{"id":46395,"date":"2013-08-05T00:16:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-05T07:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/markshea\/?p=46395"},"modified":"2014-12-29T22:17:29","modified_gmt":"2014-12-30T05:17:29","slug":"john-allen-on-the-one-word-to-describe-francis-papacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/markshea\/2013\/08\/john-allen-on-the-one-word-to-describe-francis-papacy.html","title":{"rendered":"John Allen on the one word to describe Francis’ papacy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

He pretty much nails it:<\/a><\/p>\n

The one-word interpretive key to Francis\u2019 news conference and arguably to his entire papacy to date: \u201cmercy.\u201d<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve written before, each recent pope has had a catchphrase that represents his core emphasis. For John Paul II, it was \u201cBe not afraid!\u201d, a call to revive the church\u2019s missionary swagger after a period of introspection and self-doubt. For Benedict, it was \u201creason and faith,\u201d the argument that religion shorn of self-critical reflection becomes extremism while human reason without the orientation of ultimate truths becomes skepticism and nihilism.<\/p>\n

For Francis, his signature idea is mercy. Over and over again, he emphasizes God\u2019s endless capacity to forgive, insisting what the world needs to hear from the church above all today is a message of compassion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I think that\u2019s why he\u2019s so popular and so hated. Forget the pelvic issues. Mercy is the most scandalous teaching in the Church\u2019s entire corpus of moral doctrine.<\/a> It is always seen by rigorists and ideologues as weakness. Like the Cross was.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

He pretty much nails it: The one-word interpretive key to Francis\u2019 news conference and arguably to his entire papacy to date: \u201cmercy.\u201d As I\u2019ve written before, each recent pope has had a catchphrase that represents his core emphasis. For John Paul II, it was \u201cBe not afraid!\u201d, a call to revive the church\u2019s missionary swagger […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[448],"class_list":["post-46395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-whereto-serves-mercy-but-to-confront-the-visage-of-offense"],"yoast_head":"\nJohn Allen on the one word to describe Francis' papacy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"He pretty much nails it: The one-word interpretive key to Francis' news conference and arguably to his entire papacy to date: "mercy." 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