Catégorie : Vie de l’église

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Pope Francis: Love, not power, changed the world at Christmas

The message of Christmas is that Jesus changed the world through his love, rather than through worldly power, said Pope Francis as he marked the start of the holiday at the Vatican. 

« He is not the god of accomplishment, but the God of Incarnation. He does not eliminate injustice from above by a show of power, but from below, by a show of love, » said Francis during a Dec. 24 Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. « He does not burst on the scene with limitless power, but descends to the narrow confines of our lives. He does not shun our frailties, but makes them his own. »

« Tonight, love changes history, » said the pope during his Christmas homily. « Make us believe, Lord, in the power of your love, so different from the power of the world. »

The pope celebrated his 11th Christmas Eve at the Vatican by reflecting on the Incarnation — saying that by becoming flesh, Christ took on human frailty in order to demonstrate his love for the world. 

« Why did he go to such lengths?, » Francis asked. « Because he cares for us, because he loves us to the point that he considers us more precious than all else. Dear brother, dear sister, to God…you are not a number, but a face. Your name is written on his heart. »

The pope went on to caution that Christmas should not be celebrated in « pagan » terms, « linked to power, worldly success and the idolatry of consumerism » or by mistaking God as a « powerful potentate in the sky. » 

God « waves no magic wand; he is no god of commerce who promises ‘everything all at once,' » Francis insisted. « He does not save us by pushing a button, but draws near us, in order to change our world from within. »

The pope was joined by some 30 cardinals, over a dozen bishops, more than 200 priests and an estimated 6,500 mass-goers. Francis, who turned 87 on Dec. 17 and recently recovered from a bout with bronchitis that forced him to cancel a series of public events due to an inability to speak, spoke with ease as he presided over the liturgy. 

During his 12-minute homily, the pope repeatedly emphasized the closeness of God, as demonstrated through Christ’s own humanity. 

« God so greatly desires to embrace our lives that, infinite though he is, he becomes finite for our sake. In his greatness, he chooses to become small; in his righteousness, he submits to our injustice, » said Francis. « This is the wonder of Christmas: not a mixture of sappy emotions and worldly contentment, but the unprecedented tenderness of a God who saves the world by becoming incarnate. »

Many people, said the pope, feel inadequate or unworthy of receiving the love of God, especially at Christmas. 

« Today, though, please, let Jesus take the initiative, » he pleaded. « He says to you, ‘For your sake, I became flesh; for your sake, I became just like you.’ So why remain caught up in your troubles? »

« He became flesh, » the pope continued. « He is looking not for your achievements but for your open and trusting heart. In him, you will rediscover who you truly are: a beloved son or daughter of God. Now you can believe it, for tonight the Lord was born to light up your life; his eyes are alight with love for you. »

While the atmosphere at the annual Christmas Mass was festive — with red poinsettias and gold and white flower bouquets adorning the basilica, along with the sounds of bells and trumpets — Francis acknowledged that the shadow of war loomed large over this Christmas.

« Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world, » said the pope. 

Earlier in the day on Dec. 24, during his weekly Sunday Angelus prayer from the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, the pope asked Christians to mark the holiday with simplicity and in solidarity with those suffering from war, particularly in Israel, Palestine and Ukraine.

« May the God who took for himself a human heart infuse humanity into the hearts of men, » the pope prayed. 

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Vie de l'église

The Nativity of the Lord: The God who dwells among us

Seeing Santas at every corner and checkout counter, Christmas trees adorning every public place, lights blinking and « Joy to the World » blaring from all directions, we tend to forget the historical contexts of the Scriptures that situate the prophecies and birth stories of the Savior.

Isaiah aptly portrayed his own and Jesus’ times by describing people walking in darkness and dwelling in a land of gloom, people who suffered under the rod of an overseer: treated like yoked oxen, valued for their labor and taxes, people whose personhood had ceased to matter. There was little of prosperity or joy stirring while Mary and Joseph trudged along for the 90 miles that separated Nazareth from Bethlehem.

The census that put them on the road, whether historically verifiable or not, symbolized the people’s subjugation to a pagan empire. (Israel had been taught that a census of her own was sacrilegious because it demonstrated that the king would rely on his brute power — armies and taxes — rather than God’s providence.)

In Luke’s infancy narrative, which includes the Annunciation and Visitation, the journey to Bethlehem and lack of room at the inn are the story version of the poetic prologue of John’s Gospel, which speaks of the eternal Word becoming flesh and being rejected by his own.

It seems that every epoch, every century of human history, must lament its share of what Isaiah described as boots that trample in battle and cloaks soaked with blood. But those are not nice to think about. 

At this time of year, we would prefer that TV show us less of the wars and more of Macy’s Parade. Nevertheless, we’ll miss the evangelical message of Christmas if we allow ourselves to sleep in heavenly peace, satiated by Hallmark.

Jesus was born in desperate circumstances. His parents, like the 100 million people forced to be on the move today, had no insurance policies, no AAA roadside help and no credit cards to buy their way in somewhere. With no insulation from ever-present difficulties and danger, they were dependent, hopeful for the kindness of strangers.

