Carrying the torch of the good news to the peripheries : the ecclesial vision of Pope Francis

Abstract

The election of Pope Francis brought a feeling of “newness” not only throughout the Catholic Church but also the world. This was communicated instantly mainly through his life style choices, his emphasis on collegiality with his brother bishops and his informal way of addressing his audiences. Above all he communicated a new vision for the Church, which however is firmly rooted in Christ’s teachings as found in the Gospels and in the Church’s tradition. The articulation of such a vision became evident quite early during his pontificate, especially in an interview he gave to Antonio Spadaro and in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. Such a vision significantly shifted the understanding of the Church from one likened to a stationary beacon of light to one where the more appropriate metaphor is that of a torch which enlightens and guides the journey step by step. Two ways how Pope Francis is seeking to transform this vision from a mere ideological statement to a living experience is through the practices of Mercy and Inculturation. His emphasis that the Church should reflect God’s mercy to humankind and the particular attention he attributes to the role played by individual cultures in the process of evangelisation have been frequently highlighted throughout his pontificate. This vision appears to have been significantly influenced by Ignatian Spirituality and the Theology of the People. It yearns to invite all Christians to spread the Good News within their contemporary culture through a language that is understood by it but without diluting in any way of the radicality of this message. The way how this is done is essentially by being able to understand God’s will in our daily life and seek to be witnesses of it with whoever we meet, especially by being merciful to all.