I wanted to call this one “Pope Francis Haters Gonna Hate.”
Of course, Pope Francis has a reputation for making some statements that are — let's just say that they're from a left-leaning perspective. My friend and cohost Stephen Kruiser and I have had some conversations about how frustrated he gets with the Pope Francis hate because, according to Kruiser, the pope's politics don't matter.
Since the pope is out of the hospital, I thought it would be a good springboard for a discussion about Pope Francis and Catholicism in general.
For context, I come from a background of independent churches with no hierarchy above the pastors and elders. I'm a founding member of the church where I serve (and was on staff for 13 years) from the time I was 16, and before that, I was part of a Christian Church congregation, which is non-denominational but affiliates with other Christian Church locations. So I don't understand denominational organizations in general. Needless to say, I had some questions.
We talked about the importance or lack thereof of the pope's stance on political issues, and we discussed Pope Francis' theological (small-o) orthodoxy. Kruiser explained to me what it means for a pope to make an official statement — a statement ex cathedra — and we learned that no pope has made a statement ex cathedra since... c'mon, did you think I would tell you? You'll have to listen to find out.
We also looked at how much more accommodating to the media Pope Francis is compared to previous popes, and we mused about how that must make his communications staff nervous. We wondered whether journalists try to trap him with questions to get him to say something progressive, and I learned about how recent of a phenomenon papal travel is.
Kruiser and I wondered if the Catholic Church has safeguards to prevent a progressive pope (not necessarily Francis, mind you) from lurching the church doctrine to the far left. Finally, we talked about how some people's dissatisfaction with their church, no matter the denomination, is a heart issue more than a genuine problem with the church.
We also made our feelings known about the "worship wars." It was the kind of wide-ranging discussion you've come to expect from us. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Previously on Faith All Over the Place, Episode 8: On Mission for Jesus With Pastor Kurt Petersheim
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