In this, Mary and Joseph were icons of God and the child they were about to receive into the world. The Creator did not exercise power and might, but set the universe on a course of evolution in which divine love would one day take on flesh and need to rely on the goodwill of people with generous, open hearts.

We must remember that God did not do this to shame the comfortable, but to bring joy to the needy. In Luke’s version of the story, neither religious leaders nor the wealthy represented by the Magi noticed the signs of their times.

Who did notice? The shepherds, people of shady reputation, unwashed and unable to observe religious laws — they took the angels’ message to heart. These were the ones who, in spite of their fear, left their 99 (more or less) and hastened to Bethlehem to see « what the Lord has made known to us. » Then the shepherds became the first evangelists, « glorifying God and making known the message. »

For Christians, the Incarnation is the high point of creation. All of the universe exists from God; God is present somehow in everything as a result of divine love. Now we can understand the Incarnation as the essence, the most concrete expression of the revelation of divine love and our clearest image of what God is like. And with this, the story gets more challenging.

When angels appeared to shepherds, they said, « You will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. » 

This very ordinary scene turns out to be a scandalous theophany; God’s greatest self-revelation is of divinity in diapers. Traditional Byzantine icons of the Nativity depict this by showing the swaddled infant in a manger that could also represent a coffin, his wrapping cloths like those used in burial. 

In theologian St. Joseph Sr. Elizabeth Johnson‘s words, the Incarnation « enacts the kind of divine love that … enters empathetically into [human] experience, self-identifying with the glory and agony of human life from within, befriending even the godless and the godforsaken. »

The evangelical message of Christmas is just that. God longs to be with us, God loves us profoundly and respectfully enough to share our mortal life. From such love, God has become vulnerable to us, never imposing but inviting us into a union possible only when God enters into human life. 

The babe wrapped in swaddling clothes is a sign that God exercises power as faithful, loving committed accompaniment in vulnerability. And all of this, to invite us to become like the God who dwells among us, seeking to find a home in us.

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Vie de l'église

St. Francis, Kurt Vonnegut and the radical absurdity of the Incarnation

My 19-month-old pointed toward his shelf of Christmas books, « Boke? » He wanted to pick another book for me to read to him before bed, which I assumed would be about another snowman, his new obsession. I sometimes try to talk him out of the snowman books, as if I’m the one who is supposed to be entertained. 

But this time he pointed to my favorite children’s book, Sun Moon Star, written by one of my favorite authors, the late, great satirist Kurt Vonnegut.

Whereas most illustrators design their work after the author has written their story, this book had the opposite creative process. Renowned graphic designer Ivan Chermayeff first made the illustrations, then had Vonnegut write a story to fit the artwork, as if the author of Slaughterhouse-Five (or, my personal favorite, Breakfast of Champions) needed an outlet to be any weirder. 

Sun Moon Star, Vonnegut’s only children’s book (which is probably a good thing for the sake of all malleable minds), is a Christmas book because of the story he chose to tell. 

Flip through the illustrations, and it feels as if Chermayeff was trying to purposefully prevent Vonnegut from being able to put anything coherent together. It begins with an intricate sketch detailing the anatomy of an eyeball, then features more than 20 pages of simple, jagged shapes — suns, moons, stars — as well as pages that are completely one color. The shapes vary in size throughout the book, sometimes multiply and other times intersect with one another. 

I think my son made it to the eyeball drawing before he started screaming for the snowman.

In Sun Moon Star, Vonnegut brilliantly tells the Christmas story through the undeveloped eyes of the newborn baby Jesus, this « Creator of the Universe » who « had never had needs for eyes before » since « it had known all things and been all things. » 

For a blank green page, Vonnegut wrote, « Its fourth dream was simply green. It had never seen green before. » 

He described a rounded sun as Mary’s shoulder and a star perched atop a crescent moon as Joseph in the doorway with a lantern. 

For a page that featured the three shapes twisted together, Vonnegut wrote, « The Creator now saw a sun, a moon and a star come together in an impossible cosmic tangle. What could be the explanation? The baby’s eyes had crossed. »

Some may think the book borders on sacrilege, though the book opens with those celebrated words from Isaiah 7:14 about Emmanuel meaning « God with us. » Written by a freethinking humanist who once described himself as a « Christ-loving atheist, » Vonnegut was unafraid to critique religion in his work. 

I, however, not only think the book is hilarious but also find it theologically beautiful. Vonnegut, a literary expert in his depiction of the absurdity of the human condition, now elevates the radical absurdity of Christ’s human condition through the Incarnation: the Creator of the Universe reduced to a helpless infant, unable to decipher his surroundings, seeing colors and vague shapes and, yes, probably crossing his eyes.

Was this not a semblance of what St. Francis of Assisi was also doing when he set up a live Nativity 800 years ago in the little town of Greccio? (I doubt anyone has ever bridged Vonnegut to Francis before, but there is a first time for everything.) 

At a time when Jesus was often depicted as a conquering, victorious king on a throne, a God-view used to justify crusades and other conversion-focused missions, Francis helped people refocus on the humanity and humility of Christ. In the mystery of the Incarnation, Francis saw the heart of God.

