Pope Francis has won the hearts of hundreds of thousands, maybe hearts more so than minds but then the spiritual journey must be one of passion and commitment. Unfortunately, but to this writer not surprisingly, the Pope has not won over hearts or minds of the Vatican Institution. And, I dare to prognosticate, he never will.
In recent pronouncements Pope Francis has touched upon yet another two sex issues that have pulled the church apart but never really threatened its status quo. Marriage after divorce and Acceptance of the GLBTQ community; let’s not ever “go there” as regards the possibility of same-sex unions being blessed within the RC community – this will happen NEVER!
I wrote recently to a friend, “Yes, I can only guess at his pride and excitement given the Pope’s visit. Of course now he returns to the very real world of Vatican politics and machinations. My prediction? Pope Francis will alter some of the language of welcome and maybe even affect some change in attitude but the institution will gently stifle or vigorously throttle any real, substantial change”. I write this not with schadenfreude but in realistic assessment.
The Vatican was particularly displeased by France’s same-sex marriage law, passed in 2013, which alienated a huge conservative section of France’s Catholic population.
The Pope and the Vatican – Religious Fisticuffs
ROME — Pope Francis on Sunday told bishops gathered at the Vatican for the opening of a synod on family issues that the church must stay true to its teachings on the “indissolubility” of marriage between a man and a woman. But he also called on them to be sensitive to the complexity of modern society and not be judgmental of it — and to “seek out and care for hurting couples with the balm of acceptance and mercy.”
The church must be a bridge, not a roadblock, for the faithful, the pope said in his homily during the ceremonial Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica that signaled the beginning of the three-week council, in which bishops from around the world will discuss how the church should respond to the needs of the modern Catholic family.
Strong divisions still exist between conservatives in the church who fear that change on such hot-button issues would bring a harmful deviation from official Catholic teaching, and progressives who feel that the church should shift toward greater understanding and acceptance of families cohabiting in what the Vatican has described as “irregular situations.”