Papal Dicta

"I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of every denomination be called the will of God. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, and goodness. What God desires is here (points to head), and here (points to heart), and what you decide to do every day, you will be a good man...or not."
--Hospitaller (Kingdom of Heaven)

In light of Pope Francis' upcoming visit to the US, Judge Nap, who is a traditional Catholic, discusses the pope's well publicized views on economics as well as his recent actions related to divorce and abortion.

In traditional Catholicism, the pope is seen as the vicar (direct agent) of Christ on earth. As such, he should be infallible on issues of faith and morals. However, because popes are human beings operating in an imperfect world, it is possible for them to overstep their bounds and stray into areas beyond their authority and competence. Since the papal institution has been established, the forays of several popes have in fact been epic.

In his public statements, Pope Francis often engages in dicta, meaning that he expresses opinions unrelated to the issues at hand. In several of his formal communications, for example, the pope has espoused views about economic issues and about the role that government force could play in advancing his socioeconomic vision.

As Judge Nap observes, not only do these views constitute dicta, but they directly conflict with Catholic belief in free will--i.e., "the absolute freedom of the individual to make his or her own choices."

Unfortunately, because papal positions carries the aura of supreme authority, it is likely that papal dicta concerning economics is likely to be treated quite literally as 'gospel' by many.

Pope Francis has also recently acted to speed the process of marriage annulments and to endorse the authority of Catholic priests to unilaterally absolve the sin of abortion. On these issues, I do not quite share the alarm of Judge Nap. Annulment and confession are formal, rule-based processes of an earthly church that are likely to imperfectly reflect, and sometimes seem directly at odds with, an all-loving, forgiving Creator. From scripture, it seems clear to me that, while on earth, Christ was not a proliferator of rules. He was a simplifier of them.

Prescribing and condoning solutions that involve government-sponsored aggression to combat economic need and climate change are other issues entirely. Willingness to use the trappings of papal office to lend the air of legitimacy to policies of force is inappropriate as it conflicts with the teachings of Christ.