I was recently given the opportunity to visit Italy on a Franciscan pilgrimage. At Greccio, our guides helped my imagination expand as they explained the shocking qualities of Francis’ live Nativity. Francis sought to make the Nativity reenactment as human and real as possible: in the middle of the night, in the freezing cold, with not only real people but also real animals who likely smelled and perhaps even used the bathroom there in that tiny cave. 

The people of Greccio, who adored Francis and his brothers, would have found this immersive experience to be unique, maybe beautiful, but it was far from comfortable or pleasant. Maybe this was Francis’ point. Sometimes in our romanticization of the Christmas story, we forget its absurdity.

Francis, of course, was no stranger to the realm of the absurd. This was a man who denounced his father by stripping naked before the bishop; who would voyage barefoot to far-off places like Rome and Greccio and La Verna; who once journeyed « behind enemy lines » in the middle of the Fifth Crusade with hopes of meeting the sultan, commander of the Muslim army (they did meet, spent several days together and became friends).

Legend has it that one Christmas Eve, as banquets took place around Assisi and his brothers became conscious of their own hunger and poverty, Francis took a large piece of meat from the table where his brothers sat and rubbed it against the wall saying, « Even the walls must eat meat in celebration! »

To dare see through God’s eyes means something entirely different at Christmas. 

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These are the actions of a saint with a flare for the theatrical — actions that today could be interpreted as those of a brilliant madman, perhaps another overlapping trait with Vonnegut. Sometimes it takes absurd people to communicate absurd truths. 

On the back wall of the grotto in Greccio is now a fresco from the early 15th century, attributed to an artist called Narni. The right side of the fresco might be shocking to our modern eyes, as Mary holds her bare breast and presses it into the mouth of the suckling Godchild. It can feel disrupting, almost provocative, as if we want to shield our eyes from this nakedly human moment between the Virgin and the Savior. 

But maybe this was the artist’s point, forcing the viewer to confront the radical absurdity of the Incarnation: the God of the universe entirely dependent upon Mary’s breast milk to live.

Any Christian spirituality that does not cultivate human dignity is not anchored in the Incarnation. God not only comes to our world through a human being, but becomes a vulnerable infant dependent upon other humans for survival. Narni’s fresco succeeds in communicating the messy physicality of the Incarnation, mirroring the themes Francis elevated that cold night in 1223.

Here on the 800-year anniversary of Francis’ live Nativity at Greccio, we’re invited to reflect upon the Christmas story in a different way, in an absurd way, which is to say contemplating the revolutionary mystery of God being big enough to become that small.

Yes, there was a magic, a mystical thinness, to the Christmas story, but Jesus would have known none of it. In that stable Jesus would have breastfed and peed and pooped and slept and probably screamed and cried from the discomforts of his straw bed. 

To the infant, the shepherds, wise men, animals and that divinely chosen couple would have been convoluted shapes and colors. Or as Vonnegut concludes on the opening page of Sun Moon Star, « The Creator had only to exist. That was enough. But now, as a human infant, It was also going to see — and to do so imperfectly, through two human eyes, each a rubbery little camera. »

To dare see through God’s eyes means something entirely different at Christmas.

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Vie de l'église

Catholic women’s college reverses decision to admit trans students

After criticism of a decision to update its anti-discrimination policy and open enrollment to some transgender applicants, a Catholic women’s college in Indiana has announced that it will return to its previous admission policy.

In a Dec. 21 letter, St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame said it had viewed the update « as a reflection of our College’s commitment to live our Catholic values as a loving and just community. »

« It is increasingly clear, however, that the position we took is not shared by all members of our community, » said the letter, signed by president Katie Conboy and board chair Maureen Karnatz Smith.

The decision to admit students « whose sex is female or who consistently live and identify as women » made headlines in late November, dividing students and alumnae and prompting a reprimand by the Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana.

Sophomore Macy Gunnell, who led opposition to the policy on campus through an unauthorized organization for conservative students, told NCR the reversal was « a huge victory for truth and faith, both at Saint Mary’s and in our modern society. »

« We have shown the world just how powerful our voices can be, » Gunnell said in an email interview. « This is a true story of David and Goliath. We hope that this lights a passion in all women all over the nation to stand up for what is rightfully ours. »

In the December letter to the St. Mary’s community, Conboy and Karnatz Smith said the college will hold a series of online and in-person listening sessions in January « to explore what it means to embrace our values as a Catholic, women’s college. »

« We recognize that the experience of the last several weeks has been not only trying but also personally painful — for many reasons — for students, faculty, staff, and alumnae, » the letter said. « Our deepest hope is for everyone to return in January committed to rebuilding trust and to building a campus that accepts healthy disagreement as part of the value of an academic community. For all colleges and universities, this is a defining challenge of our time. »

In November, Rhoades released a statement urging the board to « correct » the broader admissions policy, which he said « departs from fundamental Catholic teaching on the nature of woman and thus compromises its very identity as a Catholic woman’s college. »

But not everyone is happy about the reversal. Franciscan Fr. Daniel Horan, director of the Center for the Study of Spirituality and professor of philosophy, religious studies and theology at St. Mary’s, said he was « disappointed » in the latest decision.

« As a Catholic women’s college, we are now the only institution of our peer group that does not welcome trans women into our community, » said Horan, citing an Inside Higher Education article that said that of the eight Catholic women’s colleges in the U.S., St. Mary’s was the last to admit trans women.

