{"id":24582,"date":"2016-08-16T16:08:58","date_gmt":"2016-08-16T22:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=24582"},"modified":"2017-04-17T21:57:40","modified_gmt":"2017-04-18T01:57:40","slug":"the-welcoming-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-welcoming-church\/","title":{"rendered":"The Welcoming Church","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"CENTER\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-24602\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/odoors3-1.jpg\" alt=\"odoors3\" width=\"458\" height=\"401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/odoors3-1.jpg 458w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/odoors3-1-300x263.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Pope Francis opening &#8220;doors of mercy&#8221;, December 8th, 2015, St. Peter&#8217;s, Rome<br \/>\n <em>Photo: Maurizio Brambatti\/European Pressphoto Agency<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"CENTER\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong>FROM<\/strong> the very beginning of his pontificate, when he refused the pomp that often accompanies the papal office, Francis has not failed to stir controversy. With deliberation, the Holy Father has purposely tried to model a different kind of priesthood to both the Church and the world: a\u00a0priesthood that is more pastoral, compassionate, and unafraid to walk among the fringes of society to find the lost sheep. In so doing, he has not hesitated to sharply rebuke his confr\u00e9res and threaten the comfort zones of &#8220;conservative&#8221; Catholics. And this to the glee of\u00a0modernist clergy and the liberal media who intoned that Pope Francis was &#8220;changing&#8221; the Church to become more &#8220;welcoming&#8221; to gays\u00a0and lesbians, divorc\u00e9es, Protestants, etc. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_1');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_1');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_1\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">eg. <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/2016\/04\/pope-francis-gay-people\">Vanity Fair<\/a>, <\/em>April 8th, 2016<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> The rebukes of the Pope toward the right, coupled with the assumptions of the left, has led to a cascade of downright anger and accusations toward the Vicar of Christ\u00a0that he is attempting to alter 2000 years of Sacred Tradition. Orthodox media, such as LifeSiteNews and EWTN, have openly questioned the Holy Father&#8217;s judgment and rationale in certain statements. And many are the letters I&#8217;ve received from laymen and clergy alike who are exasperated with the Pope&#8217;s soft approach in the culture war.<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><!--more--><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">So the question we must ask and carefully answer as this Year of Mercy begins to draw to a close is, what does it mean to become a more &#8220;welcoming&#8221; Church, and does Francis intend to change Church teaching?<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Before I add any commentary, let me begin by stating, in his own words, what the Pope&#8217;s vision is at this hour&#8230;<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">THE PAPAL VISION<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">The tactical approach of Pope Francis is actually no surprise. In a homily to his fellow prelates shortly before his election, then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio signaled exactly the kind of pontificate he believed necessary at this time:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">To evangelize implies a desire in the Church to come out of herself. The Church is called to come out of herself and to go to the peripheries not only in the geographic sense but also the existential peripheries: those of the mystery of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance, of doing without religion, of thought and of all misery. When the Church does not come out of herself to evangelize, she becomes self-referent and then she gets sick\u2026 The self-referent Church keeps Jesus Christ within herself and does not let him come out\u2026 Thinking of the next Pope, he must be a man that from the contemplation and adoration of Jesus Christ, helps the Church to come out to the existential peripheries, that helps her to be the fruitful mother who lives from the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing.<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> \u2014<em>Salt and Light Magazine<\/em>, p. 8, Issue 4, Special Edition, 2013<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Evidently, his fellow Cardinals agreed, electing the man as the 266th\u00a0pope. Peter&#8217;s successor\u00a0wasted no time painting a picture of what he felt to be the Church&#8217;s mission at this hour:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">I see clearly that the thing the Church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the Church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds\u2026. And you have to start from the ground up. <\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u2014POPE FRANCIS, interview with AmericaMagazine.com, September 30th, 2013<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Thus, in his first Apostolic Exhortation, Pope Francis began to unravel practically how such a &#8220;field hospital&#8221; should be run. The healing of wounds, he said, begins with the Church, not necessarily the sinner, taking the &#8216;first step&#8217;:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>The Church which \u201cgoes forth\u201d is a community of missionary disciples who take the first step, who are involved and supportive, who bear fruit and rejoice. An evangelizing community knows that the Lord has taken the initiative, he has loved us first<\/strong> (cf. 1 Jn 4:19)<strong>, and therefore we can move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast. Such a community has an endless desire to show mercy, the fruit of its own experience of the power of the Father\u2019s infinite mercy.