LISBON, PORTUGAL: Pope Francis has criticized the "backwardness" of several conservative members of the American Catholic Church, claiming that their replacement of religion with ideology and their erroneous interpretation of Catholic doctrine both require change with time.
The minutes of the meeting made public on Monday, August 28, provide the 86-year-old pope's unfiltered perspective on the widening divide between some US religious leaders and the Vatican over his efforts to reform the Catholic Church, as per the New York Post.
During his ten years as pope, Francis has been vocal about modifying old church doctrine to suit contemporary norms, much to the displeasure of more conservative officials in the US.
He has argued that homosexuality should not be criminalized, urged citizens and world leaders to take immediate action against climate change, backed divorce in certain cases, and looked into ending priests' celibacy.
Pope Francis addressed disparities among the US Catholic Church
Francis' remarks highlighted the differences within the American Catholic Church, which has been split between liberals and conservatives who have long found support in the dogmatic pontificates of St John Paul II and Benedict XVI, particularly on the subject of abortion and same-sex marriage.
"Doing this, you lose the true tradition and you turn to ideologies to have support. In other words, ideologies replace faith," the pope declared earlier in August at a private meeting with a Jesuit community in Lisbon.
Francis made his remarks on August 5 in response to a Jesuit's account of running into several Catholics and bishops who were opposed to his presidency and the Vatican during a recent year-long visit to the US.
In response, the pope referred to the US church as "backward" and criticized it for having "a very strong, organized, reactionary attitude," which he warned could foster a culture of seclusion that is incompatible with Christian principles.
Pope Francis added, "The vision of the doctrine of the church as a monolith is wrong. When you go backward, you make something closed off, disconnected from the roots of the church."
"I want to remind these people that backwardness is useless, and they must understand that there’s a correct evolution in the understanding of questions of faith and morals," he added, noting that this allows for growth.
Conservative criticisms of Pope Francis' social justice leanings
Religious conservatives in the US have often attacked the Pope on several subjects, including climate change, social justice, immigration, his advocacy for gun control, and his opposition to the death penalty.
According to Cardinal Raymond Burke of Rome, one of Francis' staunchest American rivals, the summit of bishops summoned by Francis for this October to help design the future of the Church runs the potential of creating "confusion, error, and division."
A Portuguese Jesuit noted in a question-and-answer session that when on sabbatical in the US, he was disappointed to see that many Catholics, including some bishops, were antagonistic to the pope's leadership.
The Pope has acknowledged the criticisms in the past, sometimes joking that it was an "honor" to be attacked by Americans.
