By Father Anthony F. Raso

IT IS A matter of fascination to me that, after all these years, we have a pope who can be described as “controversial.” A lot of people think he’s terrific, a breath of fresh air (I’m one of them), but plenty of others don’t like him at all and believe that he is messing things up.

I have two Communion calls – certainly no youngsters – who think that he’s changing the rules in the direction of the left side of the divide. I am amazed at the vehemence of their opinions. It occurs to me that, while he’s really not changing much at all, anything that has the air of “change” to it, is very unwelcome, and not just to a few of us.

In our first reading today, from the Acts of the Apostles, we read that change was in the air even in the earliest days of the Church. One side, consisting of saints, thought that Jesus was the promised Messiah of the Jewish nation – and they were right – and that consequently nothing of the Jewish traditions or laws ought to be touched.

The other side – consisting of other saints – thought that, no, when Jesus sent out His disciples to “all the earth” and the message was heard by the gentiles, then there was no way around it: Things had to be adjusted. Matters obviously grew very tense and thus, we had the first council of the Church at Jerusalem.

On one side were people like Pope John Paul II who are committed to maintaining the traditions of the faith. On the other side were people more like Pope Francis, who saw that the situation was changing and that those adjustments had to be made. It was only after much discussion – and prayer – that the decision was reached and as we hear today, it was the “Pope Francis side” that prevailed.

However, that doesn’t mean that the “Pope John Paul” side lost: It means that the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ won. The Church was then, is now and always will be us, all of us, in our time and at our place in history. That decision not to “burden people beyond necessities” is what Pope Francis is addressing himself these days. Inasmuch as he is acting upon a tradition that goes back to the Council of Jerusalem, it is a rather “conservative” way of thinking. As Time magazine wrote about Pope Francis, he is not changing the words, but just changing the music.

The latest papal pronouncement that is getting under some people’s skins is his teaching about those divorced people. The pope wants to call them back home. His critics think that since they left of their own accord, there is no place left for them at the table. You have to have laws in the Church and if you don’t stay true to those laws, then you’re going to have chaos. Right?

A lot of people certainly agree with that in the name of common sense. The problem is that Jesus, and Paul and Barnabas, are not among them. The first covenant was laid down via Moses on Mount Sinai. The New Covenant was proclaimed by Jesus on the mountain and ratified on Pentecost by the Holy Spirit.

While cherishing the Ten Commandments as we should, and in respecting all of the traditions of our faith, we also have to take a breath every now and then. We need to think about how we’re doing as a Church, matching our decisions against those of the Good Shepherd. We must make adjustments that bring us into line with His teachings of love and the Holy Spirit’s promptings of welcome and forgiveness.

As St. John describes the kingdom of God in our second reading today, it is glorious, bright, strong, awesome and beautiful to behold. Angels are stationed at the gates and the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel are inscribed at those gates, which face in all directions. The traditions of our Judeo-Christian faith are strong and holy and forever blessed.

Discerning the Needs

However, the foundations beneath them, as St. John tells us, are the Twelve Apostles, the same men who struggled and prayed at the Council of Jerusalem to discern what Jesus needed them to do, and came to the conclusion that He wanted those gates opened a lot more so that a lot more people would be welcome. Then it was the gentiles who were the friends of Paul and Barnabas. Now it is the divorced people who are touching the heart of the successor of one of those Apostles, Peter, and his name is Francis.

In our Gospel today, Jesus calls upon us – His Apostles in a new age – to keep His Word. To do that well, we have to remember that, while holding onto our traditions, His Word is the Word of the Good Shepherd. He is always following His Sacred Heart in bringing home to that beautiful kingdom His lost sheep. We mustn’t forget that. Pope Francis certainly hasn’t.A