<\/strong> \u2014<em><a href=\"http:\/\/w2.vatican.va\/content\/francesco\/en\/apost_exhortations\/documents\/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html\">Evangelii Gaudium<\/a>, <\/em>n. 24<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">For the sake of brevity, let me add one more insight from the Holy Father&#8217;s Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation,<em> Amoris Laetitia<\/em>, that seeks a Church with&#8230;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>&#8230;a positive and welcoming pastoral approach capable of helping couples to grow in appreciation of the demands of the Gospel. Yet we have often been on the defensive, wasting pastoral energy on denouncing a decadent world without being proactive in proposing ways of finding true happiness. Many people feel that the Church\u2019s message on marriage and the family does not clearly reflect the preaching and attitudes of Jesus, who set forth a demanding ideal yet never failed to show compassion and closeness to the frailty of individuals like the Samaritan woman or the woman caught in adultery<\/strong>. \u2014<a href=\"http:\/\/w2.vatican.va\/content\/dam\/francesco\/pdf\/apost_exhortations\/documents\/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia_en.pdf\"><em>Amoris Laetitia<\/em><\/a>, n. 38<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>CHRIST&#8217;S VISION<\/p>\n<p>So, we have been given a vision for what the current holder of the Keys of the Kingdom believes is paramount at this time. The key to interpreting this vision, however, is not in-flight papal interviews, off-the-cuff remarks, purported telephone calls, unrecorded magazine articles, or even spontaneous remarks during a homily. Rather, as Cardinal Burke rightly said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>The only key to the correct interpretation of <em>Amoris Laetitia<\/em> [and other papal statements] is the constant teaching of the Church and her discipline that safeguards and fosters this teaching.<\/strong> \u2014Cardinal Raymond Burke,<em> National Catholic Register<\/em>, April 12th, 2016; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncregister.com\/daily-news\/amoris-laetitia-and-the-constant-teaching-and-practice-of-the-church\/#ixzz45XGnzrFy\">ncregister.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And here is the reason why, clearly enunciated 2000 years ago by St. Paul:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">If anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed! (Gal 1:9)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Thus, the purpose of this meditation is to make it absolutely clear to the reader that which is the <em>only <\/em>possible meaning of what it means to become a more &#8220;welcoming&#8221; Church.<\/p>\n<p>When Pope Francis speaks of reaching out to the &#8220;peripheries&#8221; of humanity, &#8216;those of the mystery of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance, of doing without religion, of thought and of all misery,&#8221; here he is speaking, in some respects, of all of us. For who of us is not affected by their own sin, pain, ignorance and misery? But he is also identifying with precision the &#8220;state&#8221; of the world&#8217;s soul at this hour: one that is numb to\u00a0the concept of sin, and thus immersed in the depths of sin. It is a world that has virtually thrown off all restraint and is therefore reaping the misery of mortal sin, that death of the spirit which is the greatest wound\u00a0of modern man.<\/p>\n<p>Let me ask: when you have committed a sin, what do you long for at that moment when you are beating yourself up, accusing, berating and condemning yourself? Is it a harsh word&#8230; or a word of mercy? What heals you most in the confessional? To\u00a0be scolded by the priest\u2014or to hear that Jesus Christ loves you, even still?<\/p>\n<p>This is what Pope Francis means when he says we need to heal the wounds <em>first<\/em>: it means\u00a0to heal the gaping wound of guilt and condemnation.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">&#8230;the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden&#8230; [Adam] answered, \u201cI heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid.\u201d (Gen 3:8, 10)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>How did the Father heal this wound of <em>fear<\/em> in the human race? He sent His Son Jesus Christ to cover our nakedness with His <em>mercy<\/em>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him&#8230; Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners&#8230;. What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? (John 3:17, Mar 2:17, Luke 15:4)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And so, the pastoral approach has <em>already<\/em> been set. Jesus has given us the paramount model of evangelization, of what the Church ought to look like everywhere and at all times:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">Whoever claims to abide in him ought to live just as he lived. (1 John 2:6)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Francis is calling every single Catholic to become another Christ at work, in the marketplace, our schools and homes. He is calling\u00a0us to show the mercy and love of Christ to those most in need of the mercy and love of Christ. The example the Pope cites himself is the Samaritan woman at the well.