- Feb 5, 2002
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COMMENTARY: The canonical anomaly, suggested by the Holy Father in an interview with CBS News, was once an anomaly but has become the norm among Catholics.
In an interview released on Wednesday, Pope Francis endorsed a practice that used to be frowned upon but now is a robust phenomenon among practicing Catholics: choosing their own parish.
Pope Francis granted an interview to Norah O’Donnell of CBS News — his first such television interview with an American network. While the full interview will be aired on 60 Minutes next month, excerpts were released on Wednesday dealing with the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as climate change. The Holy Father’s responses were in line with his recent and frequent comments on those issues.
This comment though will not be considered as newsworthy, but remains noteworthy:
“I would say that there is always a place, always,” Pope Francis said, addressing those who do not see a place for themselves in the Catholic Church. “If in this parish the priest doesn’t seem welcoming, I understand, but go and look elsewhere, there is always a place. Do not run away from the Church. The Church is very big. … You shouldn’t run away from her.”
Pope Francis is suggesting what once was derisively known as “parish shopping.”
In canon law, a Catholic belongs to the parish in the territory of which he resides. There are exceptions to that, notably “personal parishes,” in which the parish includes those in certain “personal” categories, such as language, ethnicity, associations, campus, professions or liturgical traditions. Those are exceptions, though. The norm is that your parish is where you live.
Continued below.
www.ncregister.com
In an interview released on Wednesday, Pope Francis endorsed a practice that used to be frowned upon but now is a robust phenomenon among practicing Catholics: choosing their own parish.
Pope Francis granted an interview to Norah O’Donnell of CBS News — his first such television interview with an American network. While the full interview will be aired on 60 Minutes next month, excerpts were released on Wednesday dealing with the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as climate change. The Holy Father’s responses were in line with his recent and frequent comments on those issues.
This comment though will not be considered as newsworthy, but remains noteworthy:
“I would say that there is always a place, always,” Pope Francis said, addressing those who do not see a place for themselves in the Catholic Church. “If in this parish the priest doesn’t seem welcoming, I understand, but go and look elsewhere, there is always a place. Do not run away from the Church. The Church is very big. … You shouldn’t run away from her.”
Pope Francis is suggesting what once was derisively known as “parish shopping.”
In canon law, a Catholic belongs to the parish in the territory of which he resides. There are exceptions to that, notably “personal parishes,” in which the parish includes those in certain “personal” categories, such as language, ethnicity, associations, campus, professions or liturgical traditions. Those are exceptions, though. The norm is that your parish is where you live.
Continued below.
Did Pope Francis Just Endorse ‘Parish Shopping’?
COMMENTARY: The canonical anomaly, suggested by the Holy Father in an interview with CBS News, was once an anomaly but has become the norm among Catholics.
I have done that in the past, many times, when I could not stand the abuses or the rock bands or the starry-eyed hippies spouting weird ideas; hopefully, I won't ever have to do that again in the future.
