|
The book, "The Name of God is Mercy," breaks no new ground
but is a compelling restatement of the themes of Francis' papacy
told in simple, breezy language in a freewheeling conversation
with veteran Italian journalist Andrea Tornielli.
In the 150-page book, Francis also repeats his often-quoted "Who
am I to judge?" statement about homosexuals, saying that "people
should not be defined only by their sexual identities."
The question-and-answer book, to be released on Tuesday,
coincides with the Jubilee Year of Mercy, during which the
world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics are called on to seek
forgiveness and forgive.
In his first book aimed at a general readership, Francis appears
to chastise conservatives in the Church, saying they are
undermining mercy in the name of doctrine.
"The Church does not exist to condemn people but to bring about
an encounter with the visceral love of God's mercy," he said,
adding that "humanity is wounded, deeply wounded".
Francis criticizes those in the Church "who are only used to
having things fit into their pre-conceived notions and ritual
purity instead of letting themselves be surprised by reality, by
a greater love or a higher standard."
STIFF RESISTANCE
The Argentine pope, who has called for the Church to reach out
more to people on the margins of society, the suffering and
victims of injustice, has faced stiff resistance from
conservatives in the Vatican who fear that he is undermining
traditional teachings on moral issues.
In particular, he wants the Church to show more compassion for
homosexuals as well as for Catholics who divorced and remarried
outside the Church and are thus banned from receiving communion.
[to top of second column] |
"We need to enter the darkness, the night in which so many of
our brothers live. We need to be able to make contact with them
and let them feel our closeness, without letting ourselves be
wrapped up in that darkness and be influenced by it," Francis
said.
He warns against pride, hypocrisy and smugness in the Church.
"We must avoid the attitude of someone who judges and condemns
from the lofty heights of his own certainty," he said. Church
leaders should beware "caving in to the temptation of feeling
that we are just or perfect".
In his answer to the one question about homosexuals, Francis
defends his now-famous "Who am I to judge?" remark, made in
2013, saying he was paraphrasing existing Church teaching.
"Before all else comes the individual person, in his wholeness
and dignity. And people should not be defined only by their
sexual tendencies: let us not forget that God loves all his
creatures and we are destined to receive his infinite love," he
said.
The Church teaches that homosexual tendencies are not sinful but
homosexual acts are.
Rather than making homosexuals feel isolated or abandoned, he
said he preferred "that they stay close to the Lord, and that we
pray all together".
(Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
