To judge the Pope's interview, recognize his objective

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Oct 04, 2013

To all those readers who are disturbed by the statements of Pope Francis—and I know there are many—let me suggest a few mental exercises that may lead to a calmer perspective.

First, ask yourself whether Eugenio Scalfari, the Italian atheist who conducted the latest interview, is closer to the Catholic faith now than he was a month ago. If he is closer, then the Pope’s conversation with him served a useful pastoral purpose. Bear in mind that the interview published in La Repubblica was not a magisterial statement. Nor was it even the usual sort of formal interview, in which a public figure (in this case the Pope) is asked a series of questions that enable him to put his ideas on the public record. Notice that the Pope didn’t just answer questions; he also asked some questions of his own. This was a personal conversation: an exchange between the Holy Father and his new friend. What the Pope said was directed toward Eugenio Scalfari, not toward the world at large.

You might question whether it’s wise to put that sort of conversation on the record. Remarks one makes to a friend, sitting side by side, might be interpreted quite differently by people who read a written transcript, and a line of argument that works well for one individual might not be appropriate for a general audience. But even if you think it was imprudent for the Holy Father to put this conversation in print (and I’d agree), you must recognize the nature of the interview in order to read it intelligently. So again: Is Eugenio Scalfari closer to the faith?

Next, ask yourself how previous Pontiffs handled conversations of this sort. The answer, I think, is that we don’t know. Every Pope has private conversations, certainly, but until now those conversations have never found their way into print. Pope Francis is deliberately demystifying the papacy; in a variety of ways he is showing that he is an ordinary man, not a great potentate. If you consider this conduct unbecoming of a Pontiff, consider the words of St. Peter to Cornelius: “Stand up; I too am a man.” [Acts 10:26]

Finally, think about the “Courtyard of the Gentiles,” the Vatican program launched in 2011, at the suggestion of Pope Benedict XVI, to promote dialogue between Christians and non-believers. The Courtyard of the Gentiles has organized high-profile events in several European cities, with noted philosophers, artists, and political leaders as participants. All those meetings, all those press conferences, all those speeches, have not done as much to stimulate an actual dialogue as this one conversation between the Pope and an Italian journalist.

So now let broaden the question that I asked above. Are the world’s non-believers closer to the Catholic faith as a result of the Pope’s unusual approach? If they are, then that progress must be weighed against the discomfort of some Catholic readers.