Power of conscience puts laity at centre of change

The Tablet

Editors

 Power of conscience puts laity at centre of change 

14 April 2016 It would be right to describe the publication of Amoris Laetitia by Pope Francis as a minor earthquake, though one preceded by plenty of warning tremors. And while the Catholic Church’s foundations may have been shaken, the walls and roof are still standing. Francis was well aware when he was elected Pope that the basic weakness in the Church’s mission to evangelise was its reputation as a stern and unforgiving teacher in the field of sexual and marital ethics, something that touches people’s lives most intimately. Put simply, it did not sound like the gentle voice of a loving mother. Francis had to respect as far as possible the content of the teaching. But he could change the one thing that may matter more than content for ordinary Catholics – its tone.

That is what he has set out to do in this document, and it was also his reason for summoning an international synod of bishops to Rome twice in as many years – so his fellow bishops could make the journey with him. Unity matters to this Pope, but he is not the sort to use a big stick to enforce it. He had to build a consensus. The evidence so far suggests that the consensus will easily survive the publication of this apostolic exhortation and, in so far as it represents a new base line, the consensus may be strengthened further as bishops who have had misgivings fall into step. It is implicit in such a task that he has had to compromise to keep as many on board as possible, but, given that compromise is part of the message he is preaching, he could hardly do otherwise. It is not reasonable to expect people to be perfect, he says; the strict application of demanding rules to messy matrimonial or personal situations will not help them.

Much attention has been given to the touchstone issue of Holy Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics, not only because there are many of them but also because this is where the collision happens most obviously between two styles of Catholic thinking: the Franciscan style, and that of Pope St John Paul II. It is also where a stark choice occurs between two alternatives, with no middle ground. Divorced and remarried Catholics either do receive Holy Communion or do not. The Church has long had a rule which says they should not, regardless of external circumstances or internal disposition. Pope Francis is unmistakably saying that it depends on their conscience, which they should search in the light of Church teaching and with the help of their pastors. This, he insists, is the approach Jesus would have taken. Sometimes therefore the answer will be “yes” such Catholics should receive Communion.

But this is not just about tone. Critics of Amoris Laetitia are right to say that this appears not to be compatible with the rigid position taken by John Paul II in his 1981 document, Familiaris Consortio. Theologians will debate what the discrepancy means, and a few will even find it impossible to swallow. But one thing is clear. The idea that general rules in the Catholic Church are set in concrete for all time, never to be questioned let alone changed, is the major casualty of this exercise. That is a price Pope Francis was willing to pay in order to comply with the overriding demand for mercy, and it does not seem to bother him as much as it bothers his critics.
Alongside the issue of Communion for the remarried, the other neuralgic issue he had to deal with was over homosexuality. This is the outstanding area where the harsh rejecting tone of previous Church statements – that homosexuals were in their sexual nature intrinsically disordered, for instance – has done most to brand the Church as inhumane and unmerciful. Pope Francis takes care not to repeat such damaging and offensive language, but nevertheless quotes the unyielding words of the final synod report – that gay relationships can in no way be equated to sacramental marriage. However, the gentle pastoral approach he advocates towards those in “irregular” relationships in general, whether Catholics remarried after divorce or couples cohabiting before or instead of marrying, could be applied equally well to homosexual relationships. It all boils down to conscience.

That is one of the most significant changes of tone. He bluntly accuses priests of wanting to replace the workings of individual conscience with the imposition of unvarying rules. Indeed he is scathing about the way priestly formation in the past has failed to prepare them as competent pastors able to understand people’s lives. That may be why he sets out in such detail the marriage preparation and ongoing guidance he wants the Church to provide for modern families. He plainly does not trust the clergy to do it right, so he has decided to spell it out. The result is one of the most moving and compelling parts of this 60,000-word document. He urges loving couples not just to listen to each other but to gaze at each other, eye to eye. Marriage preparation classes may never be the same.

It will take time for the full force of Amoris Laetitia to have effect. Indeed it takes time just to read its 256 pages. What Pope Francis is engaged in is a culture change at the top, leading eventually to a culture change at the bottom, and what will greatly help him is that many ordinary Catholics will instinctively recognise that what he is doing is right. He is Christianising the Church afresh. It has never been more true that the future of the Church lies with the laity. They now have the chance to grow in maturity, and to take responsibility for their spiritual lives.

The problems probably lie in the middle, where generations of bishops were chosen because they suited the expectations of Pope John Paul II and generations of priests were educated when his was the only version of orthodoxy allowed. Conservative priests, many of whom are quite young, will find the adjustment difficult and will look for excuses not to make the effort. It is imperative therefore that local hierarchies give a clear signal that they are fully behind Pope Francis, even to the extent of offering additional priestly formation where necessary. In one respect the leadership he is offering them includes greater freedom from central control. They should not use that freedom to stay still. “Still water becomes stagnant and good for nothing,” he warns at one point. To pretend nothing much has changed would be an unforgivably missed opportunity.