POPE FRANCIS' VIEW OF THE CHURCH
by John R. Connolly
by John R. Connolly
Pope Francis's view of the church is rooted in two ecclesiological constitutions of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) Gaudium et Spes, the Constitution on the Church in the Modern World and Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. His reception of Vatican II's notion of the church is not just a dogmatic acceptance, but also embraces a spiritual and evangelical mission to reform the church based upon the teachings of the council. Pope Francis' ecclesiology has to be understood as a restoration of the ecclesiology of Vatican II and in contrast with the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI which opposed and obstructed many of the reforms of the council.
In his book, The Liminal Papacy of Pope Francis, Massimo Faggioli list five main elements of Pope Francis’ view of the church. The Catholic Church is 1. “a church that goes forth to reach those in irregular situations;” 2, “a church that is not afraid to address issues that for some have been settled forever just a few years before;” 3. “a church that is aware and honest about the tensions between the law and the gospel;” 4. “a church that recognizes the need for a renewed collegial and synodal dimension”; and 5. “a church that faces the complexity of its global dimension, where the issue of unity in diversity takes a different shape than it has in the recent past.” (18-19).
In Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis selects the “polyhedron, “which reflects the convergence of all its parts, each of which preserves its distinctiveness,” as his model for the Church (Evangelii Gaudium, EG, no. 236). The Church is not just one or two of its parts, the pope and the magisterium, it embraces and includes all of its people. Francis’ polyhedron is the union of all the different subparts. (Faggioli, Catholicism and Citizenship, 135). As the agent of evangelization, the Church is “first and foremost a people advancing on its pilgrim way toward God.” (EG, no. 111). It is more than just an “organic and hierarchical institution.” (EG, no. 111). Salvation is the primary mission of the Church. The Church is sent by Jesus Christ as “the sacrament of the salvation offered by God.” (EG, no. 112). The people whom God has called and chosen are the church. “Jesus did not tell the apostles to form an exclusive and elite group.” (EG, no. 113).
The poor have a special place in Francis’ vision of the Church and should be included in the church’s mission of evangelization. “God’s heart has a special place for the poor.” (EG, no.197). To this Francis adds, “May we never abandon them.” (EG, no. 48). Francis strongly affirms that the church must adopt and make a commitment to the “preferential option for the poor.” Listening to the “cry of the poor” is an intrinsic aspect of the commitment of faith. In the words of Francis, “Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society This demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and come to their aid.” (EG, no. 187).
In Evangelii Gaudium Francis discusses “spiritual worldliness,” an attitude that he views as an obstacle to the implementation of his polyhedron personalist vision of the Church. Francis states that the Christian must say no to “spiritual worldliness,” which is an attitude that, while hiding behind the appearance of piety and love for the Church, is really “seeking not the Lord’s glory but human glory and personal well-being.” (EG, no. 93). The life of the Church is turned into a museum piece and becomes the property of a select few. (EG, no. 95). In this attitude the principle beneficiary is not “God’s people but the Church as an institution.” (EG, no. 95). (see full article)
In his book, The Liminal Papacy of Pope Francis, Massimo Faggioli list five main elements of Pope Francis’ view of the church. The Catholic Church is 1. “a church that goes forth to reach those in irregular situations;” 2, “a church that is not afraid to address issues that for some have been settled forever just a few years before;” 3. “a church that is aware and honest about the tensions between the law and the gospel;” 4. “a church that recognizes the need for a renewed collegial and synodal dimension”; and 5. “a church that faces the complexity of its global dimension, where the issue of unity in diversity takes a different shape than it has in the recent past.” (18-19).
In Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis selects the “polyhedron, “which reflects the convergence of all its parts, each of which preserves its distinctiveness,” as his model for the Church (Evangelii Gaudium, EG, no. 236). The Church is not just one or two of its parts, the pope and the magisterium, it embraces and includes all of its people. Francis’ polyhedron is the union of all the different subparts. (Faggioli, Catholicism and Citizenship, 135). As the agent of evangelization, the Church is “first and foremost a people advancing on its pilgrim way toward God.” (EG, no. 111). It is more than just an “organic and hierarchical institution.” (EG, no. 111). Salvation is the primary mission of the Church. The Church is sent by Jesus Christ as “the sacrament of the salvation offered by God.” (EG, no. 112). The people whom God has called and chosen are the church. “Jesus did not tell the apostles to form an exclusive and elite group.” (EG, no. 113).
The poor have a special place in Francis’ vision of the Church and should be included in the church’s mission of evangelization. “God’s heart has a special place for the poor.” (EG, no.197). To this Francis adds, “May we never abandon them.” (EG, no. 48). Francis strongly affirms that the church must adopt and make a commitment to the “preferential option for the poor.” Listening to the “cry of the poor” is an intrinsic aspect of the commitment of faith. In the words of Francis, “Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society This demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and come to their aid.” (EG, no. 187).
In Evangelii Gaudium Francis discusses “spiritual worldliness,” an attitude that he views as an obstacle to the implementation of his polyhedron personalist vision of the Church. Francis states that the Christian must say no to “spiritual worldliness,” which is an attitude that, while hiding behind the appearance of piety and love for the Church, is really “seeking not the Lord’s glory but human glory and personal well-being.” (EG, no. 93). The life of the Church is turned into a museum piece and becomes the property of a select few. (EG, no. 95). In this attitude the principle beneficiary is not “God’s people but the Church as an institution.” (EG, no. 95). (see full article)