Why?

So of course there's been tonnes of media buzz on Pope Francis' latest public comments and of course there was a frenzy after the documents came out from the Synod on the family.  I've chosen to stay out of it a little bit, because there are so many opinions and interpretations flying around.  I've read everything from accusations that the Pope is watering down our faith and celebrations that the conservatives won the day in the end, all the way over to pieces pining hopefully that this is a first step in completely redefining everything the church teaches about marriage and family.  It seems like in the end a lot of people are willing to make Pope Francis into whomever they want him to be.  If someone has an ax to grind and longs for the good old days then the Pope is their target.  If someone wants change then the Pope is their poster child.  It actually really amazes me how much people can read in to and interpret some relatively simple teachings like be loving and merciful.

Of course through all of this I thought a lot about my own opinion on all of it, and decided not to share it here, for the simple reason that I am not an expert of theology on the level of the folks who are debating this issue, and anything I give will be a) simply my opinion and b) at risk of me theologizing it.  I'm not staying out of that side of things out of fear that someone won't like it/me because of it, because truthfully, the nature of opinion is that there is always someone who disagrees, and in our polarized world, there will be people who judge/hate you because of it.

To be honest, I'm really tired of all the commentary.  I spend a little too much time in forums discussing news, and it amazes me how much how many people have to say, with so little knowledge of the church.  Not that these don't present worthy debates, but after a while the truth seems to get shrouded in complicated philosophies, theology, and arguments.  We justify why we believe what we do through academic apologetics and theology.  There's nothing wrong with this, it's an important part of our faith, but it can also act as a bit of a mental road block to the simpler truth that exists.

That simple truth is why I'm Catholic (and proud of it Fr. Christino!)  Recently Pope Francis has cautioned against 'lukewarm' faith, and being a wishy washy, worldly Christian.  I totally get that because in the worldly realm of defending opinions and debating history and philosophy, we can get ourselves into a place where our faith comes solely from our intellect.  Again, I'm not saying the intellect isn't a huge and important part of it, it's a gift we have for a reason and the moment we stop thinking critically about what we believe we start down a road of self-assured complacency.  When we go too far down that road we get to a point where we try to mold the church to fit our worldview, rather than letting it form us (much like the rampant media speculation and opinion sharing around Pope Francis and the Synod).  What I am saying is that it isn't the centre of the picture.  It's not the core of our faith.  It's not the why of believing what we do.

So it all comes down to one thing for me.  Why am I Catholic?  Why do I trust the Synod?  Why is my worldview and opinion not what I want to share today?  Why can I go toe to toe with a Catholic I totally disagree with, and still offer peace?  Because when Christ handed the keys to Heaven to Peter, and founded the Church, he promised to be with us always.  In Matthew 16 Christ tells Peter that he is the rock on which the Church is built, and that evil will not prevail against it, and after the resurrection in Matthew 28 he tells the apostles to go out and spread the Good News, and promises to be with them (the Church) always.  I'm Catholic because I believe that promise.  I trust the Synod because I believe that promise.  I'm not overly concerned with media interpretations of Pope Francis because I believe that promise.

It's that simple to me.  I still value debate and the academic side of the faith, and I still think we need to watch and guard the church, to be honest when we sin, and to openly correct when we make mistakes.  But above all that, I trust that the Church is guided by God, and no matter if or how we stray, there is always guidance back.  I believe that in a day in age when there are no right answers to some of the questions we face, and when our law and our call to share God's infinite mercy seem at odds with each other, that the Church will be guided, however long the process, to answers and actions that are right, and blessed with saints who have to the courage to challenge the humanity of it to turn back when we are astray.