OUR SAD SUPERFICIALITY

   In his recent encyclical, Evangelii Gaudium, (The Joy of the Gospels) Pope Francis criticized "trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world."  Francis goes on to say that this opinion has never been confirmed by the facts.

   Some critics immediately jumped to the conclusion that Francis was criticizing capitalism itself.  One critic proclaimed that capitalism, compared to other systems, does very well at bringing people out of poverty.  Fine!  I'm sure Francis would agree.  But Francis was not criticizing capitalism itself; he was criticizing an abuse of capitalism.  This critic was so caught up in his commitment to capitalism that he badly missed the pope's very important point.

   Francis is a man of deep and clear spiritual discernment.  For one thing, he knows it is not his job to tell any country what system of economics to use.  However, it is very much his job to discern any form of economic injustice within any system.  In sum, his job is not economics as such; it's spirituality and justice for all, with special concern for the poor.  So when he speaks of economics, his insight starts in eternity, permeates our space/time economics, and then uses the spiritual disciplines, e.g., order, justice, service to others, etc., to elevate economic systems and policies to the eternal principles of humanity and justice.

   Another critic got so upset over Francis' critique that he excitedly asked, "Where are these unhampered markets?" and "Where is the market absolutely autonomous?"  These questions, which are sadly free of any spiritual discernment of Francis' words, are an insult to the pope.  Francis obviously knows, along with everyone else, that there is no totally free market.  He is speaking of an assumption concerning a free market.

   I'm no economist but I can ask, "How would a totally unhampered market work?" and confidently come up with a plausible answer.  A point of our faith helps me:  here in space/time nothing is perfect.  Everything has an element of darkness, a "shadow-side," and will therefore inevitably stumble and fall along its way.  So a totally unregulated market would inevitably falter and cause economic harm.  In fact, even a regulated market will stumble at times.

   In the economic meltdown of 2008, our point of faith was confirmed by a sad and rugged insight:  Alan Greenspan, the past chairman of the Federal Reserve, lamented that the self-interest of the economic institutions didn't make them capable of protecting their shareholders and themselves.  Do not Francis' critics have ears to hear and eyes to see? (Mt. 13:9-16).

   Self-centered ideology and spiritual blindness easily make us susceptible to superficiality and to the high pitched propaganda that is being spewed by too many politicians--sadly, some of whom are Catholics--and by many radio and TV personalities.  Francis is showing us the importance of deep and clear, peace-and-justice filled spiritual discernment in our everyday lives.  And he is calling us to put our discernment into prophetic action for economic justice, with special care for the poor.  










    

TIME FOR TESTING THE SPIRIT

   During my doctoral studies in Rome, I lived at the North American College graduate house on the Via del Umilta':  Humility Street.  Humility Street is a very narrow street, one block from the Trevi Fountain.  For a while it was a chaos of two-way traffic with Fiat autos and Vespa motor scooters racing headlong at one another.  The situation got so bad that the Roman authorities changed the street from two-way traffic to One Way.

   One afternoon I opened the door and out of habit, looked both ways before stepping out.  It was siesta time and the street was empty.  Then to my right, a Fiat turned the corner and came in my direction--the wrong way.  I looked the other way and there at the corner stood a Roman policeman, waiting for the car to reach him.

   I said to myself, "The poor driver is going to get a ticket!"  But then, I saw the policeman look both ways down the cross street. Though I couldn't see, he saw that no traffic was coming either way.  So instead of stopping the driver and giving him a ticket, the policeman motioned the driver to continue past him and go on his way.  In that little experience, I saw the policeman take a "pastoral" approach rather than apply the literal meaning of the law.

   Cardinal-designate Gerhard Mueller, the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, takes a strict, literal approach to the law, including the teaching that divorced and remarried Catholics cannot receive Communion.  Recently, Cardinal Maradiaga, of Honduras, suggested that Mueller soften his approach and be more flexible.  Maradiaga noted that Mueller is German and is therefore accustomed to following the letter of the law.  Maradiaga, whose culture is closer to that of the Roman policeman, is suggesting that he take a pastoral approach.  Each approach must account for the other in our expression of morality. 

   Besides our approach to morality, our understanding of what is moral arises from several sources.  Most immediately, it arises from our everyday life-experiences, i.e., from our "everyday wisdom".  More deeply, it arises from reason--and this includes our best understanding of science and our best understanding of human nature.  Finally and most deeply, it arises from our Faith.  

   In the past, we have used these sources to change our moral teachings and approaches, e.g., on slavery, usury, and religious liberty.  Today we can legitimately ask, "Could there be reasons from everyday human experience, from reason itself, and from our Faith, that make it all right for divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion?  And if so, like that Roman policeman many years ago, can't our church leaders allow for these reasons?"

   Also, beyond the question of marriage and divorce, many Catholics today are looking anew into their lived experience, and at reason and our Faith, to question and re-discern the teachings on responsible contraception, on the gay expression of our humanity, and on the theology of women.  In many ways, this is a time for testing the Spirit. (Cf. 1 Thess. 5:19-22).