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>JOURNEYING WITH THE SINNER<\/p>\n<p>She was a woman living in an adulterous situation. When Christ met her at the well, two significant things happened before the subject of her state of sin comes to the forefront. The first is that <em>Jesus asks her to give him water. <\/em>This is a profound lesson for those Christians who &#8220;avoid&#8221; sinners<em> precisely <\/em>because they are sinners. How often do our prayer groups, bible clubs, parish associations, and parishes themselves become a place that is warm to only the pious? How often do we gravitate to other Christians while avoiding the rougher characters? How often do we walk\u00a0around the degenerate, the poor, and the troubled so as not to trouble ourselves? To Jesus, this attitude is nonsensical and antithetical to His mission, which is now ours: <em>Those who are well do not need a field hospital\u2014the sick do! Why, then, are you leaving on the roadside those poor souls beaten and robbed by Satan, the destroyer of souls? <\/em>The question is to us who know Christ, who claim to be His followers. And so, Pope Francis has shaken the Church in many quarters, exposing those hiding behind the fig leaf of their comfort zones. Why? He answered why when he threw open the doors of St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica declaring a &#8220;Year of Mercy&#8221; while citing St. Faustina. Because Francis knows well, as Our Lord revealed to Faustina, that we are living in a &#8220;time of mercy&#8221; that is going to come to an end. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_2');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_2');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_2\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/opening-wide-the-doors-of-mercy\/\"><em>Opening Wide the Doors of Mercy<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The second important thing that happens at the well is that Jesus goes on to entice the Samaritan woman to look beyond the temporal, to go\u00a0beyond her desires for pleasure and to thirst for something greater: &#8220;the living water&#8221;, which is\u00a0life in the Spirit.<\/p>\n<p>When we go\u00a0without fear into the hearts of others and reveal to them the\u00a0joy and peace that surpasses all understanding simply by reflecting our simple happiness, two things will happen: others will either thirst for what we have, or they will reject us.\u00a0I think the reason that some Christians are angered by Pope Francis&#8217; call to journey with gays and lesbians, divorc\u00e9es and the like is that he has convicted them that they have neither the joy nor the peace of the Lord! And so, for some, it is much easier to simply hide behind doctrine, behind a wall of apologetics, rather than give a living witness of the Gospel that may cost them their reputation, if not their lives.<\/p>\n<p>The gentleness of Jesus acknowledged, first of all, the dignity of the Samaritan woman.\u00a0 He did not look at her as a sinful worm, rather, as a woman created in His image with the capacity to love with His love. This hope, this <em>divine optimism<\/em> that drove Him to the\u00a0Cross for her sake (and ours), is what moved this woman&#8217;s heart to seek the eternal.\u00a0His love and\u00a0mercy toward her opened her heart and healed the primordial wound of rejection she carried within her&#8230; and then&#8230; then she was ready to receive the medicine of the truth that would set her free. As He said to her:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth. (John 4:24)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>THE LIBERATION OF THE TRUTH<\/p>\n<p>Pope Francis, much like Christ, has chosen <em>not <\/em>to emphasize sin, chosen not to, in his words, be &#8216;on the defensive, wasting pastoral energy on denouncing a decadent world without being pro-active in proposing ways of finding true happiness.&#8217; Is this the right approach at this time, when the cultural\u00a0war is becoming more and more hostile to Christianity? As Pope Benedict noted, the &#8220;moral consensus&#8221; that has kept nations civil and ordered is collapsing all around us. It is no small thing:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>To resist this eclipse of reason and to preserve its capacity for seeing the essential, for seeing God and man, for seeing what is good and what is true, is the common interest that must unite all people of good will. The very future of the world is at stake.<\/strong> \u2014POPE BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Roman Curia, December 20th, 2010; cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/on-the-eve-2\/\">On the Eve<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>When Jesus became man and walked\u00a0among us, Matthew states that the Lord came to <em>&#8220;a people who sit in darkness.&#8221;<\/em> <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_3');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_3');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[3]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_3\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Matt 4:16<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> Were people&#8217;s hearts <em>that<\/em> much different? Christ came as a light to the world. That light was composed of both His example and His teaching. Now, He turns to us and says, <em>&#8220;You are the light of the world&#8221;<\/em><span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_4');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_4');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[4]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_4\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Matt 5:14<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>\u2014through your example and teaching.