« I believe that this reversal of the nondiscrimination policy in fact goes against our identity as a Catholic women’s college in the Holy Cross tradition and establishes a policy of discrimination  and exclusion rather than the community of inclusion, hospitality and welcome that we say we are, » said Horan, who is also a columnist for NCR.

Loretto Sr. Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of the LGBTQ Catholic advocacy group New Ways Ministry, also said she was disappointed by the decision.

« I feel so very sad that a Catholic institution squandered an opportunity to hold up the basic Catholic value of dignity and respect for the human person, » she said. « As St. Mary’s embarks on a series of listening sessions, how much more fitting it would be to hold up the public statement of what we are trying to achieve: accepting the Gospel principle of respect for the human person. »

The Inside Higher Education article also cited research by Jonathan Coley of Oklahoma State University, whose research on how Catholic and Christian institutions address LGBTQ+ issues shows that more than 70% of Catholic institutions promote inclusive gender identity policies, compared to 42% of Protestant ones.

In their letter, Conboy and Karnatz Smith apologized for creating « division where we had hoped for unity. »

« Although this has been a challenging time for our community, we believe that the College should continually grapple with the complexity of living our Catholic values in a changing world, » the letter said. « But we also believe the College needs to do so as a community. When we disagree, we must strive to preserve the fabric of our relationships. This, at its core, is what it means to be a part of a vibrant Catholic campus in this moment. »

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Vie de l'église

Women’s leadership in Catholic Church a matter of ‘moral urgency,’ says Catholic Charities leader

The leader of the umbrella organization representing Catholic Charities agencies nationwide has expressed praise for Pope Francis’ efforts to expand opportunities for women’s leadership in the Catholic Church, calling it « a matter of managerial and moral urgency. »

Kerry Alys Robinson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, said she was grateful that the discussions at the pope’s monthlong October summit on the future of the church included a call to allow women to better participate in the global faith’s decision-making processes.

« It is so gratifying to know that this is a shared and universal concern, » said Robinson, referring to the conversations at the Oct. 4-29 Synod of Bishops, in a Dec. 14 interview with National Catholic Reporter.

Robinson — the first laywoman to serve as the head of her organization, which represents some 170 Catholic Charities agencies across the U.S. — said she has advocated « for the role of women in positions of meaningful leadership and at the tables of decision-making all of my life. »

« Particularly, when it comes to the church and church leadership and church decision-making, we are impoverished without the contribution of so many well-educated, theologically astute, [and] pastorally sensitive women, » she said.

Robinson, a noted leader in Catholic leadership and philanthropy, took up her role at Catholic Charities this August. She was previously an executive partner at Leadership Roundtable, a nonprofit organization that promotes best practices in church management.

Robinson spoke to NCR as part of « The Vatican Briefing » podcast. She addressed the role of women in the church in response to a question about how the synod’s final document said it was « urgent to ensure that women can participate in decision-making processes and assume roles of responsibility in pastoral care and ministry. »

The Catholic Charities leader said she thinks it is important that young women « are given opportunities to bring their full complement of skills and abilities to serve the church when they discern a vocation of service to that church. »

Robinson also spoke movingly about the important work of charities agencies during the holiday season. 

« What I have learned is that generosity is humankind’s birthright, and that we are all called to be generous and to be catalysts to inspire generosity in others, » she said. « And there’s no better season than the season of Advent to exercise that generosity. »

Robinson spoke for an episode of « The Vatican Briefing » podcast that also features a conversation between co-hosts Joshua McElwee and Christopher White about the Vatican’s Dec. 18 decree making it possible for Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions, under certain conditions.

The episode of « The Vatican Briefing » featuring NCR’s full interview with Robinson is available below. You can also subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or however you listen to podcasts.

How do I listen?

From your computer:

Click the « play » button above to start the show. Make sure to keep the window open on your browser if you’re doing other things, or the audio will stop.

From your mobile device:

You can listen and subscribe to « The Vatican Briefing » from any podcast app. If you’re reading this from an iPhone or other Apple mobile device, tap this link to listen in Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available on Spotify, at this link.

If you prefer another podcast app, you can find « The Vatican Briefing » there. (Here’s the RSS feed.)

Relevant links for this episode:

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Vie de l'église

Vatican shift on gay blessings has ‘deep pastoral implications,’ say theologians

Theologians and LGBTQ+ advocates greeted with mixed emotions the unexpected Dec. 18 declaration from the Vatican’s doctrinal office that Catholic priests could bless same-sex couples, as well as divorced and remarried couples.

« It’s a big, small step forward, » said Brian Flanagan, a gay Catholic theologian and senior fellow at New Ways Ministry, an LGBTQ+ Catholic advocacy organization. 

« Some of the headlines ran too far too fast because it’s a very specific and limited declaration, » Flanagan said.

