Pope Francis is at the helm during this pivotal moment in the intricate history of the church, grappling with one of the most formidable challenges of his tenure. His task is Herculean – to maintain unity among the faithful while navigating the complex web between the liberal and conservative factions within the church, each exerting potent forces in opposing directions.
Last Sunday, as my family and I were engrossed in the the solemn liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church and recited “The Confiteor”, my contemplations were dominated by reflections on the Supreme Pontiff and the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis.
The Confiteor, aptly named from the Latin phrase meaning ‘I confess’ or ‘I acknowledge,’ holds a significant place among the prayers uttered during the Penitential Act at the initiation of the Roman Rite Mass in the Catholic Church.
The echoing admission, “Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault,” resonates with the exact translation of the Latin expression “mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.” Originating from the ancient roots of the Latin Mass, “mea culpa” has intricately embedded itself in our everyday language, serving as a powerful conduit for openly acknowledging one’s imperfections. Within my social circle of Catholics, there is an unmistakable sentiment that the Holy Father, in his recent directive, hasn’t just made an error but has taken a profound and consequential misstep.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis is the head of the Catholic Church, bishop of Rome, and sovereign of the Vatican City State. Remarkably, he is the first pope affiliated with the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the first from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, and the first not born or raised in Europe since the 8th-century papacy of Syrian Pope Gregory III. It is also important to note that Pope Francis’s Jesuit order places a strong emphasis on social justice and human rights.
In the festive days leading up to Christmas, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the venerable institution within the Roman Curia, issued a “groundbreaking” declaration named “Fiducia Supplicans.” This declaration, endorsed by Pope Francis, marks a significant departure, granting Catholic Priests the authority to bestow blessings upon couples whose unions fall outside the traditional confines of church teachings, extending this inclusivity to same-sex couples.
This proclamation resonated as a progressive stride, particularly among many European Catholics who view it as a long-overdue acknowledgment and legitimization of practices already embraced within their communities. By September 2022, it was reported that over 80% of German bishops in the Synodal Way endorsed a document advocating for a “re-evaluation of homosexuality” and proposed amendments to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Concurrently, Flemish bishops released a liturgical document detailing the blessing of same-sex unions.
However, within the conservative Catholic enclave, notably in Africa—a robust bastion for Catholicism encompassing 236 million of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics—opposition to gay rights and unions remains steadfast. For this demographic, Pope Francis’s recent directive is perceived as heretical, constituting a profound betrayal of their faith. Already, signs of dissent are surfacing, with Archbishop Tomash Peta of Saint Mary in Astana, Kazakhstan, prohibiting priests from blessing same-sex couples and denouncing the declaration as a “great deception,” according to reports from the conservative publication, The Catholic Herald.
The opposition primarily stems from a combination of apprehension about potential future developments and a fundamental misunderstanding of the nuanced implications of the new rule. Within the latter group, there persists a misguided belief that the recent pronouncement effectively endorses same-sex marriage within the Church—an assertion far removed from the truth.
Bishop Mathew Kwasi Gyamfi, the discerning president of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, accurately elucidated, stating, “What people fail to grasp is that if a gay couple seeks the blessing from a priest, and the Pope grants approval, it signifies the blessing of the individuals, not the union itself.” It remains pivotal to underscore that Pope Francis has not altered the church’s foundational doctrine, steadfastly maintaining that marriage is an exclusive covenant between a man and a woman.
But in fairness to those in opposition, one must acknowledge the palpable unease among conservative Catholics, particularly in Africa and beyond, regarding this recent paradigm shift. Their apprehensions are rooted in genuine concerns about the potential ramifications following the Holy See’s decision to reverse a 2021 declaration explicitly prohibiting such blessings. With permission to bless gay couples granted, they worry about what comes next.
