For those wondering what Pope Francis would do with all the conflicting ideas that emerged from his two Synods on the Family, the answer came Friday with publication of his 263 page Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, “The Joy of Love”. Reading through the document I see Francis continuing to admonish bishops and priests to end all law-bound judgments and replace them with understanding, empathy and mercy. His tone is pastoral throughout, as we would expect.
He calls for “a healthy dose of self-criticism” within the governing structures of the church. He says “we [church pastors]…find it hard to make room for the consciences of the faithful, who…are capable of carrying out their own discernment in complex situations. We have been called to form consciences, not to replace them. I imagine we can all celebrate that statement!
In the second chapter he says “we rejoice to see old forms of discrimination [against women] disappear, and within families there is a growing reciprocity. We must see in the women’s movement the working of the Spirit for a clearer recognition of the dignity and rights of women,” he says. He also condemns the claim that the women’s movement is the cause of many of today’s problems. He calls it “false, untrue, a form of male chauvinism.” Ah, yes! Another statement worth celebrating!
There is actually much good in this document, especially if you follow the heterosexual norm or see the world through that lens, or have less investment in women’s issues generally. But there are also statements within this long exhortation that will cause many of us to feel discouraged. For example, Francis’ vision of family does not include LGBT families. He quotes the final report from the 2015 Synod saying “there are absolutely no grounds for considering [gay] unions to be in any way similar…to God’s plan for marriage and family.” Those of us who have been waiting for affirming and inclusive statements from the Vatican, who have hoped for decisive words from Francis that welcome and include LGBT voices and insights—we will have to wait. There is no mention of the lived experiences of LGBT couples and individuals in this document. Francis still views women, gender and family in completely traditional ways.
For all its merciful improvement in tone, the document falls short of what many of us had hoped for due to a tragic absence of women’s voices and experiences, and the likewise notable absence of cross-cultural LGBT experiences of loving committed relationships that sustain family life against all odds. And the voices of actual families themselves are nowhere to be found.
The man at the top is still one of the high priests of the Sanhedrin. And though he is a man of prayer, a man open to the Spirit and demonstrating tremendous courage in the face of entrenched opposition from many of the other high priests, a man we can admire for his active engagement in many social justice issues, he still lives within a closed system. And that closed system ignores advances in theology, anthropology and psychology that could and should inform the development of doctrine, and encourage the growth of a more respectful and inclusive church and world. (more…)
