Pope at in-flight press conference: all are welcome in Church, and those inside follow Church’s legislation
August 07, 2023
» Continue to this story on Vatican News
CWN Editor's Note: In a wide-ranging papal press conference on his flight from Lisbon to Rome:
- when asked why he did not recite a public prayer for peace at Fátima, the Pope responded that he prayed privately there for peace
- when asked about clerical sexual abuse in Portugal, the Pope lamented abuse inside and outside the Church, expressed confidence in the Portuguese bishops’ response, and decried female genital mutilation, which he described in graphic terms
- when asked why he shortened his prepared addresses in Portugal, the Pope cited the response of his audiences and the limited attention span of young people, which he estimated at eight minutes
- when asked about his upcoming visit to Marseille, the Pope said he was addressing the issue of migrants at a meeting on the Mediterranean, and not visiting France per se because he is visiting smaller European countries first
- when asked about World Youth Day, the Pope said it was the best organized of the four he had attended and said that young people “are religious, they are looking for a non-hostile, non-artificial, non-legalistic faith, an encounter with Jesus Christ, and this is not easy”
“What you say is a simplification: ‘They cannot participate in the sacraments,’” the Pope continued. “This does not mean that the Church is closed. Everyone meets God on their own way inside the Church, and the Church is mother and guides everyone on their own path.” The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Aug. 08, 2023 7:15 PM ET USA
What could be more revealing that the Church leadership appears more authoritarian than "pastoral"? That "woman, homosexuals cannot receive all the sacraments" is not mere fiat on the part of Catholic political legislators, as the Pope's answer might lead one to believe; rather it is a legitimate discernment based on the proper interpretation of the deposit of faith handed on to the Apostles and down to our age. It is a religious discernment, not a merely political judgment subject to revision.
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Posted by: charles.pullin6847 -
Aug. 08, 2023 5:50 PM ET USA
Interesting. Young people are seeking a “non-legalistic faith” but upon entering the Church through faith, a young person “follows the legislation.” Oh the irony.
