During an interfaith gathering in Singapore, the Pope went off-script from his prepared speech.

He emphasised that different faiths serve as "languages" leading to the same divine truth.

"There's only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God" Francis said, as reported by Crux Now.

"Some are Sheik, Muslim, Hindu, Christian and they are different paths [to God]".

False idea

This inclusive message has drawn sharp reactions from a number of bishops and theologians.

Archbishop Emeritus Charles Chaput of Philadelphia voiced his concerns in an article for First Things.

Chaput argued that the idea that all religions "carry the same weight is a false idea that the successor of Peter seems to support".

He called for Pope Francis to clarify his comments, urging him to reaffirm the Catholic Church's teachings on faith and salvation.

Chaput expressed concerns that the Pope's ambiguous statements could lead to confusion within the Church.

Similarly, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Texas, a vocal critic of Pope Francis, took to social media to question the Pope's stance.

"Please pray for Pope Francis to clearly state that Jesus Christ is the only Way. To deny this is to deny Him. If we deny Christ, He will deny us, He cannot deny Himself" Strickland posted.

Strickland has been a consistent critic of the Pope, particularly over issues such as abortion and LGBT rights, and his comments reflect a broader discomfort among traditionalist Catholics.

Rethink things thoroughly

Despite criticism of religious pluralism, some theologians have come to Pope Francis' defence.

Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger, a Viennese-based emeritus professor of Old Testament Studies, suggested that the Pope's remarks should not be overly scrutinised for theological precision.

"Catholics are often afraid to open their mouths.

"The fear of saying the wrong thing leads to a spiral of silence.

"But that is not the case with Pope Francis.

"He is not afraid of saying the wrong thing.

"Not everything he says is clever and sensible. You don't have to agree with everything he says" says Schwienhorst-Schönberger. But the Pope's words opened up the scope to rethink things thoroughly.

Sources

Washington Times

Katholisch

Premier Christian News

He says there is "a pattern of ambiguity" in Martin's writing and teaching.

Martin is the author of "Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity,".

"I find it necessary to emphasize that Father Martin does not speak with authority on behalf of the Church, and to caution the faithful about some of his claims," Chaput says.

Other bishops have also weighed in on Martin's message regarding homosexuality and Catholicism.

"Father Martin's public messages create confusion among the faithful and disrupt the unity of the Church by promoting a false sense that immoral sexual behavior is acceptable under God's law," one bishop, Thomas Paprocki wrote last week.

"People with same-sex attraction are indeed created and loved by God and are welcome in the Catholic Church.

"But the Church's mission to these brothers and sisters is the same as to all her faithful: to guide, encourage, and support each of us in the Christian struggle for virtue, sanctification, and purity.

Father Martin - no doubt unintentionally - inspires hope that the Church's teachings on human sexuality can be changed," the Paprocki's statement continued.

"... On the one hand, [he] correctly expresses God's love for all people, while on the other, he either encourages or fails to correct behavior that separates a person from that very love.

"This is deeply scandalous in the sense of leading people to believe that wrongful behavior is not sinful," Paprocki's statement said.

"This matter is not one of opinion, it is our Lord's own teaching, as we hear in Luke's Gospel: ‘Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,'" the bishop added.

In response Martin said he doesn't want to challenge church teaching.

He said one reason he doesn't focus on same-sex relations and same-sex marriage, which are impermissible (and immoral) under church teaching because LGBT Catholics have heard this repeatedly.

"Indeed, often that is the only thing that they hear from their church," he added.

Instead, Martin said he's trying to encourage Catholics to see LGBT people as more than just sexual beings, to see them in their totality, much as Jesus saw people on the margins.

Chaput responded saying he is sure Martin would agree ‘official' Church teaching is "based on the Word of God and centuries of experience with the human condition.

"Moreover, the point is not to ‘not challenge' what the Church believes about human sexuality, but to preach and teach it with confidence, joy, and zeal.

"Biblical truth liberates; it is never a cause for embarrassment," Chaput said.

Source

1. Catholic News Agency
2. Image: Catholic World Report

Chaput (who is the Archbishop of Philadelphia), says the critique "is one person's analysis; others may disagree.

"But it is substantive enough to warrant much wider consideration and discussion as bishop-delegates prepare to engage the synod's theme."

The critique highlights what the theologian sees as five principal theological difficulties in 'Instrumentum Laboris' - the working document for the Synod on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment.

He says the analysis warns that Instrumentum veers dangerously close to heresy - specifically the heresies of naturalism, Lutheranism and relativism.

These involve naturalism, an inadequate grasp of the Church's spiritual authority, a partial theological anthropology, a relativistic conception of vocation and an impoverished understanding of Christian joy.

It also says Instrumentum "displays a pervasive focus on socio-cultural elements to the exclusion of deeper religious and moral issues," and "expresses a desire to examine reality through the faith and experience of the Church, while "regrettably fail[ing] to do so."

The critique also claims Instrumentum exhibits an "inadequate grasp of the Church's spiritual authority," denying her role as a teaching authority.

According to Instrumentum: "The Church will opt for dialogue as her style and method… No vocation, especially within the Church, can be placed outside this ongoing dynamism of dialogue."

The critique says this amounts to saying: "The Church does not possess the truth but must take its place alongside other voices.

"Were the Church to abandon her ministry of preaching, that is, were the roles of the teaching Church and the listening Church to be inverted, the hierarchy itself would be inverted and the ministerial priesthood would collapse into the baptismal priesthood.

"In short, we would become Lutherans."

The anonymous theologian finishes the critique by accusing Instrumentum of taking a "relativistic conception of vocation."

He quotes references in Instrumentum about "personal holiness" and one's "own truth," adding: "This is relativism."

He warns against the "false humility" of prioritising "accompaniment" over that of preaching.

This, he says, "gives the impression that absolute truth is not found in God."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Catholic Herald
• Image: iglesiadesantiago.cl

B

The synod will gather bishops from around the world to discuss matters about "young people, the faith and vocational discernment."

"I have written the Holy Father and called on him to cancel the upcoming synod on young people.

"Right now, the bishops would have absolutely no credibility in addressing this topic," Chaput says. Read more

A quasi-parish is the equivalent of a parish under canon law, with some exceptions. It can later become a parish at the discretion of the local bishop.

"In response to a growing interest, it has become timely to provide additional pastoral care for those wishing to participate in Divine Worship in the Extraordinary Form," Chaput says.

The archbishop made his decision after consulting with local pastors, local priests who celebrate the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, and the archdiocese's Council of Priests.

From 1 August, the former St Mary parish in Conshohocken (which has been merged with another parish) will be handed to the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP).

The FSSP is an international fraternity of priests who celebrate exclusively according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (sometimes known as the traditional or Tridentine Latin Mass).

"While it remains to be seen if this community will flourish so as to become a [permanent] parish, the establishment of a quasi-parish to provide this spiritual care appears to be most fitting at this time," he added.

This year, the Vatican allowed the FSSP to celebrate Holy Week liturgy according to the pre-1955 rubrics.

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Catholic Herald
• Image: Exultate lusti in Domino

There is a medieval Christian saying, "no devil, no Redeemer," he says.

"The modern world makes it hard to believe in the devil. But it treats Jesus Christ the same way. And that's the point." Read more