"Pope Francis Effect" Visible at New Orleans Meeting of U.S. Catholic Bishops
By Theodore P. Mahne
There was a telling moment this week during the New Orleans gathering of the Roman Catholic bishops from across the United States, which hinted at the shift in tone among the leadership of the church. The 250 bishops, archbishops and cardinals assembled at the Cabildo and on the slate walkway of Jackson Square leading to the St. Louis Cathedral on Wednesday afternoon. They were preparing to celebrate the official opening Mass for the annual spring meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Also on the plaza was a group of demonstrators, a not-uncommon sight whenever leaders of a faith, government or industry convene, usually amid chants shouted from behind police barricades. This demonstration, however, was different. There was no police phalanx and no shouting. Consisting of about a dozen members, mostly middle-aged and older (like many of the bishops), the demonstrators quietly held up banners calling for the church to ordain women to the Catholic priesthood, a point of doctrine that popes have repeatedly said is unchangeable. As the bishops prepared for the grand procession into the historic cathedral, several walked over to the crowd with smiles on their faces and hands outstretched. The discussions were necessarily brief, but friendly and dignified on both sides. While clearly those small moments were not going to alter church doctrine, it showed that the bishops recognized that desire and need to reach out – especially to those members of the church who feel alienated from the faith. Call it the “Pope Francis effect.” The spring General Assembly of the USCCB is primarily a working meeting of the bishops. Most of the votes taken are procedural matters, through which further issues are taken up at the annual fall conference held in Baltimore each year. At the Hyatt Regency this week, they listened. They received updates on the charitable and relief work of the church, reports on the ongoing efforts to protect children from sexual abuse, and how to guide the faithful in the moral teachings of the church in face of an opposing secularized society. Throughout the panel presentations and consecutive deliberations, however, the most recurring image was that outstretched hand. Since his election as pope a little more than a year ago, Francis has captured the imagination of many across the world with his smile and expressions of simple humility. While he has not made any radical changes in the teachings of the Catholic Church – indeed, he has reaffirmed many issues in the same manner as his predecessors, Benedict XVI and Pope St. John Paul II. Through his style and personality, however, he has widened the focus, emphasizing the church’s social justice teachings particularly in how the poor are served. At this third national meeting since Francis’ election, the U.S. bishops appear to be embracing his approach and style of leadership and of living. Some might wonder what took them so long, which brings to mind an old Roman saying: “The church works in centuries, not in seconds.” The American bishops traditionally move at a somewhat quicker pace, and did incorporate much of Pope Francis’ vision in their work in New Orleans. Barely a speaker passed without quoting or making some reference to the pontiff. As the meetings were getting underway, New Orleans Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond pointed out in an interview how important it is for the church to open its arms to those who have suffered, who have faced injustice or otherwise have been hurt in the past. They must be invited back “lovingly into relationship with the church,” he said. That spirit was echoed by the leader of the USCCB’s National Advisory Council, a group comprised primarily of laity. In its role of advisement, the chairman, Fernando Montemayor, urged the bishops at Wednesday’s assembly to take on Francis’ call that the church act as a “field hospital.” “The church should re-examine how it reaches out to those experiencing brokenness,” he said. In addition, he called on the prelates to engage in “more dialogue and acceptance, rather than what is commonly perceived as judgment.” Where previous meetings may have included vigorous disagreement and debate, there was a palpable sense of collegiality and collaborative ministry in the Hyatt’s grand conference room and in the hallways outside it. The agenda, which is generally set months in advance, was adapted to include that stronger focus on the economy, poverty and the family. As the successors to the apostles, the bishops came to New Orleans ready to speak in one accord. “Our unity is very important,” Aymond said. “We are very much aware that we are directly related, spiritually and fraternally, with one another and with Pope Francis.” That aspect of prayerful fraternity is considered by many of the bishops one of the most valuable effects of these convocations. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, of the Archdiocese of Louisville, Ky., serves as the current president of the USCCB. He emphasized the importance of his colleagues reaching out to others and even to their brother bishops. On the church calendar, Wednesday’s Mass commemorated the Feast of St. Barnabas, one of Christ’s apostles. In his homily, Kurtz noted that a translation of St. Barnabas’ name from the Greek means “son of encouragement.” It was Barnabas who introduced Paul to the other apostles, he said, and just as Barnabas would join Paul in his travels, he urged his brother bishops – and all Christians – to live by that example. “We want to be encouragement to one another. We want to be Barnabas to one another,” especially when it is difficult to live that faith. Echoing the words of Pope Francis, Kurtz said “evangelization is the mission of the church, but not just of the few.” “Faith enriches public life; it enriches our entire culture.”
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