Pope Francis invited his senior team to be vigilant against “ideological fixations”. Those who work in the Curia must follow the light of the Good News, which “sometimes leads us to look for unexplored paths and to tread new paths”, said the Pope in his Christmas address to his leaders this Thursday.
We are documenting here in the official text the speech at the Christmas reception that Pope Francis gave this Thursday to cardinals, prelates and lay people in high positions…
Francisco based his thinking on three verbs that he recommended for practice: listen, distinguish, move. He attributed selected figures from the Christmas scene to these three guiding principles: Mary, John the Baptist, and the Magi.
Listen instead of judging
In the Curia “it is necessary to learn the art of listening”, said the Pope, that is, listening to others openly and without prejudice. Because: “Sometimes, when communicating with each other, we run the risk of behaving like ravenous wolves: we immediately try to devour the other person's words without really listening, and we immediately impose our impressions and judgments on them.” To overcome communication behavior, the Pope recommended – following Mary's example – a central practice of the Synodal Church, namely silence: “an interior silence, but also a space of silence between listening and responding. First we listen, then we absorb in silence, we reflect, we interpret and only then can we give an answer.”
Have the humility of discernment
Secondly, this type of mutual listening helps to “distinguish the method of our actions”, said the Pope. He pointed to John the Baptist, the stern preacher who had to radically rethink his idea of Jesus. John initially presented Jesus as a harshly condemning judge who would “finally judge sinners.” Instead, when Jesus came, he showed kindness and mercy. “The Baptist feels that he must discern in order to see with new eyes,” explained the Pope. “Jesus was not what he expected and, therefore, the Forerunner must also convert to the new reality of the Kingdom of God and have humility and courage to discern.”
“Distinction frees us from the presumption of knowing everything.”
Discernment, as an art of spiritual life, has an almost liberating function, continued Francisco. It frees us “from the presumption of knowing everything, from the danger of believing that it is enough to apply the rules; of the temptation, even in the life of the Curia, to simply follow the same patterns repeatedly, without considering that the mystery of God always surpasses us”, said the Pope, who this week, to the surprise of many of his senior officials, announced the blessing of the homosexual couples under permitted conditions.
In his Christmas speech, Francisco noted that “people's lives and the reality that surrounds us are and will always be superior to ideas and theories”. they are able to choose paths and make decisions that do not follow worldly criteria or that are simply based on the application of rules, but that are in accordance with the gospel.”
“When God calls, he always sets in motion”
In the third point – moving – Francis referred to the astrologers who left and wanted to meet the Lord with joy. The Pope described this departure as a departure from one's own certainties. “The Christian faith – let us remember – does not want to reinforce our certainties”, said Francis, “nor does it want to give us quick answers to the complex problems of life. On the contrary, when God calls, he always sets in motion.”
This is why the leadership of the Curia, at the center of the universal Church, must always be on the move. There is a temptation to “stay still and 'wander' within our closed areas and our fears,” Francis said verbatim. “Fears, rigidity and stereotyped repetition create an immobility that has the apparent advantage of not creating problems.”
“Let us remain vigilant against an ideological fixation that often separates us from reality under the pretext of good intentions”
The Latin motto “quieta non movere”, loosely translated: do not wake sleeping dogs, leads to nothing other than “that we walk in circles in our labyrinths, and as a result the service of the Church and the entire world suffers. They are called. And let us remain vigilant against an ideological fixation that often, under the pretext of good intentions, separates us from reality and prevents us from moving forward.” Like the Magi, Church leaders must set out and follow the light, “which sometimes leads us to seek unexplored paths and open new paths” – “with humility and wonder”.
Progressives and conservatives? Best: those in love and accustomed
Francis weaved new thinking on the topic of conservative and progressive, a comparison that has characterized debates on reforms of the Catholic Church in Western countries since the Second Vatican Council. “Continuing requires courage,” said the Pope, but ultimately everything is “a matter of love”, of “the embers beneath the ashes of the Church”. From Francis' perspective, the distinction between progressives and conservatives, that is, between reformers and preservationists, does not matter today. The central difference is between those who are “in love” and those who are “accustomed”. “This is the difference. Only those who love move forward.”
Finally, in his Christmas address, which had a very soft tone compared to previous editions, Francisco thanked his senior employees for their commitment and their work, “especially for the work they carry out in silence”. He recommended himself with two requests: not to lose his sense of humor and to say a prayer for him before the manger.
(Vatican news – gs)