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Thus, to welcome sinners into the bosom of the Church is not to minimize sin. The reason they are sick is precisely because of sin! But Jesus shows us that the way to the sinner&#8217;s heart, so to speak, is to become the face of love\u00a0for them\u2014not the mask of condemnation. And thus Pope Francis exhorts the faithful to heal that wound of\u00a0rejection first:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else&#8230; The Church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules. The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. <\/strong>\u2014POPE FRANCIS, interview with AmericaMagazine.com, September 30th, 2013<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><em>Then we can talk about everything else. <\/em>That is,\u00a0then we can teach the saving truths of our faiths on the Sacraments, marriage, and morality. And this was the threefold approach of Jesus at the well:<em> be present to the other<\/em>, <em>be a light to them<\/em>, and then<em> teach them<\/em> if they are thirsty for the truth. Jesus said, quite plainly: <em>the truth will set you free. <\/em> Thus, the goal of the Church is not merely to make people feel welcome, as if gathering together in a spirit of camaraderie is our ultimate purpose. No, Jesus stated the goal:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">&#8230;make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. (Matt 18:19-20)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Baptism\u00a0is a literal and spiritual<em> washing <\/em>away of sin. Thus, at the very heart of the Church&#8217;s mission is leading the sinner out of the life of sin into the teachings of Jesus which alone will make them His disciples. Thus, Pope Francis clearly stated:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>&#8230;a positive and welcoming pastoral approach [is] capable of helping couples to grow in appreciation of the demands of the Gospel. <\/strong>\u2014<a href=\"http:\/\/w2.vatican.va\/content\/dam\/francesco\/pdf\/apost_exhortations\/documents\/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia_en.pdf\"><em>Amoris Laetitia<\/em><\/a>, n. 38<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The demands of the Gospel are repentance from sin and conformity to God&#8217;s will, which is the source of joy and peace and balance, as much as the earth remains fruitful and life-giving by &#8220;obeying&#8221; the laws of gravity that keep it in a perfect orbit around the sun.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>THE WELCOMING, REDEEMING CHURCH<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, to &#8220;welcome&#8221; others into the Church is to make known to them by your kindness, respect of the other&#8217;s dignity, and willingness to be present, the power and presence of Jesus. In this way, our parishes can become &#8220;a community of communities.&#8221; <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_5');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_5');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_5\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[5]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_5\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/w2.vatican.va\/content\/francesco\/en\/apost_exhortations\/documents\/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html\">Evangelii Gaudium<\/a>, <\/em>n. 28<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> This is only possible if we ourselves <em>know <\/em>Jesus and have been touched by His mercy\u2014a fruit of <em>prayer<\/em> and\u00a0the frequenting of the <em>Sacraments<\/em>. As Francis said, it is &#8216;from the contemplation and adoration of Jesus Christ [that] helps the Church to come out to the existential peripheries.&#8217; <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_6');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_6');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_6\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[6]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_6\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\"><em>Salt and Light Magazine<\/em>, p. 8, Issue 4, Special Edition, 2013<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>And\u00a0yet, even if we are warm and welcoming, there will always be those who reject the demands of the Gospel. That is, our &#8220;welcome&#8221; has its limits defined by the free will of the other.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>Although it sounds obvious, spiritual accompaniment must lead others ever closer to God, in whom we attain true freedom. Some people think they are free if they can avoid God; they fail to see that they remain existentially orphaned, helpless, homeless. They cease being pilgrims and become drifters, flitting around themselves and never getting anywhere. To accompany them would be counterproductive if it became a sort of therapy supporting their self-absorption and ceased to be a pilgrimage with Christ to the Father.<\/strong> \u2014POPE FRANCIS, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/w2.vatican.va\/content\/francesco\/en\/apost_exhortations\/documents\/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html\">Evangelii Gaudium<\/a>, <\/em>n. 170<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Jesus was very clear about this. The Church, which is the kingdom of God on earth, is the refuge of sinners\u2014but only those sinners who place their trust in the mercy of God, reconciling\u00a0with the Father through the Son, allowing Him to clothe them with a new robe, new sandals, and the ring of sonship so that they may be seated at the Table of the Lamb. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_7');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_24582_1('footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_7');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_7\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[7]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_7\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Luke 15:22<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_7').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_24582_1_7', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> For the Church was established by Christ not only to welcome sinners, but to redeem them.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">When the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, \u2018My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?