Necessary Disruption

This month, from October 2 to October 27, the Roman Catholic church will hold a synod in Rome, the conclusion of a church-wide consultation effort that spanned three years. It is an important, perhaps a defining moment of Pope Francis’s pontificate, which has now lasted more than 11 years and is likely to be nearing its end. The Pope will turn 88 later this year and has had various health issues, compelling him to use a wheelchair. 

Pope Francis’ leadership should interest anyone who cares about climate justice, dignity for migrants, peace and reconciliation and interfaith relations – all urgent causes the Pope has worked very hard for. This synod is essentially an advisory body of bishops that Francis has adapted to become a more representative forum, where many different voices can be heard. All in small steps, of course, but significant ones. 

A new era? 

Michael W. Higgins, a distinguished Canadian academic and commentator, characterizes Pope Francis as “the Jesuit disruptor.” (Higgins’ book of that title just came out). To his great credit, Francis has disrupted ingrained institutionally-focused patterns of being church, Higgins argues. “By taking such a risk with synodality,” he wrote in The Globe and Mail, “by opening the church to a new era of self-scrutiny, by nurturing a culture of intense listening, by reverencing the other as other, by relentlessly – some might say ruthlessly – attacking the imperfections and pathologies of clerical formation and leadership, Francis is purifying the church, not deconstructing it.”

I appreciate Higgins’ characterization of the Pope, although it seems overly inward focused and does not do justice to Francis’ engagement with the world outside the Church. Francis has developed the global strengths of the Roman Catholic church like no modern Pope has. But since this synod is focused on internal matters, let’s go along with that. Francis may have been a great disruptor, but is this “disruption” thorough enough for the changes to last?

Possibility of failure

As with so many issues the Pope has tackled, change has been difficult to achieve. Progressives are deeply frustrated with the lack of concrete action for empowering women, while traditionalists’ attitudes range from cautious to vehemently opposed. Thus far, Francis has always been undaunted by opposition and setbacks, but there are signs he is being put to the test. 

Consider the Pope’s recent weeks. After a successful trip to Southeast Asia and Oceania in September, where he advocated for interfaith relations and addressed urgent local concerns, he made a trip to Belgium. There, well-meaning academics told him how crucially important their critical thinking is and that he should ordain women priests – exactly the topic he did not want the Synod to focus on. And of course, he was ever reminded of Catholic “sins of the past”; clerical abuse. With all of these competing perspectives, there seems to be a real possibility that the synod will end in failure. 

A deeper disruption 

It seems to me that much more disruption will be needed to address the structural weaknesses of the Roman Catholic church. Catholics and the Bible? The Bible in the liturgy and preaching? There is an urgent need for . . . dare I say it . . . reform, and a world to be won. But I fear that ingrained biblical illiteracy will be so strong at this synod that few people will even see the need. 

On the most contentious topics, which are (guess what) women’s ordination, LGBTQ inclusion and taking action to prevent abuse, I personally believe that only an ecumenical effort will produce the hoped-for results. (Biblical references could be given). In the Globe and Mail Letters page I opined a year ago that this narrow focus is just another example of clericalism: “Many churches have opened up ordained ministry to women, but all too often the outcomes have been disappointing, with women remaining a disempowered and often underpaid minority. Another far more realistic way forward exists. For instance, women could be democratically elected parish and diocesan chancellors with real powers to hire staff, manage real estate and pursue sociopolitical action. Let’s first try that, and perhaps revisit the ordination question when the time is ready.”

Dorothee Sölle, a German theologian who died in 2003 and a disruptor unlike anyone else, wrote that in the third millennium religion would have to be mystical or die. At present, many religious folks across the world seem hell-bent on Sölle’s second option; they demonize or ostracize other believers, they worship ‘golden calves’ in politics, culture or the marketplace, and put their trust in weapons of war. If Sölle had lived, she and Pope Francis could have come to like each other across their differences.

Disruptors of all churches, unite! It is time.