But he also said that the declaration has « deep pastoral implications for Catholics around the world, especially in places that currently don’t have civil same-gender marriage at all. »

Flanagan emphasized « the number of people who might give their relationship to Christ and their relationship to the Church a second thought, a more open thought, who might feel welcome now in a church in a way they would not have otherwise. » 

He continued, « I think it’s a huge move. »

Marianne Duddy-Burke, a married lesbian and executive director of DignityUSA, an LGBTQIA+ Catholic organization, said, « This is going to be remembered as a historic day in the movement towards full equality and affirmation of LGBTQ+ people in our church. »

Duddy-Burke emphasized that this was not the « end point » of the « long journey towards full equality and full affirmation. » But, she said, « I do think it’s important for us to stop and celebrate the milestones along that journey, and this feels like a significant milestone. »

« I’m just so grateful to all of the people throughout the decades who have told their stories and lived openly and who have fought to maintain their place in the church, » said Duddy-Burke, who earlier this year was invited to speak in a Catholic church for the first time since 1986.

The document from the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith comes just two years after the same office declared in 2021 that same-sex unions could not be blessed because God « cannot bless sin. »

Duddy-Burke called the change « the blink of an eye in Vatican time. » The reversal, she said, showed that church officials had recognized the way that the original statement had harmed LGBTQ+ Catholics and their families and that Vatican officials were taking  » seriously their role as shepherds to all people. »

Duddy-Burke also highlighted the significance of the declaration to the Catholic families of LGBTQ+ people who now might feel less tension between church teaching and their love for their family members.

‘It’s important for us to stop and celebrate the milestones along that journey, and this feels like a significant milestone.’

—Marianne Duddy-Burke

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Jesuit Fr. Bruce Morrill, the Edward A. Malloy Chair in Roman Catholic Studies at Vanderbilt University, said that the declaration was consistent with Francis’ pastoral focus and his impulse toward accompaniment and inclusion throughout his papacy.

Morrill noted that the declaration seems « careful » to limit these sanctioned blessings of same-sex relationships within « very narrow parameters » to spontaneous occasions, such as when ministers are approached after Mass, or unexpectedly in public.

But what the declaration doesn’t acknowledge, Morrill said, is that for many Catholics and others in their understanding of Catholicism, « the notion of receiving a blessing, requesting and being graced or honored with a blessing, is an endorsement. »

« People are looking for validation. Or it’s a desire for a sense of self worth and dignity, » Morrill said.

Morrill also said that conservative Catholics may worry that this is a step toward official blessing rituals for people in irregular marriages or in same-sex relationships, even though the document is very clear to dispute that possibility.

They may also worry that the « very nature of blessings » implies that « this relationship itself is good in itself as it is. » But Morrill said the document is « going out of its way to say it’s not endorsing the relationship itself. »

Nevertheless, most Catholics don’t make fine theological distinctions, Morrill said, citing the high levels of confusion about teachings on papal infallibility as an example. This lack of nuance may mean that Catholics don’t understand the difference between these blessings and sacraments, he said.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops emphasized the distinction between sacramental blessings and pastoral blessings in its statement about the declaration.

« The Church’s teaching on marriage has not changed, and this declaration affirms that, while also making an effort to accompany people through the imparting of pastoral blessings, because each of us needs God’s healing love and mercy in our lives, » the statement said, quoting a spokesperson.

In contextualizing the declaration, Flanagan said, « We are not at a point in the Catholic church where we could have any kind of approach and consensus on how to respond officially to same-sex marriage all the time. But I think this really provides a lot of freedom for the people closest to folks on the ground to use their best pastoral judgment as to how to make sure that people know that they’re loved and welcomed in the church. »

Flanagan also called the pope’s move with the declaration « strategic. »

The theologian explained, « This is as much to put the brakes on what the German and Belgian bishops have been discussing as possibilities in terms of a formal, ritualized, standardized blessing of same-sex partners, » referring to the document’s prohibition of « ritual » blessings for couples in « irregular situations. »

Ish Ruiz, a postdoctoral fellow of Catholic studies at Emory University and a gay Latinx theologian, said he felt « incredible joy » at the announcement about the blessings. « They’ve opened up space for us to take up more room and transform the church through our witness, » Ruiz said.

Ruiz said that he, like many in the LGBTQ+ community, felt disappointed that « the blessings in the document are framed as a way to assist LGBTQ+ people with their sinful lifestyles, » a continuation of church teaching. That stance, Ruiz said, « is missing the grace that can be present in loving same-sex unions. »

Even with that disappointment, Ruiz encouraged same-sex couples to reach out to their priests for a blessing.

« The Catholic faith, more than in a set of documents, is really contained in the lived experiences of the faithful, » Ruiz said. 

« I’m hopeful that the faithful in practice will probably continue to do what they’ve been doing all along, which is ignore these teachings that claim » that « our love is somehow lesser, » he said.

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Vie de l'église

Vatican shift on gay blessings has ‘deep pastoral implications,’ say theologians

Theologians and LGBTQ+ advocates greeted with mixed emotions the unexpected Dec. 18 declaration from the Vatican’s doctrinal office that Catholic priests could bless same-sex couples, as well as divorced and remarried couples.

« It’s a big, small step forward, » said Brian Flanagan, a gay Catholic theologian and senior fellow at New Ways Ministry, an LGBTQ+ Catholic advocacy organization. 

« Some of the headlines ran too far too fast because it’s a very specific and limited declaration, » Flanagan said.

