Pope Francis continues to catch the imagination and admiration of the world as he continues to unfold his vision for the church in the modern world. His 50,000 word apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), was written by his pen in response to the October 2012 Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization. He has not only shorn the grand trappings of the papacy of the past but has taken on the mantle of the poor man from Assisi in name and practice. He calls upon all Christians to obey the teachings of Jesus and to reach out in love to the dispossessed of the world, calling for a “church which is poor and for the poor.” The poor “have much to teach us,” he writes. “We are called to find Christ in them, to lend our voices to their causes, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the mysterious wisdom God wishes to share with us through them.”
His notion of evangelization is not one that imposes faith on others in any way but through a process of attraction. Those who are seeking faith should be attracted to Christianity by the level of joy and welcome that they experience by the followers of Christ. Pope Francis writes that “pastoral ministry in a missionary style is not obsessed with the disjointed transmission of a multitude of doctrines to be insistently imposed,” weakening the Gospel’s clarion call to “respond to the God of love who saves us.” He warns against a “spiritual worldliness, which hides behind the appearance of piety and even love for the church, but consists in seeking not the Lord’s glory but human glory and personal well-being,” by either adhering to a “purely subjective faith” or a “narcissistic and authoritarian elitism” that rigidly adheres to rules or a “particular Catholic style from the past.”
His words on interfaith outreach have warmed the hearts of many Jews as they celebrate their feast of Hanukkah. Pope Francis wrote, “Dialogue and friendship with the children of Israel are part of the life of Jesus’ disciples. The friendship which has grown between us makes us bitterly and sincerely regret the terrible persecutions which they have endured, and continue to endure, especially those that have involved Christians.” He reminded the world that the Catholic Church holds “the Jewish people in special regard because their Covenant with God has never been revoked.” Rabbi David Rosen, the International Director of Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee, praised the pope’s “emphasis on the importance of interreligious dialogue to promote peace in the world and as a means to ‘learn to accept others and their differences,'” as “powerful encouragement for greater respect and harmony in our world.” The pope’s “emphasis on the ongoing Divine Presence in the life of the Jewish people and on the importance of the ‘values of Judaism’ for Christians, is particularly significant in further advancing the historic transformation in the Catholic Church’s approach toward the Jewish people,” Rosen added.
As regards the Muslim world, Pope Francis wrote, “Our relationship with the followers of Islam has taken on great importance, since they are now significantly present in many traditionally Christian countries, where they can freely worship and become fully a part of society. We must never forget that they ‘profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, who will judge humanity on the last day.’ The sacred writings of Islam have retained some Christian teachings: Jesus and Mary receive profound veneration and it is admirable to see how Muslims both young and old, men and women, make time for daily prayer and faithfully take part in religious services. Many of them also have a deep conviction that their life, in its entirety, is from God and for God.”
He added, “In order to sustain dialogue with Islam, suitable training is essential for all involved, not only so that they can be solidly and joyfully grounded in their own identity, but so that they can also acknowledge the values of others, appreciate the concerns underlying their demands and shed light on shared beliefs. We Christians should embrace with affection and respect Muslim immigrants to our countries in the same way that we hope and ask to be received and respected in countries of Islamic tradition. I ask and I humbly entreat those countries to grant Christians freedom to worship and to practice their faith, in light of the freedom which followers of Islam enjoy in Western countries. Faced with disconcerting episodes of violent fundamentalism, our respect for true followers of Islam should lead us to avoid hateful generalizations, for authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence.”
Father Joseph D. Wallace is coordinator, Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs, Diocese of Camden.
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