VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis has lamented what he called a “reactionary” Catholic Church in the United States, where he said political ideology has replaced faith in some cases.
In the 10 years since his election, Francis has been criticized by conservative sectors of the US Church who are opposed to reforms such as giving women and lay Catholics more roles and making the Church more welcoming and less judgmental toward some, including LGBT people.
Francis made his comments on Aug. 5 in a private meeting in Lisbon with members of the Jesuit order, of which he is a member, during his trip for World Youth Day. They were published on Monday by the Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica.
In a question-and-answer session, a Portuguese Jesuit said that during a sabbatical in the United States, he was saddened that many Catholics, including some bishops, were hostile to the pope’s leadership.
“You have seen that in the United States the situation is not easy: there is a very strong reactionary attitude. It is organized and shapes the way people belong, even emotionally,” the pope responded.
Religious conservatives in the United States often have aligned with politically conservative media outlets to criticize the pope over a host of issues such as climate change, immigration, social justice, his calls for gun control and his opposition to the death penalty.
“You have been to the United States and you say you have felt a climate of closure. Yes, this climate can be experienced in some situations,” Francis said.
“And there, one can lose the true tradition and turn to ideologies for support. In other words, ideology replaces faith, membership in a sector of the Church replaces membership in the Church,” he said.
Francis said his critics should understand that “there is an appropriate evolution in the understanding of matters of faith and morals” and that being backward-looking is “useless.”
As an example, he said some pontiffs centuries ago were tolerant of slavery but the Church evolved.
One of the pope’s fiercest American critics, Rome-based Cardinal Raymond Burke, wrote in an introduction for a recent book that a meeting of bishops called by Francis for this October to help chart the future of the Church risked sowing “confusion and error and division.”
Pope Francis laments ‘reactionary,’ politicized, US Catholic Church
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Pope Francis laments ‘reactionary,’ politicized, US Catholic Church
- Pope Francis has been criticized by conservative sectors of the US Church who are opposed to reforms
- Francis says his critics should understand that ‘there is an appropriate evolution in the understanding of matters of faith and morals’
Greece, Israel to cooperate on anti-drone systems, cybersecurity, Greek minister says
- Greece and Israel operate an air training center on Greek territory
- Greece last year approved the purchase of 36 Israeli-made PULS rocket artillery systems
ATHENS: Greece will cooperate with Israel on anti-drone systems and cybersecurity, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said on Tuesday after meeting his Israeli counterpart in Athens.
“We agreed to exchange views and know-how to be able to deal with drones and in particular swarms of unmanned vehicles and groups of unmanned subsea vehicles,” Dendias said in joint statements with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
“We will also work together in order to be ready to intercept cyber threats.”
With strong economic and diplomatic ties, Greece and Israel operate an air training center on Greek territory and have held joint military drills in recent years.
Greece last year approved the purchase of 36 Israeli-made PULS rocket artillery systems for about 650 million euros ($762.52 million). It has also been in talks with Israel to develop an anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic multi-layer air and drone defense system, estimated to cost about 3 billion euros.
“We are equally determined regarding another critical issue: not to allow actors who seek to undermine regional stability to gain a foothold through terror, aggression or military proxies in Syria, in Gaza, in the Aegean Sea,” Katz said.
Dendias and Katz did not say who would pose drone, cyber or other threats to their countries. But Greece and Israel both see Turkiye as a significant regional security concern.
