What Does Pope Francis Mean When He Says...?

            Recently, Pope Francis has been quoted saying some strange things.  Inside and outside the Catholic Church, questions abound as to what the Holy Pontiff could possibly mean.
            Since his election to the Papacy on March 13, 2013, Pope Francis has been turning heads with his outspoken remarks.  However, everything Pope Francis is saying about the Church is nothing new.  The subjects he refers to are only being brought to light in a very different way than that of his predecessors.

            “If someone is gay and searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”  What Pope Francis means is: its wrong to judge others, it is a task reserved for God.  It is necessary to use a well-formed conscience to discern whether or not an action itself is sinful, but one must not judge the actual person.  Pope Francis also means that everybody is a sinner and everybody deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.

            “We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.”  The Catholic Church wills everyone to be saved and prays that all can come to know Jesus as his or her savior.  However, if people do not look to Jesus for redemption, arguing and fighting about it will not help.  The pope wants all people, regardless of beliefs to be united in their vocation to serve others.

           

Cardinal Timothy Dolan said, on the different but effective style of Pope Francis’s preaching:  “The way he’s doing it is so fresh and is so captivating, but he’s not really changing anything of the essence of the church.”

A CBS Interview with Cardinal Dolan on the message of Pope Francis: