Just two days after Pope Francis told the Catholic Church's top theologians that they need to listen to the "signs of the times" and consider the needs of ordinary Catholics, an interview published on Sunday by La Nación showed us a few examples of what he meant.
The interview was the pope's first with a newspaper from Argentina, his birthplace. In it, Francis urged the church to improve its handling of gay and divorced family issues.
Pope Francis clarified what was really discussed at the controversial Synod of Bishops in October, the gathering of bishops in Rome that was described as "tumultuous" for exposing divisions over issues involving homosexuals and divorced Catholics. He told La Nación that gay marriage was not mentioned, but that the discussion focused on how to help the family of a homosexual child ("we have to find a way to help that father or that mother to stand by their son or daughter"). Regarding Catholics who have divorced and remarried, he said, "let us open the doors a bit more. Why can't they be godfathers and godmothers?"
Yet while the pope's position on family matters is noteworthy, what's just as intriguing is that he thinks the positions of others should also be heard. Francis said certain criticisms of his leadership — such as the reported statement by conservative U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke that the "church is like a ship without a rudder" — struck him as "odd" and that he was "not aware of anybody using them." Yet he didn't shy away from admitting there was disagreement.
"Resistance is now evident," Pope Francis told La Nación. "And that is a good sign for me, getting the resistance out into the open, no stealthy mumbling when there is disagreement. It's healthy to get things out into the open, it's very healthy."
Francis went further, saying not only that it is good to air these divisions, but that it is entirely natural to have them. "Resistance means different points of view, not something dirty," he said. "It is connected to some decisions I may occasionally take, I will concede that. ... I am not worried. It all seems normal to me. If there were no difference of opinions, that wouldn't be normal."
Francis's leadership of the Catholic Church has been hailed by many for its humility. The interview published Sunday, however, is also a reminder of that his leadership style hinges on an openness to change and a willingness to listen. As Time's Elizabeth Dias wrote following the assembly of bishops in October, the single takeaway was that "Pope Francis showed the world that he is not afraid of making mistakes. ... His commitment to listening allows a host of voices to rise and controversy to surface."
That is precisely what defines a good leader: the ability to foster an environment in which differences are open rather than concealed, and in which people feel free to speak rather than fear being silenced. Francis calls this "a protected space where the Holy Spirit may endeavor." And to create that space, he told La Nación, "two clear qualities are needed: courage to speak and humbleness to listen."
Monday, December 8, 2014
Pope Francis on why disagreement in the Catholic church is a good sign
Jena McGregor
Washington Post
December 8, 2014
Just two days after Pope Francis told the Catholic Church's top theologians that they need to listen to the "signs of the times" and consider the needs of ordinary Catholics, an interview published on Sunday by La Nación showed us a few examples of what he meant.
The interview was the pope's first with a newspaper from Argentina, his birthplace. In it, Francis urged the church to improve its handling of gay and divorced family issues.
Pope Francis clarified what was really discussed at the controversial Synod of Bishops in October, the gathering of bishops in Rome that was described as "tumultuous" for exposing divisions over issues involving homosexuals and divorced Catholics. He told La Nación that gay marriage was not mentioned, but that the discussion focused on how to help the family of a homosexual child ("we have to find a way to help that father or that mother to stand by their son or daughter"). Regarding Catholics who have divorced and remarried, he said, "let us open the doors a bit more. Why can't they be godfathers and godmothers?"
Yet while the pope's position on family matters is noteworthy, what's just as intriguing is that he thinks the positions of others should also be heard. Francis said certain criticisms of his leadership — such as the reported statement by conservative U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke that the "church is like a ship without a rudder" — struck him as "odd" and that he was "not aware of anybody using them." Yet he didn't shy away from admitting there was disagreement.
"Resistance is now evident," Pope Francis told La Nación. "And that is a good sign for me, getting the resistance out into the open, no stealthy mumbling when there is disagreement. It's healthy to get things out into the open, it's very healthy."
Francis went further, saying not only that it is good to air these divisions, but that it is entirely natural to have them. "Resistance means different points of view, not something dirty," he said. "It is connected to some decisions I may occasionally take, I will concede that. ... I am not worried. It all seems normal to me. If there were no difference of opinions, that wouldn't be normal."
Francis's leadership of the Catholic Church has been hailed by many for its humility. The interview published Sunday, however, is also a reminder of that his leadership style hinges on an openness to change and a willingness to listen. As Time's Elizabeth Dias wrote following the assembly of bishops in October, the single takeaway was that "Pope Francis showed the world that he is not afraid of making mistakes. ... His commitment to listening allows a host of voices to rise and controversy to surface."
That is precisely what defines a good leader: the ability to foster an environment in which differences are open rather than concealed, and in which people feel free to speak rather than fear being silenced. Francis calls this "a protected space where the Holy Spirit may endeavor." And to create that space, he told La Nación, "two clear qualities are needed: courage to speak and humbleness to listen."
Just two days after Pope Francis told the Catholic Church's top theologians that they need to listen to the "signs of the times" and consider the needs of ordinary Catholics, an interview published on Sunday by La Nación showed us a few examples of what he meant.
The interview was the pope's first with a newspaper from Argentina, his birthplace. In it, Francis urged the church to improve its handling of gay and divorced family issues.
Pope Francis clarified what was really discussed at the controversial Synod of Bishops in October, the gathering of bishops in Rome that was described as "tumultuous" for exposing divisions over issues involving homosexuals and divorced Catholics. He told La Nación that gay marriage was not mentioned, but that the discussion focused on how to help the family of a homosexual child ("we have to find a way to help that father or that mother to stand by their son or daughter"). Regarding Catholics who have divorced and remarried, he said, "let us open the doors a bit more. Why can't they be godfathers and godmothers?"
Yet while the pope's position on family matters is noteworthy, what's just as intriguing is that he thinks the positions of others should also be heard. Francis said certain criticisms of his leadership — such as the reported statement by conservative U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke that the "church is like a ship without a rudder" — struck him as "odd" and that he was "not aware of anybody using them." Yet he didn't shy away from admitting there was disagreement.
"Resistance is now evident," Pope Francis told La Nación. "And that is a good sign for me, getting the resistance out into the open, no stealthy mumbling when there is disagreement. It's healthy to get things out into the open, it's very healthy."
Francis went further, saying not only that it is good to air these divisions, but that it is entirely natural to have them. "Resistance means different points of view, not something dirty," he said. "It is connected to some decisions I may occasionally take, I will concede that. ... I am not worried. It all seems normal to me. If there were no difference of opinions, that wouldn't be normal."
Francis's leadership of the Catholic Church has been hailed by many for its humility. The interview published Sunday, however, is also a reminder of that his leadership style hinges on an openness to change and a willingness to listen. As Time's Elizabeth Dias wrote following the assembly of bishops in October, the single takeaway was that "Pope Francis showed the world that he is not afraid of making mistakes. ... His commitment to listening allows a host of voices to rise and controversy to surface."
That is precisely what defines a good leader: the ability to foster an environment in which differences are open rather than concealed, and in which people feel free to speak rather than fear being silenced. Francis calls this "a protected space where the Holy Spirit may endeavor." And to create that space, he told La Nación, "two clear qualities are needed: courage to speak and humbleness to listen."
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