Pope Francis spoke those five simple words on a flight home to Rome after a triumphant week-long trip to World Youth Day and almost instantly they became the defining statement of his first overseas trip. In one sense, that is a shame.
In Brazil the Pope inspired millions of young Catholics by his witness to faith, humility and service. “Go, do not be afraid, and serve,” he said. “The Church needs you, your enthusiasm, your creativity and the joy that is so characteristic of you.”
But the next day those inspirational words were overtaken when, during a lengthy response to a question about a gay lobby in the Vatican, the Pope said he opposed lobbies but it was not for him to denounce a homosexual individual.
“If a person is gay and seeks the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” he said. “The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this point beautifully but says, wait a moment, how does it say? It says these persons must never be marginalized and they must be integrated into society.”
His statement was an affirmation of Church doctrine, yet it made international headlines after some reporters thought the comments represented a startling first step towards a rethinking of Church teaching. The Globe and Mail declared that “Pope Francis made history.” The Toronto Star called his words “a powerful, even shocking, statement from a religious figure of Francis’ stature.”
But the Pope’s reply was neither historic nor shocking. Unexpected, sure, but only because the Pope had dodged no questions after he consented to a free-wheeling, 82-minute, on-the-record press conference despite the reservation of aides.
In style, all this was refreshing and somewhat novel. It had been many years since a Pope faced the press this way, and Francis’ calm and candour even in response to tough questions was praiseworthy. Here was a pastor who chose to grab hold of an opportunity to do what he had asked of the world’s youth in Rio de Janeiro: “Be audacious. Do not be afraid.”
In substance, however, Pope Francis said nothing that every good Catholic should not already know. As Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York summed up, the Pope “would be the first to say, ‘My job isn’t to change Church teaching; my job is to present it as clearly as possible.’ “
That’s what happened when the Pope faced the press over the Atlantic. He affirmed Church teaching on homosexuality — which distinguishes between a person’s orientation and their actions — and, more important, he underlined the Christian obligation to treat all people with equality, dignity and compassion.
In other words, we are all God’s children and who are any of us to judge?