DO THE BISHOPS GET IT?

By now it’s obvious that none of the Cardinals who elected him to be the Supreme Pontiff could have expected the direction in which Pope Francis has taken the Church during the past four years.

Francis vision for the Church is clearly founded upon two fundamental concerns:  (1) social activism in providing direct service toward the poor; and (2) a pastoral ministry which expresses first and foremost the mercy of God rather than the proclamation of theological principles and ecclesiastical doctrine.

Many, within and without the walls of the Vatican, are in a state of shock over the profound moral implications of Francis’ teachings as well as his appeal to all of good will, believers or not, who are the beneficiaries of God’s grace and charity!  

The question is this:  will these priorities remain after Francis has passed from this world to etenity?

The judgment of the Catholic hierarchy is still out as to whether the Pope has truly captured the imagination and spirit of contemporary Catholicism.  

The overwhelming majority of Bishops worldwide have been silent, almost with a deafening silence.

It’s as though the Bishops are afraid to take a particular stance for fear of the consequences that may befall their ecclesiastical careers.  

If they defend and support Francis and his Pontificate ends abruptly, where will they find themselves with a successor who wishes to roll back many of Francis’ initiatives?  If they confront Francis, how will they be viewed by a Papal successor very much in the same spirit as the present Pontiff?

Much of what Pope Francis has accomplished in changing the image and narrative of the Church has no structural underpinnings.  

The Pope has created an “atmosphere” of compassion which cannot be institutionalized, categorized or canonically regulated.  Francis has spoken to the “heart” of the Christian world, not to its “head”.  

The Catholic Faith of which Francis is such a powerful herald is an affective and passionate response to the merciful charity of Christ which must be shared if it is to be fully realized and appreciated by the individual first and then expressed within and beyond the community of the Church.

Can this affective spirit of Francis survive him and withstand the institutional forces within the Roman Curia?  

Time will tell.

But, let those who are slow to advance Francis’ vision or those who lie in wait for the opportunity to overturn that vision understand this simple reality.

The People of God (outside the marginal groups who consider themselves to be self-appointed defenders of the faith) will not accept a return to a Church which demands an orthodoxy which is unsympathetic to their circumstances and demanding of their allegiance.

In an age of instant communication and instant but lasting impressions, the next Pope will have a very small window of opportunity to garner the attention and respect of the faithful.

As I have said, if the next Pope doesn’t continue to live in the small apartment at Santa Marta, doesn’t ride around in a environmentally “green” economy car, doesn’t carry his own luggage and pay his own hotel bill after the Conclave, his Papal ministry is over before it even gets a chance to begin.

Pope Francis may not be able to institutionalize his reforms, but make no mistake:  the spirit of those reforms has already captivated the minds and imaginations of millions of people, Catholics and non-Catholics, believers and non-believers.

Whether or not the Bishops, who have been more interested in protecting their careers than in promoting the Gospel, have taken serious note of this reality is anyone’s guess. But if they get this wrong, the gradual diminishment of the Church’s place in the world which has taken place in modern times will be hastened as more and more of the faithful quietly turn away, not in a spirit of rancor or even public rebellion, but in a silent abandonment which may be much more profound and permanent.

Do the Bishops get it?  Do they not?  We shall see, all in God’s good time.