Let’s not give too much oxygen to Cardinal Sarah’s paper tiger; a document in which he says gay blessing jeopardises the unity of the Church.
Sarah reads the same tea leaves as I do.
After a conclave during which many fewer than expected wanted to go backwards in the areas where Francis had “pushed the envelope,” we seem to have a new ecclesial “official position” or sentir de la Iglesia.
It is not written down, but it describes the holding pattern we’re seeing:
“We’re trying to give the faithful time to get used to what is real and normal — i.e. that gay and lesbian people just are that way, no problem — so that when the time comes formally to change the Catechism texts, the vast majority, with all their cultural complexities, will already have moved on. Many fewer will be inclined to go into schism about it, because they’ll understand that it’s not a betrayal of faith, but a necessary anthropological adjustment to what we have learned to be real.”
Leo’s quiet approach
It seems as though Leo, quietly and with minimal fuss, is continuing with this process of normalisation and naturalisation.
It is the logical approach once you understand, as Francis clearly did, that relationality is prior to rationality. People first getting used to one another will lead them to understand one another in reasoned ways.
This stands in contrast to old-fashioned, top-down definitions — such as those still in the Catechism — that determine a priori “truths” about people and make dialogue and learning impossible.
Threats and polarization
Cardinal Sarah understands this as well as I do. The only way to slow it down is to use threats of schism and accusations of heresy to polarize the discussion.
This is what he and his supporters have attempted since the beginning of Francis’ pontificate.
Francis wisely gave Cardinal Ambongo permission not to apply Fiducia Supplicans in his bailiwick. He gave that permission for cultural reasons, thus quietly taking the discussion out of the theological sphere. No element of divine revelation was put into question.
Relationality
is prior to rationality:
people first getting used to one another
will lead them to understand one another in reasoned ways.
Ideology versus learning
Cardinal Sarah needs the issue to be seen not as a slow cultural adjustment, but as one of “ideology.”
However, the invitation to “todos todos todos” was never an ideological summons to “unconditional opening and adaptation to the world and its criteria.”
It is an invitation to a learning process guided by the Holy Spirit. Through it, we can learn together what is true, hold fast to it, and eventually stand up for it in unworldly ways if necessary.
The worldly temptation
If you want to be worldly, you should stay in your head, create firm definitions that give you sacred knowledge and partisan belonging, and use these to divide people and prevent their growth into adulthood.
I don’t want to tempt Cardinal Sarah into such worldliness, any more than I want to be tempted by him into becoming its enemy twin.
Let’s not breathe oxygen into this paper tiger.
- James Alison is a Catholic priest, theologian and scholar with a particular focus on the philosophy of René Girard. He was educated by the Dominicans at Blackfriars, Oxford and earned his doctorate from the Jesuit School of Philosophy and Theology in Brazil.
- James’ new book “You can, if you want to” is available in paperback, electronic and audio formats. The book explores Christian Faith, Conscience, and LGBTQ+ matters.
