Pope Calls For Empathy Over Enforcing Doctrine
Pope Francis's new apostolic exhortation urges clergy to celebrate compassion, avoid judgement, and consider the complexity of individual situations before enforcing church doctrine.
Here to discuss: Joshua McElwee, Vatican correspondent for National Catholic Reporter.
"This is a pretty significant pivot," said McElwee, comparing Pope Francis to previous papacies. We can no longer say people who live in irregular situations (like unmarried or divorced people) are in a state of moral sin, he explained.
@JulieRaimondi @BrianLehrer this pop is different.lets accept change in the Catholic and the world because the world is changing.
— eli hoxha (@ileahxoh) April 8, 2016
Caller, angry at Catholic church: "Moses didn’t go up the mountain and come back and say thou shalt not use birth control or get divorced!"
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) April 8, 2016
@BrianLehrer Let's be "less judgmental" towards divorced people and allow them to take communion. That means more parishioners, after all.
— Mia Baudry (@MiaBaudry) April 8, 2016