Whither Francis effect? After the March 2013 election of Pope Francis, many were ecstatic about the ‘Francis effect’. Some four years later, Francis’s defects seem to have eclipsed the ‘Francis effect’, as follows:

A sugarcoated ‘filial correction’ signed by over 60 conservative churchmen sent to Pope Francis in August 2017 accused him of ‘heresies effected by Amoris Laetitia’ and of giving ‘scandal concerning faith and morals.’ In September 2016, four conservative cardinals submitted dubia-literally, ‘doubts’-covertly contesting his orthodoxy. Moreover, a July 31, 2017 letter of US Capuchin, Thomas Weinandy-member of Vatican’s International Theological Commission-faulted him for ‘demeaning’ doctrine, ‘calumny’ against his critics and appointing bishops who ‘scandalize’ believers with ‘dubious teaching and pastoral practice’.

Building upon my experience at GC 36, with theological tidbits I respond to these dubia not only arising from pitfalls of the Pope’s detractors, but also from antiquated theological bulwarks that bolster these dubia.

The Pope’s Surprise: As moderator of GC 36 ‘Commission on the Renewal of Jesuit Life and Mission’ (LMC) for drafting decrees, my LMC colleagues and I were hoping that Pope Francis would dish out clear-cut ‘apostolic preferences’ in his October 24, 2016 address to the GC. Francis surprised us. Instead of directives and decrees, he highlighted discernment.

Discernment, I realized, was the bedrock anchoring Pope Francis’s 3-point allocution to Jesuit companions at GC 36, “Seek consolation. Be crucified with Christ. Do good with a good spirit in communion with the Church.” Consolation, Crucifixion, Church-all dependent on discernment.

The March 2017 issue of JIVAN contained my article: ‘The A-B-C-D of GC 36’ with Audacity, Bridging, Collaboration, Discernment, summ-arizing GC 36. Let’s now examine six areas of dubia beginning with A-B-C-D-E-F-G. ‘D’ remains unchanged: Discernment!

A. Amoris Laetitia (AL) is the serious bone of contention. Aware of ground realities and being pastorally sensitive to irregular unions, AL n.305 reads, “[I]t is possible that in an objective situation of sin-which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully such-a person can be living in God’s grace, can love and can also grow in the life of grace and charity, while receiving the Church’s help to this end.” The attached footnote n.351 reads, “In certain cases this can include the help of the sacraments,” mildly suggesting that divorced and remarried couples may receive communion. AL 305 adds, “Discernment must help to find possible ways of responding to God.”

Pope Francis feels that inspired by God’s Spirit, Christians are capable of discernment in moral matters. But, Cardinals Raymond Burke, Walter Brandmüller, Carlo Caffarra and Joachim Meisner-drafters of the dubia-doggedly say: No! After submitting their dubia, Caffarra and Meisner have earned eternal rest. But, other anti-Francis hierarchs remain restless.

Pope Francis feels that inspired by God’s Spirit, Christians are capable of discernment in moral matters.

B. Bishops, post-Constantine, sometimes consider themselves as ‘princes’ owning episcopal palaces, donning royal paraphernalia and demanding unquestioning obedience. Pope Francis’s simple dress and disposition, strikingly different from that of Burke & Co., puts paid to episcopal ostentation. While Francis incarnates VC II’s Christus Dominus exhortation (n.16) to every bishop, ‘to be with his people as one who serves’, his advice is detested by princely bishops.

In April 2013, Francis constituted the ‘council of cardinals’ from around the globe. September 2013, denouncing the ‘psychology of princes’, he advised bishops, “Stay among your people. Don’t be ‘airport bishops’!” June 2017, Francis said to newly installed cardinals, “You are not called to be ‘Princes of the Church’ but rather to serve, attentive to the sin of the world.” Such reminders are resented by those wielding ecclesiastical power.

C. The Church according to Pope Francis must be poor, synodal, discerning, open-door, welcoming, outgoing and bruised. In Evangelii Gaudium (EG) n.47 and AL n.310, he repeats, “The Church is not a tollhouse; it is the house of the Father, where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems.” Love and mercy must mark our church as the true ‘Body of Christ’. This conception of the Church is unacceptable to churchmen who have always functioned within a pyramidal-modelled Church with grace trickling down to the laity-who merely pray, pay, and obey.

E. The Eucharist is the greatest Christ-given gift sustaining Catholic life. Five hundred years ago, besides critiquing the Mass as sacrifice and ‘transubstantiation’, Protestants objected to legalism, ritualism and Latinism, fuelled by Pharisaic clerics who controlled, categorized and condemned. Francis neither categorizes nor condemns. Rather, in his 24 September, 2013 homily he said, “The Eucharist is not a magic rite but an encounter with Jesus, who accompanies us in life.” Isn’t this real presence? In AL’s controversial footnote n.351, he reiterates EG n.47, “The Eucharist is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.”

On October 22, 2017, Pope Francis reminded Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, that ‘recognition’ of local liturgical translations must rest with the Bishops’ Conferences, worldwide, while the job of the Vatican Congregation is merely to ‘confirm’ what is locally decided. Cardinals Burke and Sarah are unaccustomed to function outside the Augustinian: ‘Roma locuta, causa finita est’ framework. Frictions in all the above-mentioned areas arise largely because of the last two points-Faith and God-image-most crucial to our reflections.

F. Faith till the late Middle Ages meant saying “Amen” to all that the magisterium decreed. But, with the Enlightenment threatening the Church’s monopoly over truth and the Reformation’s sola fides (only faith) dictum denying any role for reason, the Church had to stress its ‘reason-able’ certitude in matters of faith and morals. Consequently, faith entailed assenting to timeless truths-the depositum fidei- entrusted to the Church by God.

VC II’s understanding of faith qualitatively differs from that of VC I. In 1870, VC I’s Dei Filius explained the Catholic understanding of faith, revelation and God in terms of a ‘propositional model’ while VC II’s Dei Verbum turned things upside down. Faith is no longer seen as mere intellectual assent to propositions descending from above, but as an invitation to enter into relationship with Jesus Christ. The latter ‘personal model’ necessitates a love for Jesus and a commitment to Christ’s cause. Finally, everything boils down to: Who is God for me, for us?

G. God created us in God’s image and likeness (Gen 1:26-27), but unfortunately we re-create God in our image and likeness. Being calculative, judgmental, conditional, unforgiving, etc., we construct distorted images of God and indulge in idolatry. Pope Francis strives to correct this God-image by exhorting us to “gaze at Jesus”. For Francis, God is not nameless, faceless, placeless, but has a name, Jesus; shows his face: merciful; and takes his place: beside us. Jesus walks with us and talks to us. To know God, Pope Francis suggests ‘three languages’ – of the mind (study), heart (prayer) and action (discipleship).

Our Pope of Hope: Despite the dubia Pope Francis exudes joy and hope because he communes with God. Reversing the order that I have adopted, his ‘God of mercy’ image fortifies his faith (F). His faith is nourished by the Eucharist (E) which moulds his image of the Church (C). With the Church modelled upon Christ, we will surely have Christ-like bishops (B) who will understand the dynamics of ‘amor’ (A) and with joy will stop commanding, categorizing and condemning. Didn’t Augustine say, “Love, and do as you please?” Discernment, Pope Francis believes, will ensure that you never go astray.