An informal talk by Father Christopher Walsh
April 18th, 2023
In this event report, Ludlow and Marches Humanists Chair Malcolm Rochefort reflects upon the insightful talk by Father Walsh about Pope Francis and his influence on the Catholic Church.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis
Father Christopher Walsh, of the Catholic Church of St Peter’s in Ludlow, kindly agreed to give us a talk on ‘Why is Pope Francis special?’. We had the impression, as observers of the Roman Catholic Church from the outside, that Pope Francis had brought something different to the church over the past few years, and his views did not appear to be universally appreciated within the church, so we appreciated an insider’s view on this.
Father Walsh usefully gave us an introduction to the church, and very impressively précised 1,600 years of church history in about 20 minutes, before moving on to where Pope Francis fits in.
The term Pope comes from the Latin Papa – father, and is generally held by the RC Church to be the successor to St Peter, who was martyred in Rome in the 1st century Anno Domini/Common Era (AD/CE).
In the first three centuries of the growing faith of Christianity, leaders of large congregations had become bishops in many cities in the Mediterranean region – mostly under cover as church members were periodically persecuted for much of this time. Constantine through the Edict of Milan in 313 AD/CE made Christianity legal and encouraged its steady replacement of the old religions, although it did not become the state religion of Rome until the Edict of Thessalonica in 380 AD/CE.
Following the collapse of western Roman military authority in the early fifth century, the bishop of Rome naturally took on more civil responsibilities, as the church was relatively well organised and had good lines of communication across the former empire. The split with the eastern, or orthodox church, derived from early disagreements over doctrine, although it only became official in 1054 with the East-West Schism and the formation of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The natural base for this was Constantinople (Istanbul), founded in 324 AD/CE by Constantine on the Greek city of Byzantion, specifically as a Christian city, and centre for the rich Eastern part of the empire.
The western, or Roman Catholic Church, probably hit a low point between 1378 and 1429 when there was a split and two, sometimes three, disputed popes in Rome, Avignon and, latterly, Pisa. This ‘Western Schism’ was partly resolved in 1417, and the RC Church grew stronger, but corrupt (Borgias, etc.). The reformation and growth of the Protestant Church in the 16th century probably strengthened the remaining RC Church, and focussed, rather than weakened it, but the real threat per Father Walsh probably came from the Enlightenment and French revolution in the 18th Century, and the Italian revolution in the 19th Century.
Following this, the RC Church became a bunkered and defensive institution until the mid-20th Century, when Pope John 23rd was elected in 1958. Pope John 23rd was a breath of fresh air who ‘opened the windows’ to the world, and he surprisingly called a council of all the world-wide RC Church leaders, the second Vatican council, which convened in 1962. John radically reformed the church, reconciled the church with the Jews (he had actively supported Jewish refugees and homeland causes during and after World War 2), and made the church look outwards.
John’s successor, Paul 6th, was a bit of a bureaucrat, who was succeeded by John Paul 1st and 2nd in rapid succession in 1979. The reforming zeal of John 23rd lost momentum during the 25 years of John-Paul 2’s reign, and Pope Benedict 16th, who succeeded him in 2005, further retrenched the papacy.
One of the reasons Pope Francis was elected to succeed Benedict in 2013 was a general concern that the Pope’s council, the Curia, had become too bureaucratic and Vatican-centred. Curia members had a job-for-life, and opportunities were being passed on to friends and family members. There had also been corrupt financial dealings. Hence the first non-European pope for 1,300 years (Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina) was chosen.
Francis was also the first Jesuit to be elected Pope, and sees the church as more of a field hospital than a fortress, reaching out to minorities (racial, sexual, etc.). He makes a priority of listening rather than talking, though is inclined to talk ‘off the cuff’, making him unpredictable. He prefers to try for a consensual way forward. He is seen as accepting and non-judgemental – not a normal historic Catholic trait.
As an outsider to Rome, he saw the need to internationalise the Curia in the Vatican, and has acted dramatically on this: he has introduced 5-year terms, only extendable once (i.e. max 10 years), retirement at 75, and brought in members from all over the world. He also abolished the hefty bonuses traditionally given to Vatican employees on election of a new Pope, and set up a new Council of 8 Cardinal Advisers from all over the world, with only one member of the Curia. He has developed the themes of the second Vatican council, and increased interchurch and interfaith communication, including with various protestant churches, Judaism and Islam (one query I had and didn’t manage to ask was whether this included Buddhism and Hinduism, or just the monotheistic religions). He has committed the Catholic Church to worldwide abolition of the death penalty in any circumstances. He is a critic of neoliberal politics, questions whether there ever can be a ‘Just War’, and supports migrants – ‘build bridges, not walls’. He has a strong environmental stance and is a strong supporter of actions to mitigate man-made climate change.
He has, unsurprisingly, met massive resistance from the Curia, and conservative elements within the church. His management of the child abuse scandal has been criticised as lethargic, and it has certainly left many concerned that he and the Catholic Church have brushed over the topic too quickly. His dealings with the Orthodox Church, Russia and China have been criticised as naive. He has, until recently (December 2022), had the problem of ex-Pope Benedict resigning yet still residing in the Vatican, a potential focus for dissent.
Pope Francis has tried to increase the role of women in the hierarchy of the church – the Curia is now 25% female. This is highlighting a serious potential schism in the church worldwide, with some (e.g., Germany, Switzerland) pushing for ordination of women. However, others (e.g., more conservative elements in the USA) are vehemently opposed to this. Father Walsh believes that the danger of a schism is quite real.
At 86, and not in the best of health (he’s had part of a lung removed in the past), the question of the Francis’s successor is on everybody’s mind. Will the next Pope be as liberal? Or will we see another retrenchment? Should either approach concern us as Humanists? Of course, we must all take an interest in what is best for Humanity. When I asked Father Walsh whether his chief concern was the survival of the Catholic Church or what’s best for Humanity, he answered “Humanity, of course”. I asked whether that meant he was a Humanist, and he countered that many Catholic thinkers have been Humanists over the centuries.