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Ever since George Bush introduced the distinction into an interview, the media has been asking of presidents: “Is he a uniter or a divider?” It is interesting to ask it of Pope Francis as well. Is he a uniter or a divider?
Some think he has come to save the Catholic Church by his openness and love; some think he has come to undermine it by playing fast and loose with its rules. Alternatively, some think he is hopelessly stuck on doctrine; others think he is anxious to break free of Church teaching.
The truth is the Pope is divisive and uniting because he is above all a pastor.
From the very beginning, Pope Francis’s message has been clear. His audience is neither the Right nor the Left: It’s the lapsed — as well it should be. Jesus warned us that a good pastor will spend his time going after the lost sheep, not with those of us who have never strayed.
As Cardinal Raymond Burke, put it: “The Holy Father, it seems to me, wishes to pare back every conceivable obstacle people may have invented to prevent themselves from responding to Jesus Christ’s universal call to holiness.”
This is why many critics are uneasy about some of Francis’s moves on marriage. Francis has spoken at length about reaching out to those who need a path back into the Church. And he is busy building those paths: Not by changing doctrine, but by helping more people meet doctrine’s demands.
Full Story: Pope Francis: Uniter or Divider?
Source: Aleteia