Pope Francis accused some leaders of the American Catholic Church of “backwardness,” saying they have abandoned Christian doctrines in favor of political ideologies.
“By doing this, true tradition is lost and ideologies are resorted to for support. In other words, ideologies replace faith,” the Pope said during a private meeting with a Jesuit order in Lisbon in early August.
Transcripts of that meeting were made public Monday and reveal the 86-year-old pope’s unfiltered view of a growing rift between some American religious leaders and the Vatican over his efforts to modernize the Catholic Church.
Francis’ comments came after a Jesuit described his encounter with several Catholics and bishops who were critical of his papacy and the Vatican during a recent year-long stay in the United States.
In response, the Pope called the American Church “backward” and said it had “a very strong, organized and reactionary attitude” which, he warned, could lead to a climate of closure that would be antithetical to Christian values.
Pope Francis’ comments came during a meeting with Jesuits in early August and were published on Monday.
“The view of church doctrine as a monolith is erroneous,” he said.
“When you step back, you create something closed, disconnected from the roots of the church.”
“I want to remind these people that delay is useless and that they must understand that there is a correct evolution in the understanding of questions of faith and morals,” he stated, which allows progress.
The pontiff has been outspoken about adapting traditional church tenets to more modern values during his ten years as pope, much to the chagrin of more conservative leaders in the United States.
He has expressed his belief that same-sex unions should not be criminalized, has pressed the public and world leaders to urgently address climate change, has advocated for divorce in certain circumstances, and has considered lifting the celibacy of priests.
The Pope has previously called it an “honor” to be criticized by religious leaders in the United States.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn