The Face of Mercy / Daniel Conway

Unity and transparency are essential to Church’s mission

(En Espanol)

This public entrustment of responsibility, which has been passed on to [St. Peter’s] successors, is shared in varying degrees by all those who directly or indirectly assist the pope in fulfilling his mission. (Pope Francis, address to members of the Papal Foundation, April 21)

On Friday, April 21, Pope Francis met with members of the Papal Foundation, a group of lay men and women who assist the pope in his worldwide ministry, especially through their financial contributions.

In his address to the group, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude for the foundation’s work. He also challenged the members to bear in mind two important aspects of their participation in the Petrine ministry: unity and transparency.

It’s no secret that some Catholics in the United States, and in other parts of the world, are uncomfortable with the current pope’s emphasis on poverty, migrants and people who live on the “peripheries” of social acceptance. It’s safe to assume that some of those who are at odds with Pope Francis are current or former members of the Papal Foundation. With this in mind, the pope’s words take on an added significance.

In his address to foundation members, the Holy Father said:

Sadly, we see more and more in our own day how the unity of the Church is wounded by division. And the devil is a specialist in fighting against unity; he is a specialist! This is often caused by the influence of ideologies and movements that while at times well intentioned, end up fomenting parties and criticism, with each one developing a certain superiority complex when it comes to insight into the authentic practice of the faith.

Pope Francis strongly rejects what he calls “a superiority complex” which he equates with hypocrisy—the attitude assumed by Pharisees and other religious leaders in the Gospels. Jesus did not tolerate smugness or self-righteousness in his day, and Pope Francis regularly rebukes those clergy, religious and lay people in the Church who portray themselves as “holier-than-thou” instead of showing the same understanding and compassion that Jesus asks of all his disciples.

The pope’s call to foster unity in our increasingly divided Church and world demands a degree of tolerance and understanding that does not mean anything goes, but rather challenges us as missionary disciples who follow Jesus Christ to be merciful and non-judgmental.

In addition to fostering unity, Pope Francis says that transparency is an essential feature of papal ministry. For the past 10 years, Pope Francis has worked to make the Vatican more accountable in its finances and in its decision making. The pope is the first to admit that while progress has been made, much work remains.

His address to members of the Papal Foundation underscores the importance of transparency in the Church’s ministry:

As you are aware, the Holy See has been making strides in these past years to guarantee that the services provided to the universal Church and to society in general by its various dicasteries, institutions and offices is carried out with appropriate transparency.

This is especially important in its service of charity, which relies on the good will and generosity of so many people around the world. While not comparable to the immense harm resulting from the failure to protect the most vulnerable from various forms of abuse, financial scandals caused by a lack of oversight and transparency also damage the good name of the Church and can call into question the credibility of the faith itself, even if such thinking is always misguided.

Financial scandals, which have happened in parishes and dioceses as well as in the Vatican, can also destroy the Church’s credibility as a responsible steward of resources entrusted to the Church’s care.

Here Pope Francis praises the Papal Foundation for its efforts to help the Church be more accountable.

In this regard, I thank and commend the Papal Foundation for its ongoing commitment to maintain appropriate measures of transparency so that the funding of scholarships and projects truly benefits those in need and contributes to the building up of the kingdom of God on Earth.

Unity and transparency are not easy to achieve or maintain. That’s why Pope Francis calls on the Holy Spirit to accompany him, and all who work to assist him, in carrying out his ministry as pope.
 

(Daniel Conway is a member of The Criterion’s editorial committee.) †