(As seen in the bulletin March 3, 2019)
The Catholic Church has, historically, been among the most graciously inclusive of many, if not most, faith communities; we have an undeserved reputation for being overly strict, this due to misrepresentations and misconceptions that have given life to assumptions and expectations that clash with facts. Christ, in the beginning, bestowed unity on His Church in which all are accepted with respect and affection: “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:27-28) “There are many parts, yet one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:20) As we believe this unity subsists in the Church as something we can never entirely lose, and hope will ever increase, we also realize that human error and sin can wound unity, so we pray and work to maintain, reinforce and to perfect this unity Christ willed for His Church. That being said, what Pope Francis stresses in terms of mercy, acceptance and inclusion is not so much new as a matter of making more completely clear what truly is and should be the disposition and attitude among us about one another and all others.
Traditional Catholic teaching summarizes Jesus when it is said “hate sins but love sinners.” Many are the times Jesus expressed revulsion at sin, especially those of deceit and hypocrisy; He minced no words, was entirely honest, even to a point of toughness, but condemned no one, excluded none from His fellowship. People among and around us who’ve made lifestyle/personal choices with which we can’t agree because we believe God’s inspired Word in Holy Scripture doesn’t, we nonetheless have a duty to love with all our hearts even when that may cost us public or personal misunderstanding, because God loves everyone even while we, any and all of us, are still sinners.
A story is told about St. John Vianney, Cure’ of Ars, famous for hearing a good confession: when a friend consulted him about the fate of a dear one who jumped off a bridge and suffered suicide, St. John’s response was that between the bridge and the water God overtook his dear one, offering him forgiveness! We cannot approve what is clearly presented in Scripture as morally, naturally or spiritually wrong, but we can, must, will and do accept and include in our fellowship those who are one of us and one with us in Christ as our neighbor is anyone and everyone.
God loves all God’s children with the passionate love of a mother for her children (Hosea 11:1-4), as a husband loves his wife, even when she may be unfaithful (Ezekiel 16), as a man loves a fiancé (Song of Songs). God’s children are the entire human race. In the time of Jesus God’s love was thought only to extend to the Jews and indeed only to the righteous among the Jewish people. This excluded from the “kingdom of God” not only non-Jews but also Jews who were considered open sinners (tax collectors, adulterers, prostitutes and lepers). Jesus taught that God loves all people with the same love without distinction; if it is possible to say that God has a “preferential love” it is for those whom society would condemn and exclude. Jesus never rejected anyone, accepting invitations from the high standing as well as the lowly. He was criticized for eating with sinners and letting a sinful woman touch him. As Jesus’ love broke boundaries, it did not imply any indifference to what is evil or unjust; He didn’t applaud or tolerate it; He forgave and taught us to forgive repentant people because only forgiveness can liberate them and us from sin and bring about a reconciliation with God and others that brings more joy in heaven than anything else imaginable!