Pope Francis says chuch must reach out to all who are rejected by society and the church

Reported by Religion News Service, David Gibson.
 
"Pope Francis on Sunday (Feb. 15) said the Roman Catholic Church must be open and welcoming, whatever the costs.

"He also warned the hierarchy not to be 'a closed caste' but to lead in reaching out to all who are rejected by society and the church. .

“'Jesus responds immediately to the leper’s plea, without waiting to study the situation and all its possible consequences,' Francis declared. 'For Jesus, what matters above all is reaching out to save those far off, healing the wounds of the sick, restoring everyone to God’s family. And this is scandalous to some people!'

“'Jesus is not afraid of this kind of scandal,' the pontiff continued. 'He does not think of the close-minded who are scandalized even by a work of healing, scandalized before any kind of openness, by any action outside of their mental and spiritual boxes, by any caress or sign of tenderness which does not fit into their usual thinking and their ritual purity.' . . . 

"Throughout his 15-minute homily, Francis repeatedly slammed the 'narrow and prejudiced mentality' of believers who cling to religious laws out of fear. They wind up rejecting the very people they should be ministering to, he said, which means anyone on the margins of society 'who encounters discrimination. . . .  

“'We will not find the Lord unless we truly accept the marginalized!' he concluded. 'Truly the Gospel of the marginalized is where our credibility is at stake, where it is found, and where it is revealed.'”

Well, yes.    Isn't that straight from Jesus's teachings, as recorded in the New Testament?    On one hand, this should not be surprising at all.   On the other, it is such a departure in tone and emphasis from the previous Pope Benedict -- who, incidentally, was in attendance during Francis's homily -- that is does come as a surprise.

Theologically, I don't endorse the pope's beliefs;   but his pastoral role and emphasis on the basic teachings of Jesus toward other people, I find very compatible with my secular humanism.

Pope Francis is indeed a welcome breath of fresh air.

Ralph