JESUS’ TONE
“Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” – Jn 8:11
There has been sadness and disappointment I am unable to address. Last week the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that priests could not give blessings to same-sex unions because “God cannot bless sin.” It said that Pope Francis “was informed and gave his assent” to its publication. While the brief statement added nothing new to the Church’s teaching concerning homosexual unions and acknowledged “positive elements” present “in such relationships,” it significantly departed from the “who am I to judge” pastoral tone of Pope Francis. The language was harsh and judgmental, markedly inconsistent with the pope’s attitude toward the LGBTQ+ community.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus took a different approach with the woman caught in adultery. He was clear and compassionate. He upheld the Jewish law while showing the woman that he sees her beyond her fault and as a pawn used by religious authorities. He acknowledged the sin and accepted the sinner, neither minimizing the law nor her dignity. Moreover, he called everyone present to not only follow their conscience but also to honor the woman as a beloved child of God. His firm and loving challenge, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” drew everyone to the heart of God’s powerful mercy.
As I prayed over the passage, I caught a glimpse of Jesus’ sadness and disappointment. Yet, unlike me, he did not remain there. Just as he joined her on the ground and stood up when they were alone, he empathized with me in the pain I feel for homosexual Catholics as well as my bewilderment towards Church leaders. He reminded me mercifully of the many times I, a priest, treated others with harshness and judgment. Sensing the depth of Jesus’ tenderness does not remove my interior struggles but moves me to stand up. I want to listen better to many LGBTQ+ persons who genuinely and courageously seek to live within the Catholic family. I desire to adopt Jesus’ tone and lovingly address those who struggle in their faith. I hope to reconcile many of us Catholic trapped by the culture wars that divide and conquer us all.
It is encouraging to hear again Pope Francis’ tone during the Angelus yesterday urging us to “[sow] seeds of love, not with fleeting words but through concrete, simple and courageous examples, not with theoretical condemnations, but with gestures of love.” It is consoling to see a Church leader respond with “the style of God – closeness, compassion, and tenderness.”
Dear Jesus, give me the courage to honor truth and people who struggle with your style of closeness, compassion, and tenderness. I trust that you take us as we are, but never leave us as we are.
Tri Dinh, SJ