, notably the duty to help those who are poor and marginalized.

The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently, (...) 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."

He added that the church had "locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules" and as such should not be so prone to condemn, while priests should be more welcoming and not cold, dogmatic bureaucrats. He said the confessional "is not a torture chamber but the place in which the Lord's mercy motivates us to do better." Francis has changed which aspects of the Church message will be promoted while leaving traditional doctrines unchanged.

Contraception

Reports that Francis considered that the use of methods intended for contraception with the purpose of preventing disease might be permissible were disputed by others who said he was "unwaveringly orthodox on matters of sexual morality". Before becoming Pope he opposed the free distribution of contraceptives when it was introduced by the Kirchner government.

Homosexuality

Further information: Homosexuality and Roman Catholicism

As bishop and Pope, Francis restated the Church's teaching: that homosexual practice is intrinsically immoral, but that every homosexual person should be treated with respect and love (because temptation is not in and of itself sinful). He opposes same-sex marriage; when Argentina was considering legalizing it in 2010, Bergoglio opposed the legislation, calling it a "real and dire anthropological throwback". In July 2010, while the law was under consideration, he wrote a letter to Argentina's cloistered nuns in which he said:

In the coming weeks, the Argentine people will face a situation whose outcome can seriously harm the family...At stake is the identity and survival of the family: father, mother and children. At stake are the lives of many children who will be discriminated against in advance, and deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God. At stake is the total rejection of God's law engraved in our hearts.

Let's not be naive: This is not a simple political fight; it is a destructive proposal to God's plan. This is not a mere legislative proposal (that's just its form), but a move by the father of lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God... Let's look to St. Joseph, Mary, and the Child to ask fervently that they defend the Argentine family in this moment... May they support, defend, and accompany us in this war of God.

After L'Osservatore Romano reported this, several priests expressed their support for the law and one was defrocked. Observers believe that the church's opposition and Bergoglio's language worked in favor of the law's passage and that in response, Catholic officials adopted a more conciliatory tone in later debates on social issues such as parental surrogacy.

Rubin, Bergoglio's biographer, said that while taking a strong stand against same-sex marriage, Bergoglio raised the possibility in 2010 with his bishops in Argentina that they support the idea of civil unions as a compromise position. According to one news report, "a majority of the bishops voted to overrule him". Miguel Woites, the director of the Catholic News Agency of Argentina, denied that Bergoglio ever made such a proposal, but additional sources, including two Argentine journalists and two senior officials of the Argentine bishops conference, supported Rubin's account.

According to two gay rights activists, Marcelo Márquez and Andrés Albertsen, in private conversations with them, Bergoglio expressed support for the spiritual needs of "homosexual people" and willingness to support "measured actions" on their behalf.

Discussing homosexuals (people in general and clergy), he said in July 2013 "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge them?"—reminding people to seek and encourage obedience to God, echoing the sentiments of Saint Peter in Acts 10:34b-35, "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone" who respects God and "does what is right is acceptable".

Organized crime

Speaking a day after the beatification of Pino Puglisi, a priest killed on orders of the organized criminal syndicate Cosa Nostra (Sicilian mafia), Pope Francis condemned the mafia. He called for prayer to God to convert the hearts of these people, to convert the men and women involved with the mafia to God. "I think of the great pain suffered by men, women and even children, exploited by so many mafias," Francis said, he condemned the mafia further for, "making them do work that makes them slaves, prostitution." David Willey of the BBC said that the Catholic Church had been accused in the past of an ambiguous relationship towards Cosa Nostra, the men who for decades controlled organized crime on Sicily, and that by beatifying Father Puglisi, the Church is making a strong stand against mafia crime—which has been protected by a code of silence.