Is the pope Catholic? Francis dismisses critics of his teachings

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By David Gibson | 2 hours ago

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis is firing back at foes of his efforts to make the Catholic Church more open and pastoral in its ministry, telling an interviewer that his opponents have a legalistic mindset about Christianity that only sees the faith in “black or white.”

The pontiff’s lengthy interview in Avvenire, the official newspaper of the Italian hierarchy, was published Friday (Nov. 18) and followed days of news coverage of demands by four hardline cardinals who have grave concerns about Francis’ approach.

The four say that focusing on ministering to people in their particular circumstances is eroding the church’s doctrinal absolutes and that Francis must dispel any ambiguities or face serious consequences.

The four critics, led by U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, a Rome-based prelate and longtime opponent of the pontiff’s policies, had written privately to Francis in September. He asked the pontiff to state whether passages in a landmark document on ministering to families that he had issued in March could be interpreted to allow divorced and remarried Catholics to receive communion in some cases.

http://religionnews.com/2016/11/18/is-the-pope-catholic-francis-dismisses-critics-of-his-teachings/