by Angela Hanley

‘The pope says...’ can never be a substitute for taking responsibility for being an adult follower of Jesus Christ. Not only because what any Pope says will depend on his own temperament, shaped by his family and social background and his ecclesiastical training. What a pope says can and will be pulled in all directions.

What level of authority does this or that statement have? Those with good pastoral instincts will interpret any statement broadly; those who need the straitjacket of tight rules for every action and every step will interpret it narrowly. We have seen this in the reaction to Pope Francis’ comment on civil unions for the LGBTQI community. For some, this is a new freedom, for others the Pope is acting heretically.