Pope Francis: The Pontificate of Pastoral Reform in the Church
Pope Francis will be remembered in history not only as a pope who is close to the people and sensitive to all forms of poverty but also as an inspirer of broad reform within the Church. His actions were guided by one primary goal: to reform the ecclesial community so that it can carry out its mission more effectively in the face of the new, complex, and challenging era that the world is entering today. These reforms were reflected in the synod's agenda on synodality.
The priority of the missionary Church
From the very beginning of his ministry, Francis has called for a much more missionary Church. He emphasizes that we are not just living in an 'era of changes' but rather facing a completely new epoch, which presents entirely new requirements and necessitates a significant missionary effort from the Church. In his programmatic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium", he explained that today it is not enough to be a disciple of Christ; one should be a missionary disciple.
The Church needs to experience an internal transformation.
Francis recognizes that the contemporary Church must undergo a profound inner transformation, as without it, it risks withering away and becoming unable to creatively respond to the new challenges it faces. Therefore, from the very beginning of his pontificate, he has called for 'pastoral conversion,' which has become one of the central themes of his papacy. He envisions this as a shift from "conservative pastoral care" to a much more open and missionary approach. He stresses that this transition should involve all ecclesiastical structures, beginning with the Roman Curia and extending to every diocese, parish, and monastery.
"I dream of a missionary Church, capable of transforming everything, so that customs, styles, schedules, language, and all ecclesial structures become fitting channels for evangelizing today's world rather than merely preserving the status quo," he confessed in his programmatic document, Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium.
A Church on the peripheries
According to the post-conciliar principle of the 'new evangelization,' Francis consistently emphasizes that we cannot wait for people to come to us; rather, we must actively seek them out by going to the 'existential peripheries' of the world.
The Church as a field hospital.
Francis emphasizes that the Church is to be a "field hospital" for all those who are wounded, confused, and searching for meaning - a place that is open to everyone and an environment where humanity can heal its wounds. For Francis, Divine Mercy is the central truth of the Christian message. He believes that today's world needs this message in a special way.
The Church is young and for the young
For Francis, aside from the family, young people represent one of the key areas in which the Church should be most actively involved. He believes that the Church should assist young people in discovering the meaning of life, and in return, young people can enrich the Church with their vitality and help prevent it from becoming stagnant. Thus, in the apostolic exhortation 'Christus vivit,' he called for 'a Church that should be young and for the young.' He stressed that it is through young people that the Church can rejuvenate its enthusiasm and energy.
He also called for a better way to communicate with young people, free from constant moralization. This should extend to discussions about sexuality, which is very important to them. He points out that this often leads to misunderstanding and alienation from the Church, as young people can feel judged and condemned when they hear commands without any explanation of the beauty of pure love that resonates with them.
An inviting and inclusive Church.
Francis calls for the Church to become increasingly "inclusive," meaning inviting those who stand on the sidelines, live in irregular situations, have different sexual orientations, or feel marginalized. It is not true to say that he has liberalized the moral requirements set by the Church for LGBT+ people. While maintaining rigorous norms, he emphasizes the Church's openness to their presence, inviting them on a common path toward salvation.
He devoted substantial space to the issue of inclusiveness for couples in irregular relationships in the exhortation 'Amoris Laetitia.' This sparked a significant controversy, as many interpreted it as granting permission for divorced individuals in new relationships—essentially, those in a state of sin - to receive Holy Communion. However, Pope Francis did not permit the universal reception of communion by such individuals; rather, he advised that they be accompanied by priests to facilitate a deeper discernment of their situation, aligned with the principles of faith. Ultimately, despite existing in a new relationship that is non-sacramental, he believes that a comprehensive discernment performed with a priest within the internal forum may result in the receiving of sacramental absolution, thereby enabling participation in the sacrament of the Eucharist.
A Church free from clericalism
Francis repeatedly emphasizes that clericalism is one of the defects of the Church today. He describes it as "a disease that infects the Church" and states that "a priest or bishop who behaves this way does it great harm." He also criticizes the 'clericalized laymen,' noting that their passivity fosters the ideal environment for the growth of clerical attitudes.
A Church that builds fraternity
The Church should be " a poor Church for the poor." This is one of Francis' favorite slogans. The poor Church—he explains—does not seek material security for itself but remains faithful to the Gospel, focusing its attention on the needy and suffering.
Being sensitive to the enormous injustices of today's world, he places great emphasis on the development of the Church's social teaching, the crowning expression of which is his 2020 encyclical 'Fratelli tutti'. In it, he calls for the building of universal brotherhood and emphasizes the role of dialogue as a means to foster social friendship. He appeals to be guided not by the 'logic of profit' that dominates today's world, but by 'the logic of gift and selflessness'. He contrasts the pervasive culture of exploitation with the "culture of encounter". He is also a staunch opponent of globalization, which, as he emphasizes, results in the wealthy becoming even richer while the poor become increasingly impoverished. During jubilee years, including the current ones, he calls on wealthy countries to forgive debts owed by poorer nations, which may be their only chance to escape the cycle of permanent crisis. His social teaching is marked by a radical call for social justice, influenced by the theology of liberation that emerged from Latin America.
A Church committed to ecology
Francis sees care for creation as a fundamental evangelical commandment, the neglect of which puts the world at risk of catastrophe. "The ecological crisis," he emphasized in the encyclical "Laudato Si," "is an external manifestation of the ethical, cultural, and spiritual crisis of modernity."
The Church cleansed
It continues the strategy initiated by John Paul II and Benedict XVI to cleanse the Church of the scourge of sexual abuse crimes against minors committed by individuals within the Church. He underscores the necessity of changing the mentality within the Church, prioritizing the welfare of the victims over the defense of the ecclesiastical institution, which has been the prevailing practice for centuries.
Synodal Church
All these threads of papal teaching converged in the synodal process initiated by Francis from 2021 to 2024, leading up to the XVI General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, convened under the motto: "Towards a synodal Church: communion, participation, mission." Its fundamental goal is to transform the Church into a more synodal entity, meaning it is communitarian, free from clericalism, and characterized by much more partnership-based relationships that allow for the co-responsibility of the laity, including their participation in governance.
The primary mission of the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) is to promote the unity of the Church and serve its communities, acting as a visible source and foundation of unity for both bishops and the faithful. Pope Francis continued to do this, following in the footsteps of Saint John Paul II.
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