POPE FRANCIS TO NEW BISHOPS: ENTER INTO DIALOGUE WITH THEIR QUESTIONS

On September 13, Pope Francis addressed 130 new Bishops attending a course in Rome, telling them to dialogue with their flock.

Addressing the new Bishops, the Pope told them that they were chosen by God and therefore, what was required of them was not an intermittent dedication, but to give of their all day and night. 

Pope Francis stressed to those gathered, that they needed to “remain vigilant even when the light disappears, or when God himself is hidden in the darkness, when the temptation to withdraw is insinuated and the “Evil one”, who is always lurking, subtly suggests that by now the dawn will no longer come.”

He went on to say, that they should not let themselves be drawn in by stories of catastrophes or prophecies regarding disasters, because what really matters is persevering, and keeping their heads raised towards the Lord.

Pope Francis urged the Bishops not to “be ashamed of the flesh of your Churches. Enter into dialogue with their questions”, he said.

Enter into dialogue with their questions?

The Pope’s address to these new Bishops took place almost 2 weeks after serious allegations were made by Archbishop Vigano, allegations which pointed to corruption at the highest levels of Church authority, accusations which were leveled against the Pope himself, accusations so serious that the accuser suggested that the Pope needed to resign the Petrine Office for the good of the Church.

Serious questions, indeed!

And yet, Pope Francis who counsels the new Bishops to “enter into dialogue with their questions” responds to questions put to him with silence.

Instead, he tells journalists -- and with them all the Catholic faithful -- figure the truth out for yourselves.

This is Pope Francis' style of accompaniment?

Forgive me, Your Holiness.  Where is the dialogue?  Where is the mutual effort and good will to reveal the truth and respond to it with integrity and a goodness of will fortified by the Evangelical counsels?

Pope Francis, who “talks” with great enthusiasm and idealism of the need for the Church to “accompany” those who suffer -- a beautiful and hope message for sure, betrays that “talk” by refusing to “walk” the difficult path of accompaniment himself.

I applaud and commend the Holy Father’s remarks to the new Bishops as any believer would.

But those words would be even more powerful if they were supported by the clear and committed actions of the Pope if he himself would “enter into dialogue” with the questions which have been reasonably and honestly put to him.

That failure undermines the very message the Pope is attempting to convey.

Certainly, we are all sinners!  Certainly, in the tension between knowing what the Lord is asking of us and submitting our rebellious wills to what His requests, yes even to His demands, all of us know personally and intimately that hypocrisy is a constant experience as we examine our consciences.

Oftentimes, unconsciously, our words or actions reveal our weaknesses and failings.

Whenever that hypocrisy in us is exposed, we should be rightfully embarrassed and repentant.

In the context of what the Holy Father has urged of his new brother-Bishops, need I say more?