{"id":4383,"date":"2013-09-27T21:29:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-27T21:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/scholar-calls-for-discomfort-with-francis-to-spark-reflection\/"},"modified":"2013-09-27T21:29:00","modified_gmt":"2013-09-27T21:29:00","slug":"scholar-calls-for-discomfort-with-francis-to-spark-reflection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2013\/09\/scholar-calls-for-discomfort-with-francis-to-spark-reflection\/","title":{"rendered":"Scholar calls for discomfort with Francis to spark reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Milan, Italy, Sep 27, 2013 \/ 03:29 pm (CNA<\/a>).- The discomfort among some Catholics caused by Pope Francis' frank comments in his recent interview with Jesuit publications should become a source of personal reflection, according to a prominent Italian sociologist.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIt is always useful to try to understand, to transform even the discomfort into cultural and political reflection, rather than keeping it in and later spitting it out as poison, as is the case with so many angry comments that now proliferate on the Internet,\u201d Massimo Introvigne, a sociologist of religion, wrote in a letter to the editor of Il Foglio, an Italian daily.<\/p>\n

\tIn addition to being a noted sociologist and author, Introvigne is the founder and managing director of the Center for Studies on New Religions, a group of scholars from around the globe who study new religious movements. He is the main author of the Encyclopedia of Religions in Italy and has worked with both the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on matters of religious liberty and persecution.<\/p>\n

\tHe is also a leading member of Alleanza Cattolica, a movement which aims to study and to diffuse the Church's social doctrine. His letter can be read in an English translation at CNA in full here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\tIn his letter, Introvigne highlighted the great continuity between Pope Francis and his predecessor, Benedict XVI, explaining that when reading an interview of a Pope, one must remember that the medium itself \u2013 interviews \u2013 can be easily misunderstood.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe way of expressing oneself in an interview is not the same as in an encyclical. It is much easier to find sentences susceptible to being pulled out of context and thrown maliciously onto the front page,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

\tThe scholar observed that two main subjects which have caused irritation among the faithful are Pope Francis' comments on the extraordinary form, or Traditional Latin Mass; and his insistence that the Church \u201ccannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tRegarding the Traditional Latin Mass, Introvigne noted that while Benedict XVI did want to present the riches of this rite to the entire Latin Church and Pope Francis\u2019 comments seem to portray this effort as an attempt to reach small, marginal groups, the current and former Roman Pontiffs are agreed in believing that the Traditional Latin Mass must not be exploited as the center of ideological rejection of the Second Vatican Council.<\/p>\n

\tIntrovigne noted that with respect to \u201clife issues,\u201d Pope Francis realizes that \u201cin a world very far from the faith,\u201d he must \u201cbegin again from the first announcement\u201d of the Gospel.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIt isn\u2019t that the moral proclamation isn\u2019t part of the Christian message, nor that Francis is thinking about changing doctrine,\u201d the sociologist said. \u201cBut moral teaching for the Pope comes after the proclamation of salvation through the mercy of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tRather than accepting the battle ground of morals chosen by secularizing forces, he said, Pope Francis \u201cannounces compassion and mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cOthers, who are also uncomfortable about their strategies and priorities, may also permit themselves to be enthused by the heart of the Magisterium of Pope Bergoglio, the invitation to 'go out' and proclaim the faith to those who don\u2019t go to church,\u201d Introvigne wrote.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThat the world needs so many things, but that without the faith one cannot survive, was \u2013 after all \u2013 also the greatest teaching of Benedict XVI.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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