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Vatican journalist says mercy defines Pope Francis’ papacy

Christine Stoddard | Catholic Herald

Catholic journalist John L. Allen addresses the National Association of Catholic Chaplains at the organization’s 50th anniversary conference.

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Little white crosses scattered before a statue of the Holy
Family make up a poignant memorial called the Cemetery for
Aborted Children in South Korea. Home to about 15 million
Christians, South Korea suffers the highest rate of abortion
in the world.

During his trip to the country last August, Pope Francis
visited the site in part to clear up the media’s
“misunderstanding of his social agenda,” said Vatican
journalist and Boston Globe Associate Editor John L. Allen
Jr. Some media outlets had accused the pope of downplaying
the Catholic Church’s stances on abortion and gay marriage in
order to gain secular popularity.

According to Allen, the pope’s agenda is none other than
mercy – a value he hopes will permeate church leadership at
every level.

In a spirited talk before the National Association of
Catholic Chaplains March 9, Allen described the visit as one
of many examples of the pope’s belief that “mercy” and
“service” should define church leadership, not “power” and
“authority.” Allen added that the pope is a “mastermind” at
reminding us that “we must be conscious of those in most need
of God’s loving mercy.”

Paraphrasing the pope, Allen said, “We should never get so
caught up in pastoral planning that we become blind to the
people.” He also paraphrased Pope Francis in saying “we need
pastors who carry the smell of their sheep” because of how
close they are to their flock.

The NACC’s four-day conference took place at the Hyatt
Regency Crystal City in Arlington, offering professional and
spiritual workshops in honor of the organization’s 50th
anniversary year.

The NACC “advocates for the profession of spiritual care and
educates, certifies and supports chaplains,” as well as
clinical pastoral educators and related professionals.

Allen was the conference’s final plenary speaker. Other
speakers included Joseph J. Driscoll, Ann Garrido and Debra
A. Canales.

Allen started off his talk by thanking chaplains for their
service – an action he said carries new meaning now that he
has experienced the death of his mother.

“Chaplains are like lawyers,” he joked. “You don’t really
appreciate them until you need them.”

He told the group that while it’s his job as a reporter to
chronicle the church, chaplains are the church.

Allen used anecdotes from his Vatican coverage to paint Pope
Francis as a “rock star” to build up to his point that while
all popes are “remarkably complex,” each one defines his
leadership with a “signature phrase.” This phrase is not only
spoken but evidenced by the pope’s actions.

Allen, who has covered three popes during his career, defined
Pope John Paul’s signature phrase as “Do not be afraid,” Pope
Benedict’s as “Reason and faith” and Pope Francis’ as “The
Lord never tires of forgiving.”

Pope Francis’ “passion for the sacrament of confession,” his
dismissal of “throwaway culture” and his “personal gesture of
humility and simplicity” represent his vision for a “serious
evangelical shift in the Catholic Church.” Allen described
the three pillars that support that vision as: leadership as
service; a deeply missionary conception; and mercy as the
core Christian message.

The most important pillar in the pope’s eyes is mercy, said
Allen.

“The world has seen our judgment,” Allen paraphrased Pope
Francis. “Now it is time for the world to see our mercy.”

Stoddard can be reached at [email protected].

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