Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/955503
13 dice of those who see Pope Francis as someone who lacks a particular theological and philosophical for- mation, while I would have been considered solely a theorist of the- ology with little understanding of the concrete lives of today's Chris- tian," the retired pontiff wrote. Benedict's endorsement comes as a reprieve in the face of internal church opposition Pope Francis has had to face over his opening to Catholics in complex family re- lationships as outlined in Amoris Laetitia. Some of that opposition was also evident in Malta when the bishops released guidelines for the pastoral care of divorced and re- married Catho- lics, among oth- ers. A r c h b i s h o p Charles Sci- cluna describes the papal exhorta- tion as "an extraor- dinary document" that tries to give an adequate pastoral response to the everyday problems families face. These include people who in the eyes of the Church are in complex situations. Pope Francis has conveyed the image of a Pope who is very close to the man in the street with his direct way of communicating, Archbish- op Scicluna believes. "Mercy is the Pope's hallmark… he has been supportive of bishops trying to respond in a pastoral way to the difficulties of people in complex relation- ships by showing mercy while being loy- al to church doctrine on the family," Archbishop Scicluna says. The archbishop says Pope Francis has not shied away from rocking the boat. "But he does it in a good way," he adds. Archbishop Scicluna says the Pope has challenged church people to recall the basic values of the Gos- pel. "The Pope does so through his gestures, his own lifestyle and in his direct way of speaking. He portrays a beautiful and very positive image of Jesus the Shepherd, who accom- panies his flock rather than sits in judgement on it." It is a reflection Gozo Bishop Mario Grech agrees with. Bishop Grech had attended the two synods on the family called by the Pope in 2014 and 2015 that preceded the release of Amoris Laetitia. "Pope Francis's authentic way of living the Gospel has shaken many Christians and structures of the Church and five years is not enough to digest the impact he will have," Bishop Grech says. The Bishop believes Pope Francis "jump-started the engine" of the Second Vatican Council which was held more than 50 years ago. He says the 'engine' had stalled over the years, even in Malta. "Pope Francis put the Church back on the agenda, not necessar- ily at the centre but on the agenda at a time when it was being side- lined or when it chose to take a step back," Bishop Grech says. But the Pope's message has been a challenge for priests as much as it has been for lay people, he adds. Bishop Grech says Pope Francis has challenged priests to stand at the periphery and look at them- selves from the eyes of those stand- ing on the outside. It is not easy for those used to being at the centre, he admits. However, in painting a picture of a church tending to the wounded on the battlefield, Pope Francis has imbued the notion of mercy, Bish- op Grech says. "Through his fresh, simple words and actions, Francis has rekindled hope in the Church. Over the past five years I have experienced peo- ple who approached God and re- engaged with Christ in an attempt to discover more. These people have not necessarily come back to church but Francis has made them curious and that is a good thing," Bishop Grech says. Outspoken priest Fr David Muscat, is full of praise for Pope Francis's defence of the poor. He describes the Pope as "socially con- servative and economi- cally socialist" in his out- look. "He is a good Pope… he speaks on poverty and social and environ- mental injustices… a message that is relevant to Malta where con- struction is rampant and the flats being built are nowhere near what a person on the minimum wage can ever afford to buy or rent," Fr Mus- cat says. But Fr Muscat, a critic of what he says is the media's incorrect inter- pretation of Amoris Laetitia, has but one gripe about the Pope. "Francis does not follow the news and so is not sensitive to how his words can be manipulated," Fr Muscat says. He cites as an example Pope Fran- cis's comment on the flight back to Rome from Brazil in July 2013 when asked by a journalist what he would tell a gay person who comes to confession. "Who am I to judge?" was Pope Francis's response. "Francis's words were taken out of context and interpreted as if the Pope was endorsing same-sex marriage. This is not the case and in Amoris Laeti- tia the Pope spe- cifically said there were 'absolutely no grounds' to place unions between gay people on the same level as marriage," Fr Muscat says. He also offers a reductionist ap- proach to Amoris Laetitia that dif- fers from the generally held notion that it served as an 'opening' to Catholics in irregular situations. "What the Pope said was that Catholics in these complex situa- tions should start a discernment process with their spiritual director and only at the end of such a jour- ney should it be decided how and what to do… there was no rejection of Church teachings on marriage and the family," Fr Muscat argues. Fr Muscat's blunt depiction of Pope Francis contrasts with the views of others within the Catholic Church who see the round edges in the man. Perhaps Fr Bonnici sums up this 'conflict' when he argues the Pope has challenged priests to be more engaged with the people they serve. "The Pope's direction has been to encourage us to walk with peo- ple and help them to choose good within the circumstances they find themselves in," Fr Bonnici says. He likens the Pope's message to a GPS that provides alternative routes to the same destination even if the driver veers off the original path. This approach is distinct from the traditional black and white depic- tion of the Catholic faith. If anything, Pope Francis has in- jected grey into the equation and some feel this has only helped re- move the certainty of faith in an ever-changing society. This is more of an issue in a Malta where social change over the past five years has been rapid and wide- ranging with the introduction of divorce, gay marriage and intense debates on embryo freezing. Fr Bonnici acknowledges the challenge this poses but does not subscribe to the view that Pope Francis has made the Catholic faith irrelevant. "The Pope is not saying the com- pass has no north but what he is proposing is helping people find the best possible direction even if they live in the most complicated of situations," Fr Bonnici says. This approach requires a renewal among priests but also among lay people because it means a deeper understanding of Christ's message of mercy, he says. Pope Francis's balancing act be- tween uncompromising doctrine and a merciful approach that is not judgemental may be hard to com- prehend. It has challenged conserv- atives and liberals alike. The Archbishop describes Pope Francis as a man of "great wisdom and immense humility", who makes people feel comfortable in his pres- ence. This is possibly the Pope's win- ning card in his drive for change. And while the jury may still be out on how deep that change has been, it is clear that in just five years, Pope Francis has already left his mark on the Catholic church. ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt maltatoday SUNDAY 18 MARCH 2018 News LEFT: The frugal Pope, in a Fiat 500... RIGHT: Gozo Bishop Mario Grech says. "Through his fresh, simple words and actions, Francis has rekindled hope in the Church" Fr David Muscat Fr Jimmy Bonnici Pauline and the Miceli family would like to thank everyone for the support and sympathy shown for the loss of their dearest Charles Miceli who went to meet the Lord on 9 th March 2018. Thank you card .indd 2 13/03/2018 16:17 Pauline, Vanessa, Ivan and family would like to thank everyone for the support and sympathy shown for the loss of their dearest Charles Miceli who went to meet the Lord on 9 th March 2018.