In a private meeting with members of his Jesuit religious order in Lisbon on Aug. 5, Pope Francis criticized certain conservatives in the U.S. Catholic Church for their “backwardness.” He expressed concern that these individuals have prioritized ideology over faith, going against the notion that Catholic doctrine can evolve over time.
This division within the U.S. Catholic Church arises from longstanding support for conservative positions on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage during the papacies of St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Meanwhile, Pope Francis has placed emphasis on social justice issues such as the environment and poverty, which has drawn criticism from many conservatives. Additionally, his willingness to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive the sacraments has been branded as heretical.
The Pope’s comments, published by the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica, shed light on the challenges he faces within the Church. A Portuguese Jesuit shared his experience of encountering Catholics, including some U.S. bishops, who criticized Pope Francis’ papacy and the Jesuit order. The Pope acknowledged this, describing a “very strong, organized, reactionary attitude” within the U.S. church that he deemed backward. He cautioned against such an approach, as it leads to a closed mindset and replaces true tradition with ideologies, ultimately harming morality.
Pope Francis emphasized that viewing the doctrine of the church as a monolith is incorrect and regressive. He asserted that going backward disconnects the church from its roots and has devastating effects on moral principles. He urged those holding these backward views to understand that there is room for the evolution and consolidation of doctrine over time.
It is worth noting that Pope Francis is no stranger to criticism from certain U.S. conservatives. In fact, he once humorously remarked that being attacked by Americans was an “honor.”
Overall, these comments from Pope Francis shed light on the divisions within the U.S. Catholic Church and the challenges he faces in steering the church towards a more progressive and inclusive direction.
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