But he also said that the declaration has « deep pastoral implications for Catholics around the world, especially in places that currently don’t have civil same-gender marriage at all. »

Flanagan emphasized « the number of people who might give their relationship to Christ and their relationship to the Church a second thought, a more open thought, who might feel welcome now in a church in a way they would not have otherwise. » 

He continued, « I think it’s a huge move. »

Marianne Duddy-Burke, a married lesbian and executive director of DignityUSA, an LGBTQIA+ Catholic organization, said, « This is going to be remembered as a historic day in the movement towards full equality and affirmation of LGBTQ+ people in our church. »

Duddy-Burke emphasized that this was not the « end point » of the « long journey towards full equality and full affirmation. » But, she said, « I do think it’s important for us to stop and celebrate the milestones along that journey, and this feels like a significant milestone. »

« I’m just so grateful to all of the people throughout the decades who have told their stories and lived openly and who have fought to maintain their place in the church, » said Duddy-Burke, who earlier this year was invited to speak in a Catholic church for the first time since 1986.

The document from the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith comes just two years after the same office declared in 2021 that same-sex unions could not be blessed because God « cannot bless sin. »

Duddy-Burke called the change « the blink of an eye in Vatican time. » The reversal, she said, showed that church officials had recognized the way that the original statement had harmed LGBTQ+ Catholics and their families and that Vatican officials were taking  » seriously their role as shepherds to all people. »

Duddy-Burke also highlighted the significance of the declaration to the Catholic families of LGBTQ+ people who now might feel less tension between church teaching and their love for their family members.

‘It’s important for us to stop and celebrate the milestones along that journey, and this feels like a significant milestone.’

—Marianne Duddy-Burke

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Jesuit Fr. Bruce Morrill, the Edward A. Malloy Chair in Roman Catholic Studies at Vanderbilt University, said that the declaration was consistent with Francis’ pastoral focus and his impulse toward accompaniment and inclusion throughout his papacy.

Morrill noted that the declaration seems « careful » to limit these sanctioned blessings of same-sex relationships within « very narrow parameters » to spontaneous occasions, such as when ministers are approached after Mass, or unexpectedly in public.

But what the declaration doesn’t acknowledge, Morrill said, is that for many Catholics and others in their understanding of Catholicism, « the notion of receiving a blessing, requesting and being graced or honored with a blessing, is an endorsement. »

« People are looking for validation. Or it’s a desire for a sense of self worth and dignity, » Morrill said.

Morrill also said that conservative Catholics may worry that this is a step toward official blessing rituals for people in irregular marriages or in same-sex relationships, even though the document is very clear to dispute that possibility.

They may also worry that the « very nature of blessings » implies that « this relationship itself is good in itself as it is. » But Morrill said the document is « going out of its way to say it’s not endorsing the relationship itself. »

Nevertheless, most Catholics don’t make fine theological distinctions, Morrill said, citing the high levels of confusion about teachings on papal infallibility as an example. This lack of nuance may mean that Catholics don’t understand the difference between these blessings and sacraments, he said.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops emphasized the distinction between sacramental blessings and pastoral blessings in its statement about the declaration.

« The Church’s teaching on marriage has not changed, and this declaration affirms that, while also making an effort to accompany people through the imparting of pastoral blessings, because each of us needs God’s healing love and mercy in our lives, » the statement said, quoting a spokesperson.

In contextualizing the declaration, Flanagan said, « We are not at a point in the Catholic church where we could have any kind of approach and consensus on how to respond officially to same-sex marriage all the time. But I think this really provides a lot of freedom for the people closest to folks on the ground to use their best pastoral judgment as to how to make sure that people know that they’re loved and welcomed in the church. »

Flanagan also called the pope’s move with the declaration « strategic. »

The theologian explained, « This is as much to put the brakes on what the German and Belgian bishops have been discussing as possibilities in terms of a formal, ritualized, standardized blessing of same-sex partners, » referring to the document’s prohibition of « ritual » blessings for couples in « irregular situations. »

Ish Ruiz, a postdoctoral fellow of Catholic studies at Emory University and a gay Latinx theologian, said he felt « incredible joy » at the announcement about the blessings. « They’ve opened up space for us to take up more room and transform the church through our witness, » Ruiz said.

Ruiz said that he, like many in the LGBTQ+ community, felt disappointed that « the blessings in the document are framed as a way to assist LGBTQ+ people with their sinful lifestyles, » a continuation of church teaching. That stance, Ruiz said, « is missing the grace that can be present in loving same-sex unions. »

Even with that disappointment, Ruiz encouraged same-sex couples to reach out to their priests for a blessing.

« The Catholic faith, more than in a set of documents, is really contained in the lived experiences of the faithful, » Ruiz said. 

« I’m hopeful that the faithful in practice will probably continue to do what they’ve been doing all along, which is ignore these teachings that claim » that « our love is somehow lesser, » he said.

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Vie de l'église

Pope condemns targeting of unarmed civilians in Gaza

Pope Francis condemned the Israeli military’s killing of two Christian women sheltering at a Catholic parish in Gaza and an attack on a convent, noting that in the current fighting « unarmed civilians are targets for bombs and gunfire. »

After praying the Angelus with some 22,000 people in St. Peter’s Square Dec. 17, the pope decried the Dec. 16 sniper attack on the compound of the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza where, he said, « there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick and have disabilities, sisters. »

He also named the mother and daughter — Nahida Khalil Anton and Samar Kamal Anton — who were killed in the parish compound.

« One was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety. Seven more people were shot and wounded as they tried to protect others inside the church compound, » said a statement by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which also specified that they were shot by a sniper of the Israeli military.

« No warning was given, no notification was provided. They were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the Parish, where there are no belligerents, » it said.

The statement added that Israeli forces fired three rockets on a convent in the church compound belonging to the Missionaries of Charity, where 54 disabled persons lived, rendering the home uninhabitable.

« Some are saying, ‘this is terrorism and war,’  » Francis said after reciting the Angelus prayer Dec. 17. « Yes, it is war; it is terrorism. »

« Let us pray to the Lord for peace, » he said, asking people to « not forget out brothers and sisters who are suffering because of war in Ukraine, in Palestine and Israel, and in other conflict zones. »

« As Christmas approaches, may the dedication to open paths of peace be strengthened, » he said.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, met Dec. 16 with Italy’s delegate to the Arab League and the ambassadors of Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt to the Holy See. The cardinal reiterated Francis’ repeated calls for a cease-fire between Israel and Palestine and the need for humanitarian access into Gaza. He also again repeated the Vatican’s call for a two-state solution in the Holy Land and the creation of an internationally enforced statute for the city of Jerusalem, the Vatican said.

Before praying the Angelus, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from St. John, which says that St. John the Baptist « came to testify the light » before the coming of Jesus.

Through his example, St. John the Baptist teaches Christians two things, Francis said: « First, that we cannot save ourselves alone, only in God do we find the light of life. And second, that each of us, through service, consistency, humility, witness of life — and always by God’s grace — can be a lamp that shines and helps others find the war on which to meet Jesus. »

He encouraged Christians to ask themselves, « How can I, in the places I live, not in the distant future but now, this Christmas, testify to light, testify to Christ? »

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Vie de l'église

Cardinal Becciu convicted of embezzlement in Vatican financial trial, sentenced to prison

A Vatican tribunal on Saturday convicted a cardinal of embezzlement and sentenced him to 5.5 years in prison in one of several verdicts handed down in a complicated financial trial that aired the city state’s dirty laundry and tested its justice system.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the first cardinal ever prosecuted by the Vatican criminal court, was absolved of several other charges and nine other defendants received a combination of guilty verdicts and acquittals among the nearly 50 charges brought against them during a 2.5 year trial.

Becciu’s lawyer, Fabio Viglione, said he respected the sentence but would appeal.

Prosecutor Alessandro Diddi said the outcome “showed we were correct.”

The trial focused on the Vatican secretariat of state’s 350 million euro investment in developing a former Harrod’s warehouse into luxury apartments. Prosecutors alleged Vatican monsignors and brokers fleeced the Holy See of tens of millions of euros in fees and commissions and then extorted the Holy See for 15 million euros to cede control of the building.

Becciu, the first-ever cardinal to be prosecuted in the Vatican’s criminal court, was accused of embezzlement-related charges in two tangents of the London deal and faced up to seven years in prison.

In the end, he was convicted of embezzlement stemming from the original investment of 200 million euros in a fund that bought into the London property, as well as for his 125,000 euro donation of Vatican money to a charity run by his brother in Sardinia. He was also convicted of using Vatican money to pay an intelligence analyst who in turn was convicted of using the money for herself.

The trial had raised questions about the rule of law in the city state and Francis’ power as absolute monarch, given that he wields supreme legislative, executive and judicial authority and had exercised it in ways the defense says jeopardized a fair trial.

The defense attorneys did praise Judge Giuseppe Pignatone’s even-handedness and said they were able to present their arguments amply. But they lamented the Vatican’s outdated procedural norms gave prosecutors enormous leeway to withhold evidence and otherwise pursue their investigation nearly unimpeded.

Prosecutors had sought prison terms from three to 13 years and damages of over 400 million euros to try to recover the estimated 200 million euros they say the Holy See lost in the bad deals.

In the end, the tribunal acquitted many of the suspects of many of the charges but ordered the confiscation of 166 million euros from them and payment of civil damages to Vatican offices of 200 million euros. One defendant, Becciu’s former secretary Monsignor Mauro Carlino, was acquitted entirely.

The trial was initially seen as a sign of Francis’ financial reforms and willingness to crack down on alleged financial misdeeds in the Vatican. But it had something of a reputational boomerang for the Holy See, with revelations of vendettas, espionage and even ransom payments to Islamic militants.

The secretariat of state, for example, sought damages to fund a marketing campaign to try to repair the reputational harm it says it incurred. Even the Vatican communications department said the trial itself had been a “stress test” for the legal system.

Much of the London case rested on the passage of the property from one London broker to another in late 2018. Prosecutors allege the second broker, Gianluigi Torzi, hoodwinked the Vatican by maneuvering to secure full control of the building that he relinquished only when the Vatican paid him off 15 million euros.

For Vatican prosecutors, that amounted to extortion. For the defense — and a British judge who rejected Vatican requests to seize Torzi’s assets — it was a negotiated exit from a legally binding contract.

