Pope Francis: When the Church is united, miracles can be done

Paolo Ondarza – Vatican City

When we say “a synodal church”, the phrase is redundant because “the church is either synodal or not a church.” The Synod is working around the Synod to reconfirm it, the pontiff recalls in an hour-long conversation with Jesuits in Canada, a land he remembers having visited on two previous occasions: in the 1970s as a novice and in 2008 for Christmas. International Eucharistic Conference.

Canadian Church Unity

“The Synod—reminiscent of Francis—is not a political meeting, nor a parliamentary resolutions committee. It is an expression of the Church where the protagonist is the Holy Spirit, as in the events given in the Acts of the Apostles. The Synod means to walk together, and “to walk together” was the motto of the Penitent Journey to Canada The Just Finished: An occasion on which the unity of the Church was demonstrated, noted the Bishop of Rome, citing “If you want to go quickly, go alone, but if you want to go safely, go with company.”

The miracles of the united church

The process of reconciliation with the indigenous peoples did not end, but “the most important thing is that the episcopate came to an agreement, accepted the challenge, and moved on”: “This Canada was a model of a united episcopate,” “and when the episcopate is united, it can deal well with the challenges that arise”. If this procession of reconciliation goes well, Pope Francis points out, “It is not because of my visit. I am just a cake on a cake. It is the bishops who have done everything in their unity.” The Holy Father also highlights the ability of the indigenous people to deal well with the issue and compromise, and speaks of the remarkable intimacy between the bishops and the indigenous people: “These are the miracles that can be done when the Church is united.”

Apostolic Journey to Canada – Meeting with the Jesuits

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The Lord is strength for the weak

Next, he warns of one of the worst enemies of church unity: ideology. “The real strength of the Jesuit – he asserts – is the realization of his fragility. It is the Lord who gives us strength.” Then, Francis was asked about some of the comments that appeared in the press during the trip to Canada, such as asking why the Pope asked for forgiveness on behalf of Christians, but not about the church as an institution. “I speak on behalf of the church, although I don’t make it clear,” he says. “On the contrary, I must make it clear that it is my personal idea when I am not speaking on behalf of the Church.”

Apostolic Journey to Canada – Meeting with the Jesuits

Law is like morality: on the way

For those wondering why he had no encounters with sexual assault victims during this trip, he explains that he had replied to several messages on the subject prior to the trip and that the intention was to “raise the Aboriginal issue”. Still talking about abuse, some meeting attendees point out that many speak of Francis as the Pope of Change, even on a criminal level. The bishop of Rome answered: “The law cannot be kept in a refrigerator, it accompanies life and life goes on: just as morals are perfected.” “Man’s understanding changes over time and his consciousness increases.” It is a mistake to conceive of church doctrine as one piece.

pagan traditions of thought

That is why it is important to respect the authentic tradition, the “living memory of the faithful,” as opposed to the tradition, which, instead, the pontiff stresses, is the “dead life of the faithful.” He adds that every action is justified by the phrase “it has always been done this way”, “the idolatry of thought.”

Apostolic Journey to Canada – Meeting with the Jesuits

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Liturgy and Church Unity

In answering a question about the liturgy and the unity of the Church, Francis recalls, on the one hand, the terrible liturgical distortions of Latin America thirty years ago, and, on the other, “drunk to the old.” “My actions in this area – he explains – followed the line of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who permitted the ancient rites and requested verification later. The latter verification highlighted the need to organize the problem and prevent it from being a fashion issue, but rather continuing to be a pastoral issue.” The Pontiff is sure that “studies will come to complete the reflection on such an important question” because “the liturgy is the public praise of the people of God.”

Haiti’s plight

The Canadian province of the Society of Jesus also includes the territory of Haiti, and cannot stop thinking about the difficult process of national reconciliation that is taking place in the Caribbean country: “Haiti is going through an ordeal,” Francis commented, expressing to everyone his sympathy and admitting that he fears falling into a “pit of despair.” “I don’t think international organizations have understood how to do that,” he adds, asking for concrete solutions to get out of the crisis, and suggesting prayer and penance initiatives for the church to help the Haitian people grow with hope.