The Vatican explicitly recognized this concern, stating in a release that any bishops opposed to the rule should undergo an “extended period of pastoral reflection.” Additionally, the statement emphasized the importance of considering “local culture” in the application of the declaration. However, a cautionary note accompanied this acknowledgment, urging against misinterpreting the gesture as a Vatican effort to “approve nor justify” relationships deemed sinful. Importantly, the Vatican maintained that the move doesn’t undermine church teachings opposing same-sex marriage, emphasizing that informal blessings do not equate to formal rites.
Pope Francis is at the helm during this pivotal moment in the intricate history of the church, grappling with one of the most formidable challenges of his tenure. His task is Herculean – to maintain unity among the faithful while navigating the complex web between the liberal and conservative factions within the church, each exerting potent forces in opposing directions.
However, the challenges extend beyond the purview of Pope Francis and Catholicism. Our world is undergoing a profound transformation, not at a leisurely pace but at an alarming speed. Globally, within the Anglican Communion, longstanding tensions have been simmering over profound differences regarding the recognition of same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy. Trapped in the crucible of this upheaval is the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, facing the intricate task of striking a harmonious balance amidst divergent viewpoints.
The schism took center stage last year at the Lambeth Conference, a gathering that convenes bishops from over 165 countries affiliated with Anglican churches. Notably, conservative primates from Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda chose to abstain. A Nigerian Bishop explicitly condemned same-sex unions as “ungodly and devilish,” citing their recognition by certain provinces as a primary reason for the refusal to fellowship with them.
Anglican leaders in Nigeria now assert that a formal separation from the global church over LGBTQ inclusion is more probable than ever before. Their discomfort intensifies with the appointment of the Very Rev. David Monteith, who has been in a same-sex civil partnership since 2008, as the new dean of Canterbury Cathedral.
These moves towards inclusivity reverberate across other religions outside of Christianity. In an unprecedented move, more Muslim countries are now permitting the establishment of churches, signaling a broader societal openness. Saudi Arabia, in particular, has undergone rapid and transformative social reforms—abolishing the religious police, allowing women to drive, discarding male guardianship laws, ending segregated restaurants, and introducing public entertainment.
Saudi Arabia stands at a pivotal crossroads in its national trajectory, grappling with the delicate balance of preserving regime stability amid the conflicting demands for reform. The House of Saud faces the formidable challenge of navigating a path that appeases conservatives while simultaneously pushing forward with transformative reforms. These changes are crucial in responding to the aspirations of a significant youth population whose perspectives have been profoundly influenced by the advancements in information technology, particularly through the lens of social media, in an era characterized by democratization.
All over the world, entrenched order of rigidity and orthodoxy finds itself besieged on multiple fronts, engendering a fierce confrontation between those advocating for its dismantling and those staunchly defending the existing status quo, perturbed by the seismic shifts unfolding.
In this dynamic world, the only certainty is change itself—an inexorable force irrespective of our embrace or resistance. How we perceive and interpret these changes is contingent upon our position along the ideological spectrum. For some, the measures undertaken by Pope Francis and the Church through Fiducia Supplicans fall short of fostering adequate inclusion. Conversely, there are those who perceive the Supreme Pontiff as steering the flock towards a precarious path, advocating for his honorable resignation before irreparable consequences unfold. Simultaneously appeasing everyone proves to be an Herculean endeavor.
Pope Francis, in his recent traditional Christmas greetings to the Curia members, issued a poignant reminder, stating, “Let us remain vigilant against rigid ideological positions that often, under the guise of good intentions, separate us from reality and prevent us from moving forward.”
We find ourselves amidst an intriguing era, and predicting how the world’s oldest and largest continuously functioning international institution will respond to the unfolding events is no easy feat. What remains unequivocal is that the nature of future relationships between the church’s central authority in Rome and its outposts in Europe and Africa will be contingent upon the institution’s adroit navigation of these tumultuous times.
The intricacies of this period are poised to shape the very essence of these relationships, presenting the Church as an institution with a formidable challenge to navigate the complexities of our contemporary landscape. I neither envy the Pope nor want his job.
Osmund Agbo is the author of ‘Black Grit, White Knuckles: The Philosophy of Black Renaissance