\u2019 But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, \u2018Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.\u2019 Many are invited, but few are chosen. (Matt 22:11-14)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/120776532\" width=\"470\" height=\"264\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">RELATED READING<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><em>The Thin Line Between Mercy and Heresy &#8211; Parts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-thin-line-between-mercy-heresy-part-i\/\">I<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-thin-line-between-mercy-heresy-part-ii\/\">II<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-thin-line-between-mercy-and-heresy-part-iii\/\">III<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><em>That Pope Francis! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/that-pope-francis-a-short-story\/\">Part I <\/a><\/em><\/strong>and<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/that-pope-francis-part-ii\/\"><em> Part II<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Thanks for your support!<br \/>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.markmallett.com\/donate\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Donateovalbtnonbeige.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"112\" height=\"48\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">To journey with Mark in the\u00a0<strong><em>The <\/em><\/strong><em><strong>Now Word<\/strong><\/em>,<em><br \/>\n <\/em>click on the banner below to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/subscribe\/\">subscribe<\/a>. <br \/>\n Your email will not be shared with anyone.<br \/>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/subscribe\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12200 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/NowWord-Banner.png\" alt=\"NowWord Banner\" width=\"463\" height=\"148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/NowWord-Banner.png 798w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/NowWord-Banner-300x97.png 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/NowWord-Banner-768x247.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 463px) 100vw, 463px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container\"> <div class=\"footnote_container_prepare\"><p><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_label pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_24582_1();\"><h5>Footnotes<\/h5><\/span><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_24582_1();\">[<a id=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_24582_1\">+<\/a>]<\/span><\/p><\/div> <div id=\"footnote_references_container_24582_1\" style=\"\"><table class=\"footnotes_table footnote-reference-container\"><caption class=\"accessibility\"><h5>Footnotes<\/h5><\/caption> <tbody> \r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_24582_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_1');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>1<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">eg. <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/2016\/04\/pope-francis-gay-people\">Vanity Fair<\/a>, <\/em>April 8th, 2016<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_24582_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_2');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/opening-wide-the-doors-of-mercy\/\"><em>Opening Wide the Doors of Mercy<\/em><\/a><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_24582_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_3');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>3<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Matt 4:16<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_24582_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_4');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>4<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Matt 5:14<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_5\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_24582_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_5');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>5<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/w2.vatican.va\/content\/francesco\/en\/apost_exhortations\/documents\/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html\">Evangelii Gaudium<\/a>, <\/em>n. 28<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_6\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_24582_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_6');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>6<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\"><em>Salt and Light Magazine<\/em>, p. 8, Issue 4, Special Edition, 2013<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_24582_1_7\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_24582_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_24582_1_7');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>7<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. 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With deliberation, the Holy Father has purposely tried to model a different [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-journal","category-time-of-grace"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Welcoming Church - The Now Word<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-welcoming-church\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Welcoming Church - The Now Word\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Pope Francis opening &#8220;doors of mercy&#8221;, December 8th, 2015, St. Peter&#8217;s, Rome Photo: Maurizio Brambatti\/European Pressphoto Agency \u00a0 FROM the very beginning of his pontificate, when he refused the pomp that often accompanies the papal office, Francis has not failed to stir controversy. 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