I’ve written a short piece about Pope Francis and the Priesthood for the commemorative edition of Faith Today that has just come out.
I won’t copy the whole article here – you can order the special edition of Faith Today online – but this is what struck me about Pope Francis’s approach to ethics and life issues (in so far as I could draw any hesitant conclusions from some of his words and actions as Cardinal Bergoglio):
Pope Francis has given witness to ‘a consistent ethic of life’. This phrase was coined by Cardinal Bernardin, Archbishop of Chicago from 1982 to 1996. It can be applied to Pope Francis in his approach to justice and life issues over the last few years.
In Buenos Aires he stood firmly against abortion, euthanasia, human trafficking, and all forms of violence against the human person. He criticised ‘the culture of death’ that influenced so much of society. He said, ‘The right to life is the first among human rights. To abort a child is to kill someone who cannot defend himself’.
At the same time, he fought for social and economic justice, and was always on the side of the poor. He said, ‘The unjust distribution of goods persists, creating a situation of social sin that cries to Heaven and limits the possibilities of a fuller life for so many of our brothers’.
His ethical approach was entirely consistent. He believed in the fundamental dignity of every human person, not excluding those who are sick, elderly, poor, oppressed, powerless or unborn.
He did not fit into the categories of secular politics because he was both ‘conservative’ (pro-life, pro-family, against same-sex marriage) and ‘progressive’ (fighting for social justice and for the poor).
Priests are called to have this same passion for life, and this same consistency. Not to be single-issue campaigners, but to speak out courageously whenever human dignity is threatened. Yes, we must be gentle, compassionate and forgiving to everyone we meet. But if we meet injustice in any form, it is our particular vocation to take a stand and be on the side of the poorest and most vulnerable.
This has made me want to go back and look more closely about what Cardinal Bernardin said about this ‘consistent ethic of life’. I know this approach was sometimes criticised, as if it were a way of watering down the core life issues, by suggesting that all social justice issues were equally important. But it seems to me to be a very straightforward point that shouts out from bible, the Christian tradition, and the Catechism: the need to defend human dignity against any and every threat, and to stand on the side of whoever is most vulnerable in society.
Pope Francis is a man who, I genuinely believe and hope will make a difference to the world by speaking out on these issues. It is good to see that he has a record of being both conservative and progressive; it’s clear from what we’ve seen of his papacy so far that he really associates with the poor of our world.
I think we have a great leader here!
Different social/political upbringings have different associations to words and for me the word conservative couldn’t be further from my uneducated working class but genuine view of Jesus’ position, When I think of conservatives I think of the ‘white collar workers’ or in Jesus’ time the people in charge that persecuted Jesus, and yet as an adult I can see that the conservative stance (in your article) and in modern times is both educated and good.
I wish for the peoples sake we could get away from this secular terminology, which I think, always provokes conflict between the many different dare I say ‘ordinary’ people we are trying to reach, when discussing the leadership values of Pope Francis. I do not believe these labels help. I am almost sure he chose St Francis to dispel such labels.
With St Francis it was the same, his father would have been the conservative one, St Francis became the radical one by refusing to live as his conservative family chose to live.
For what it is worth that’s how I see it anyway.
In the short time that I have been coming to the Catholic faith I have changed the way I feel about some things. Abortion is one of them. Having been a victim of rape I was adamant that women should have the choice to terminate a pregnancy under these conditions, my position has softened somewhat and I can see that each choice that turns towards goodness and kindness and Love is the choice that God would wish for every person to take in whatever the situation.
We are all ‘called to have this same passion for life, and this same consistency’. ‘to speak out courageously whenever human dignity is threatened. Yes, we must be gentle, compassionate and forgiving to everyone we meet. But if we meet injustice in any form, IT IS ALL OF OUR VOCATION to take a stand and be on the side of the poorest and most vulnerable.
One of my favourite writers, Heather King, often writes on this idea. A recent post of hers is an update on ‘Avoiding the Right and the Left’ in which she explores this very idea.
Her very simple statement regarding the synthesis between ‘conservative’ and ‘liberal’ and other equally unhelpful labels, is that ‘ I am for Christ’ – no more, no less.
http://shirtofflame.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/avoiding-right-and-left-revisited.html
God bless and Happy Easter!
Lizzie
Perfect Lizzie,
I Am too!
God Bless and happy Easter †