The publication of Pope Francis’ 2020 encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” (“Brothers and Sisters All”) has led me to reflect on the pain of division and how we might overcome them. Divisions include deep political divisions, but mainly I refer to our widening Catholic rifts.
In “Fratelli Tutti” Pope Francis applies Catholic social doctrine to the “new things” of 2020 and of our times generally: The coronavirus pandemic, poverty and inequality, the refugee crisis, social isolation and political extremism. These are all too familiar, highlighted by virus fatigue, tribal partisan battles between Democrats and Republicans, and January’s storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Yet, for me as a Catholic and especially as a deacon, divisions among fellow Catholics cause the most pain and sorrow. Pope Francis recognizes “destructive forms of fanaticism” among Christians (“Fratelli Tutti,” 46). In the words of St. Paul, “It has been reported to me…that there are rivalries among you….” (1 Cor 1:11) Paul writes these words in sadness and disappointment over factions in Corinth’s nascent Christian community. Two thousand years later, our more “mature” American Catholic community exhibits similar rivalries. When I was a young man in the 1950s and 1060s,
Catholic parents expressed strong disapproval of “mixed marriages,” meaning between a Catholic child and a Protestant. Now, however, strong disapproval attaches to a “mixed marriage” between the children of Catholic Democratic and Catholic Republican families.
Catholics routinely hurl scorn and condemnation at each other over political differences. If you doubt that, check out the comments section of Catholic News Herald’s Facebook page any time there is a news posting about a public figure! More disturbing, however, is the routine labeling of parishes and clergy. Descriptors such as Liberal or Conservative or Traditional or Progressive or Faithful or Orthodox are common. Some Catholics describe other Catholics as “Cafeteria Catholics” or “Catholics in Name Only.” Sometimes I fear we are in the situation the psalmist laments: “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the upright do?” (Ps 11:3).
Parishes have always differed from one another in liturgical style, range of internal and external ministries, women’s roles and cultural traditions. What’s different now, is that Catholics in some parishes disparage other parishes for these differences. Labeling is the antithesis of catholicity – the universality of our faith. Increasingly, although we continue to be apostolic, we fail to be one, holy, or catholic. We have lost the “fraternity” and “social friendship” at the center of “Fratelli Tutti.”
“Some believers think that (their spiritual stature) consists in imposition of their own ideologies upon everyone else, or in a violent defense of the truth….
All of us, as believers, need to recognize that love takes first place: love must never be put at risk, and the greatest danger lies in failing to love” (92).
Or, as St. Paul puts it, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree on what you say, that there be no divisions among you, but that you may be united in the same mind and in the same purpose” (1 Cor 1:10).
In the spirit of “Fratelli Tutti,” what might soothe – even heal – our festering wounds? How can we strive to live our faith above the noise of the tribal
hostilities surrounding us? I suggest we make five pledges to one another:
- Pledge 1: Never denigrate, mock or declare another Catholic outside the fold. “Brothers and Sisters All” is the English translation of “Fratelli Tutti.” I urge us to pledge always to remember that whatever our disagreements, we are eternally members of the same family through a common baptism. When we yell at or denigrate one another, we give scandal to those who might otherwise be attracted to the faith, and we provide an excuse for some Catholics to seek other, less divisive religions. “Let us renounce the pettiness and resentment of useless in-fighting and constant confrontation” (78).
- Pledge 2: Stop labeling. I suggest we pledge to eliminate certain adjectives from our vocabulary – liberal, conservative, orthodox, faithful, progressive, traditional and the like. One noun – Catholic – unites us; adjectives divide us. Seek by positive words to convert others, not to declare them heretics for disagreeing.
- Pledge 3: Employ dialogue, accompaniment and encounter. In “Fratelli Tutti” Pope Francis constantly encourages Catholics to engage respectfully, but forthrightly, in conversation with each other and with all people. Criticize ideas and practices, never people. Genuine intra-Church dialogue depends more on listening than on speaking; more on sustained and respectful engagement than on episodic shouting matches.
- Pledge 4: When God calls us to be prophetic, denounce actions, not persons or groups. The Lord does call us to be passionate about life, dignity, justice and peace. Passionate concern evokes prophetic condemnation of evil. This is foundational in our faith. But it is evil actions, policies and practices that deserve prophetic scrutiny. Our duty to condemn evil practices does not extend to judgments about the salvation of individuals.
- Pledge 5: When it comes to Catholics and politics, respect “specialization.” Too often, Catholic divisions stem from different partisan loyalties. Remember that the full range of Catholic social doctrine embraces a wide variety of fundamental concerns: healthcare, abortion, war and peace, education, racial justice, poverty, economics, and many others. No one Catholic can focus equally on all. Most of us “specialize,” learning as much as we can about one or two policy issues and then focusing our political and social advocacy on that issue. The goal is to engage public life from our “specialty,” while respecting others’ choices of focus. Together they express the full range of our faith’s social teaching.
I invite you to adopt these pledges to remedy our divisions.
Deacon Clarke E. Cochran, PhD, serves at St. Peter Church in Charlotte.