“The situation is not easy in the United States where there is a very strong reactionary attitude,” the pontiff told a group of Jesuits in an interview published Monday. “It is organized and shapes the way people belong, even emotionally.”
“I would like to remind those people that ‘backwardism’ is useless and we need to understand that there is an appropriate evolution in the understanding of matters of faith and morals,” the pope declared to the Jesuit community present in Portugal during the recent celebration of World Youth Day.
As examples, Francis said that “today it is a sin to possess atomic bombs” and “the death penalty is a sin,” but “it was not so before,” in reference to changes he has made in Church teaching.
Doctrine “progresses, expands, and consolidates with time and becomes firmer, but is always progressing,” he continued.
“Our understanding of the human person changes with time and our consciousness also deepens,” he stated. “The other sciences and their evolution also help the Church in this growth in understanding.”
“The view of Church doctrine as monolithic is erroneous,” he added.
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“I would like to remind those people that ‘backwardism’ is useless and we need to understand that there is an appropriate evolution in the understanding of matters of faith and morals,” the pope declared to the Jesuit community present in Portugal during the recent celebration of World Youth Day.
As examples, Francis said that “today it is a sin to possess atomic bombs” and “the death penalty is a sin,” but “it was not so before,” in reference to changes he has made in Church teaching.
Doctrine “progresses, expands, and consolidates with time and becomes firmer, but is always progressing,” he continued.
“Our understanding of the human person changes with time and our consciousness also deepens,” he stated. “The other sciences and their evolution also help the Church in this growth in understanding.”
“The view of Church doctrine as monolithic is erroneous,” he added.
Pope Francis Slams ‘Very Strong Reactionary Attitude’ Among U.S. Catholics
Pope Francis has appealed for more changes in Catholic teaching, lamenting the “backwardism” of Catholic conservatives in the United States.
