Pope Francis and the Bishops: Navigating Stormy Waters ...

I am slipping this piece in during what has been, thus far, a hellacious first week of doctoral studies at St. Thomas University here in Miami; that said, I did not want my observations regarding the Holy Father’s recent trip to America to slip too far down the ladder as to become irrelevant in the ongoing discussion as to it’s localized and wider implications.

As much as the Holy Father might seek a respite headed into the fall, there is no rest for the weary; on October 4^th, and continuing for three weeks, the XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will convene in Rome for what is sure to be a contentious gathering focusing on a number of family-focused issues, including traditional marriage, same-gender marriage and abortion, among many others.

There was a sense prior to Pope Francis’ visit that he was aloof from the traditionalist viewpoints espoused and fought for by many American Catholics. Many lamented that he appeared to skirt sensitive issues in his address before Congress that his forebears like John Paul the Great and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI would have sunk their teeth into as doctrinal Rottweilers; of course, there was the all but banishment from the Curia of Raymond Cardinal Burke early into Francis’ papacy, and many feared not just doctrinal minimization, but the marginalization of conservative factions of the Church. In an apparent pushback, ChurchMilitant.com recently reported that Cardinals Gerhard Mueller and Robert Sarah, both in positions of great influence in the Curia (Mueller holds the post of Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, once held by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI when he was Cardinal Ratzinger), have recently teamed up to exhort the virtues of doctrinal orthodoxy while blasting nihilism and relativism.

But, mirable visu, there have been some very interesting developments in the last few days, perhaps a nod by Pope Francis that the orthodox factions are still a force to be reckoned with – he has welcomed Cardinal Burke back into the Curia in a new position; it is also being widely reported that he met privately with Kim Davis for her stand in refusing to issue same-gender marriage licenses in Kentucky, and, last night, that he took a very personal and active (albeit unsuccessful) role in attempting to stop the execution of Kelly Gissendaner in Georgia through his Apostolic Nuncio in Washington

While there are still many issues that conservative Catholics in America would like to see addressed in clearing up the seemingly muddied waters of doctrinal orthodoxy, it is a positive development that Pope Francis seems to recognize the challenges ahead, and, I pray, he will be able to strike a balance that will bring all Catholics under a common umbrella of faith and works that will allow us to evangelize effectively in the world.

God bless …