Allegations regarding decades of covered up sexual abuse within the Church and its institutions have mired its reputation and shocked Christians and non-believers globally. Regardless of the crisis gripping the Church, one man’s image has been untouched by the controversy, until now.
Pope Francis, the 266th head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City, started his rule in 2013. Upon his election, His Holiness broke new ground by being the first Pope from the Americas, the first non-European since the 8th century, and the first Jesuit to hold the position. From the beginning of his Papacy, it was clear he possessed a conviction to do things differently. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he is the first Pope to name himself after St. Francis of Assisi, a symbol as this Saint was a son of a wealthy businessman that forfeited his status and luxury to devote himself towards a life of humility and service. Even his clothing choices echoed this sentiment; wearing soft leather loafers rather than red Prada slippers as worn by Pope Benedict XVI, and refusing the usual gold cross in favour of a silver one. This more ‘human’ approach forms part of a broader effort by Francis to return Church focus to service and ministry rather than elitism, which has only bolstered his popularity.
In addition, Francis has sought to depart from the moral relativism and “small-minded” rules of the past by modernising Church teachings, in an attempt to render the institution more forgiving and approachable. These more accepting attitudes concern controversial issues such as homosexuality, abortion, female representation in the church and the prohibition of wedded priests. However, in no way has he sought to radically revolutionise the Catholic Church, and the extent to his progressive nature is questionable. Regardless, the Pope’s pursuit of reform is an arduous feat given the Church is a body ingrained in millennia of tradition.
Pope Francis has distanced the church from Bible verses Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 (which call homosexuality an “abomination”) through numerous statements including the famous, “Who am I to judge?”; encouraging parents of gay children to allow them to “express themselves”; and reportedly telling a homosexual man in March 2018 that “God made you this way and loves you this way”. However, the Pontiff continues to stand by the promotion of celibacy between gay people, believes homosexuals should not become priests, and that the traditional heterosexual family is the only one made “in the image of God”.
Similarly, Francis is seen to have adopted a softer stance in relation to abortion by allowing all priests the right to forgive women who have abortions, extending this right through an apostolic letter released in 2016. Despite this, the Pope has likened abortion of children with disability to the ‘race purification’ practices of the Nazi regime, and has continued to propagate the Church teaching that abortion is a “grave sin”.
The Pontiff has also been sympathetic to those conflicted between priesthood and marriage and has expressed the possibility for viri probati (married priests) to become a reality in future. Although, Francis has clarified that he opposes voluntary celibacy for all priests. Moreover, the Pope strives to increase female representation within the Roman Curia (the administrative collective of the Roman Catholic Church), appointing three women in its peak body, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. However, he remains unwilling to depart from the prohibition on female priests.
Overall, Francis’ Papacy has generally been well accepted by more liberal Christians and by the broader community, however these changes have made the Pope a target of conservatives within the Church that are antagonised by the Pontiff’s modernisation agenda. Notably, Cardinal Raymond Burke filed a formal complaint regarding Francis’ actions to the Roman Curia; and it is alleged conservative Christians plastered posters throughout Rome in early 2017 which questioned the intentions of the Pontiff’s reform agenda. Thus, the Pope’s efforts have created enemies.
As such, Francis faces a great threat to his Papacy, particularly in the midst of the sexual abuse scandal gripping the Catholic Church. It has been uncovered that around the world there are thousands of victims of institutional sex abuse, and that these crimes were covered up for decades. The revelations have evoked horror and hostility in Christians and non-Christians and has tarnished the reputation of the Church. Some have sought to capitalise on the crisis by shifting the onus of responsibility, and to the detriment of Francis, this means pointing the finger at the head of the institution. This came in a letter released by the former papal ambassador to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, which claimed that the Pope appointed Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick as a “trusted counsellor” despite being aware of sexual abuse allegations against him, and that in fact Francis helped hide the allegations. Coinciding with the letters release, Vigano called for the Pope’s resignation, which has been supported by Vigiano’s Catholic colleagues that are at odds with the Pontiff’s modern approach. Problematically, the Pope has remained silent on the issue causing increased speculation as to the validity of the claims. The accusation coupled with the anger of millions demanding action and retribution for the victims of Church sex abuse may destabilise Francis’ reputation and popularity to the extent of rendering him fragile. Furthermore, if accusations continue to be mounted, or any of them become substantiated then the Pope may be forced to resign his position.
However, the Pope’s saving grace may come in the form of the doubts surrounding Vigiano’s claims. The former papal ambassador considers homosexuality to be the root cause of the sexual abuse crisis plaguing the Church, a belief held by other conservative clergymen, and all of them share a dissatisfaction with Francis’s leadership on LGBT issues. As such, Vigano’s letter could be construed as part of a broader theological divide within the Church and an attempt to undermine the current Pontiff and his more progressive views. Another explanation could be vengeance that Vigano may possess as the Pope fired him from his papal duties for attempting to meet with Kim Davis, a conservative Kentucky clerk who infamously refused to sign same-sex marriage licenses. Supporters of Francis also raise how at a 2012 Church award dinner – a time in which Vigiano claims McCarrick’s crimes were well known – Vigano boasted of his admiration of McCarrick and presented him with an award, instead of revealing his misconduct and any cover up. Hence, the claim remains dubious and is not yet sufficient to topple the sitting Pope.
Pope Francis does not only have to navigate the Catholic Church through the dire mess that is the sexual abuse crisis but also needs to defend himself from severe accusations levied against him from his opponents. With much required to repair the Catholic Church’s reputation and regain the trust of the public, Francis has an extremely difficult task on his hands. So far he has fared well in handling the crisis, but any mismanagement could result in his position being further undermined. The questions that loom are: How will the Pope manage the crisis? How will it impact his papacy? How will Francis be remembered? And will the pressure of the crisis and his opposition force him to resign?
For those of us hoping these questions are not answered in the affirmative, we can only pray.
