LAWLER: They realized that their concerns were justified— they weren’t crazy. At the same time, they realized that we don’t have to invent wild conspiracy theories to explain what is happening.
If the Pope is making imprudent statements, it’s not the first time that the Church has had problems with a Pope. We’ll survive this.
REGINA: Agreed, though this behavior does tend to panic people.
LAWLER: This to me was a very important aspect of my work on the book: I wanted to give people the proper perspective on the current crisis. Some people go overboard, suggesting that Francis is an antipope or a heretic, saying that we’re approaching the end of the world and the collapse of Catholicism. There’s no need for that sort of fear and extremism. At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge that there IS a crisis.
REGINA: Yes, though this does seem to confuse and alarm a lot of Catholics.
LAWLER: As Catholics, we respect the Pope— not because of the man, but because of the office. Some popes are wonderful; others aren’t very good at all. They all have the same teaching authority. (It’s significant that Pope Francis has chosen not to use his authority to make definitive teachings.)
But when one Pope contradicts the teachings of previous Popes, he undermines his own authority. We should remember that it’s the OFFICE that commands our respect. So it’s the definitive teachings— not the latest public statements— that we must recognize.
REGINA | 7