Pope Doesn't Get America, Ex-Priest Says, After Francis Blasts US Catholics

Pope Francis' warning about the increasingly "reactionary" nature of U.S. Catholicism divided Catholic leaders.

The Pope, whose stances on social justice and environmental issues have long drawn the ire of some U.S. conservatives who believe religion should play a larger role in politics, expressed during a private August 5 meeting with members of the Jesuit order in Lisbon, Portugal, during his trip for World Youth Dayconcerns that American Catholics have placed political ideology over faith in recent years, Reuters reported.

His remarks, made public on Monday, were made in response to a question from a Portuguese Jesuit who said he was "saddened" during a sabbatical in the U.S., during which he saw Catholics take a "hostile" tone to Pope Francis' leadership, Reuters reported.

"You have seen that in the United States, the situation is not easy: there is a very strong reactionary attitude. It is organized and shapes the way people belong, even emotionally," the Pope said.

"And there, one can lose the true tradition and turn to ideologies for support. In other words, ideology replaces faith, membership in a sector of the Church replaces membership in the Church," he said.

Some Criticized the Pope's Message

Former Priest Frank Pavone, a laicized Catholic priest and the national director of anti-abortion group Priests for Life, told Newsweek on Monday he believes the remarks reveal that Pope Francis does not understand Americans. He said many conservative U.S. Catholics respect the office of the papacy but "don't feel very affirmed" by Pope Francis himself.

"It comes across as judgmental. It also comes across as he doesn't understand America too well," he said. "Of course, we're going to be involved in politics. This is America."

Pavone said that the debate over abortion and other political issues "distinguishes America," and that the Pope should better understand that people "make their views openly" in the country. He added that he believes his words were "valuative rather than descriptive," and it would be more helpful for him to "describe the behavior he's referring to."

Pavone was laicized last year over his "blasphemous communications on social media," The New York Times reported. He has previously made social media posts calling President Joe Biden a "godd*** loser" and the Democratic Party "America-hating" and "God hating." He also drew criticism after allegedly placing an aborted fetus on an altar to show support for former President Donald Trump, who has embraced anti-abortion policies, on Election Day of 2016.

Others Backed the Pope's Critiques

Many other Catholic leaders, on the other hand, agreed with Pope Francis' remarks. James Bretzke, a professor of theology at John Carroll University, told Newsweek during a phone interview on Monday that he shared these concerns.

"You do have, in fact, any number of people in American church that are throwing him 'a good deal of shade,'" he said.

Bretzke explained that the remarks are part of Pope Francis' efforts to make the church into a metaphorical "field hospital" where "people who are wounded or vulnerable or hurting come to the church" rather than "waiting until they're healed." But he said many American Catholics have gone "on the record" to voice that they do not share his vision of the church.

"He's trying to say, we've got to go out to the people where they are and deal with them in terms of their most pressing needs," he said.

He said bishops who are critical of Pope Francis' leadership may become more reticent to share their criticisms, but that those who are the most critical may end up leaving the church or be removed from the Vatican.

Bretzke said that U.S. Catholics who are most vocal about cultural issues have become more reticent amid Pope Francis' efforts and that those are the most "on the fringe" risk playing "ecclesiastical Jenga" as they face consequences from the Vatican if they go too far.

"It is like identifying who is on your side and who is against you. These sorts of reactions to Pope Francis' initiatives are helpful for clarifying where people stand," he said.

Tom Reese, a senior analyst for Religion News Service, told Newsweek on Monday that he also agrees with Pope Francis, warning that many Americans are using their religion "for political purposes."

"What divides churches today is not theology but politics, or as Francis says, 'ideology.' Conservative Catholics turned against Francis because he refused to obsess over abortion, a Republican issue, and emphasized the need to deal with global warming, a Democratic issue. These same conservatives condemned as disloyal anyone who had any disagreements with the two previous popes," he said.