In the end, the tribunal convicted Torzi of several charges, including extortion, and sentenced him to six years in prison.

It wasn’t clear where the suspects would serve their time. The Vatican has a jail, but Torzi’s whereabouts weren’t immediately known.

The original London investigation spawned two other tangents that involved the star defendant, Becciu, once one of Francis’ top advisers and himself considered a papal contender.

Prosecutors accused Becciu of embezzlement for sending 125,000 euros in Vatican money to a Sardinian charity run by his brother. Becciu argued that the local bishop requested the money to build a bakery to employ at-risk youths and that the money remained in the diocesan coffers.

The tribunal acknowledged the charitable ends of the donation but convicted him of embezzlement, given his brother’s role.

Becciu was also accused of paying a Sardinian woman, Cecilia Marogna, for her intelligence services. Prosecutors traced some 575,000 euros in wire transfers from the Vatican to a Slovenian front company owned by Marogna and said she used the money to buy luxury goods and fund vacations.

Becciu said he thought the money was going to pay a British security firm to negotiate the release of Gloria Narvaez, a Colombian nun taken hostage by Islamic militants in Mali in 2017.

He said Francis authorized up to 1 million euros to liberate the nun, an astonishing claim that the Vatican was willing to make ransom payment to al-Qaida-linked militants.

The tribunal found both Becciu and Marogna guilty and sentenced Marogna to three years and 9 months in prison.

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Vie de l'église

Third Sunday of Advent: A divinely subversive call

In Jesuit Fr. Bill Cain’s rendition of The Diary of Jesus Christ, we hear Jesus talk about listening to his mother sing her favorite song, the « Magnificat. » (We pray it today as our responsorial psalm.) Jesus challenges Mary, saying that the promises of the song may have been true, « once, a long time ago. » 

When she challenges him to do his part, he learns how very subversive it is to sing that the hungry will be filled and the rich sent away empty. The Magnificat isn’t a lullaby, but a prophetic proclamation.

Between Isaiah, Mary’s song, Paul’s message to the Thessalonians and the evangelist John’s description of John the Baptist, we get more than enough calls to prophecy in this last week before Christmas.

For ages, scholars have debated about the identity of the Servant of Isaiah’s songs (see Isaiah 42, 49, 50 and 51). The early Christians felt the servant described Jesus, the long-awaited, surprising, Messiah. Others suggest that the servant depicts Israel herself as God’s chosen. 

Today, especially in light of praying the Magnificat with Mary, we might look at how she and John the Baptist invite us to become servants of the Lord with them.

The first attitude we learn from Isaiah, Mary and John is that they focus on God. Isaiah says, « The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. » Mary sings, « My soul rejoices in God, my savior, » and the baptizer proclaims, « I am not the Christ … whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie. »

What would change in our lives if we would say with conviction, « The Spirit of the Lord is upon me »? 

Sometimes we may proclaim something like that by our conviction that our opinion is infallible. (The mother of one of my closest friends used to say, « I’ve thought about it, and I’m right! » Of course, her tongue was blatantly planted in her cheek as she said it.) 

Supposing that we’ve got it absolutely right ends up being the polar opposite of prophecy. Mary and John, our guides, remind us that prophets don’t proclaim their opinions. They invite others into an awareness of God’s love, of the gift of God’s Spirit; they proclaim that grace that awaits us just around the bend if only we will be open to it.

Secondly, as Mary in Cain’s book challenged the boy Jesus, the prophet calls us into an ever-greater awareness of the needs of others and our potential to respond. 

Isaiah’s servant, like Jesus, recognized that being anointed was a job description. They were to bear genuinely good news, to listen attentively to the sorrowful and to help free others from whatever might bind them.

Mary’s response, her open-ended « Here I am, thy will be done, » became her life’s orientation.

Paul preached the same message from a different angle when he said, « Do not quench the Spirit. » How often do we feel a twinge about not responding or not knowing how to respond to something that is going wrong? We think of hunger in the world, wars, division, or discrimination against others for their orientation, ethnicity, age, gender, etc., and we ask, « But what can I do? » 

The fact that the question even arises in us is a sign of the Spirit, who will never call us to try something we cannot do. 

Paul tells us, « Pray without ceasing. » If our prayer says, « Here I am, I come to do your will, » we will eventually understand what we can do, even if it is no more than to stand silently by another, never pretending to understand all that is going on in them.

Ultimately, John the Baptizer reminds us that the coming of God’s reign is gift and grace. We cannot make it happen any more than the rooster makes the sun rise. Nevertheless, like John, we can live like prophets, helping others catch a hint that there is something good afoot, something deeper, and more meaningful than society offers. That’s what it means to prepare the way. 

Today, the Spirit of the Lord urges us to rejoice because we know that the hungry can be fed and the brokenhearted healed. We rejoice because, like John, we can point toward a road that leads to something unimaginably wonderful. With Paul, we can proclaim one infallible message: « The one who calls you is faithful » and will lead creation into fulfillment.

Mary sings of what God is working in our midst, Isaiah describes it, John announces that it’s coming and Paul reminds us that God does great things, not just « once a long time ago, » but today, among and through us. That’s divinely subversive!