Sally Quinn on The Pope Francis Miracle

Today's Washington Post features an op-ed by Sally Quinn titled "The Pope Francis Miracle."  Quinn joins many around the world who are marveling about the things the pope said in his lengthy interview released over the weekend.  Quinn puts it this way:

Pope Francis stunned Catholics last week with his lengthy interview in which he talked about how the church should no longer be “obsessed” with issues like abortion, gay marriage and contraception. “We have to find a new balance,” Francis said. “Otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel.”

Quinn reveals the contents of her interview with father Jim Martin, editor-at-large of America, the Jesuit magazine, who is apparently elated by what the relatively new pope is saying.  Yet, Martin maintains that the pope's words do not signal a change in the church's teaching.  Rather, he says, “There has been a shift in emphasis. His comments on those things have a different tone and language. He is moving us away from some of the issues that have bedeviled the church back to God, Jesus, love, forgiveness and mercy. It’s very beautiful. It’s like Jesus.”  

Indeed, we do not know where things are headed for one of the world's largest religious organizations and one of America's largest nonprofits.  We must wait for the future to unfold itself.  As Father Jim Martin puts it, "Who knows?  The Holy Spirit blows where it will."

VEJ