Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Letter to the editor:

Pope embraces Christ’s ideals

Vatican Family

Gregorio Borgia / AP

Pope Francis attends a morning session of a two-week synod on family issues at the Vatican, Monday, Oct. 13, 2014.

Charlotte Allen’s column in the Nov. 23 issue of the Sun, “Is a liberal/conservative schism in the Catholic Church inevitable? Hardly,” underestimates Pope Francis’ valiant and publicly successful efforts to reach displaced yet religious divorced and gay Catholics. He has embraced Jesus in every turn of his public life and has shown by example that these human labels bear no exception.

Who among His Holiness’ predecessors has effected mass firings of pedophiles; supported grass-roots movements in many parishes to welcome and embrace divorced and gay Catholics (and their children); and shunned gold-plated Vatican-inspired glamour and grandeur to live in a simple apartment, drive a simple car, and take time to walk the streets of Rome and actually connect with his human constituency?

Pope Francis is quiet but steady in his walk with Jesus, who embraced none other than Mary Magdalene, about which Allen should be reminded. Who was lower on the human or morality food chain than Mary during her time? Yet, Jesus embraced her, and she is, indeed, a significant player in the Bible and Christ’s life.

Love and acceptance, along with forgiveness, tolerance, and a worldly and wise sense of humanity have been the hallmarks of Jesus. Perhaps Pope Francis possesses the compassionate “secret sauce” that will free dislocated and disposed Catholics of other persuasions — whether gay or divorced.

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