Rev. James Martin

transcribe or transliterate because it was like this tiny little handwriting. And then I would ask to have someone here to translate it. So that's how we communicate. That's how it works in the universal church. Yes. Yeah.

transcribe or transliterate because it was like this tiny little handwriting. And then I would ask to have someone here to translate it. So that's how we communicate. That's how it works in the universal church. Yes. Yeah.

Well, yeah. And I mean, as you know, like Jesus, who taught with words and deeds, right? I mean, Jesus taught with gestures as well, not just words and teaching. Francis was very good at that. I remember that, you know, Ross, as you were saying that, that to me is the image that I'll take with me to my grave, which is him embracing that man with the skin condition.

Well, yeah. And I mean, as you know, like Jesus, who taught with words and deeds, right? I mean, Jesus taught with gestures as well, not just words and teaching. Francis was very good at that. I remember that, you know, Ross, as you were saying that, that to me is the image that I'll take with me to my grave, which is him embracing that man with the skin condition.

You know, which called up Francis of Assisi embracing the man with leprosy, Jesus embracing people. You know, one of the great things was for me that it was natural. He wasn't doing it for show, right? Or I'm going to now do something that's going to impress people. This was who he was. He naturally reached out to people like that. But yeah, it made for good teaching moments, I would say.

You know, which called up Francis of Assisi embracing the man with leprosy, Jesus embracing people. You know, one of the great things was for me that it was natural. He wasn't doing it for show, right? Or I'm going to now do something that's going to impress people. This was who he was. He naturally reached out to people like that. But yeah, it made for good teaching moments, I would say.

And I agree. I think the visual is just as important as any encyclical that he did.

And I agree. I think the visual is just as important as any encyclical that he did.

That's a great question. You know, interestingly, I would say that while those issues were in the forefront of a lot of our minds, I think for Francis they were secondary, the kind of hot-button issues. I mean, basically what he was trying to do, you know, in most of his homilies and his encyclicals and his apostolic pilgrimages to different places would just proclaim the gospel.

That's a great question. You know, interestingly, I would say that while those issues were in the forefront of a lot of our minds, I think for Francis they were secondary, the kind of hot-button issues. I mean, basically what he was trying to do, you know, in most of his homilies and his encyclicals and his apostolic pilgrimages to different places would just proclaim the gospel.

So most of his time he was just talking about Jesus, the resurrection, mercy, love. But I think it's a fair question. How far did he go? I think he went as far as he could, basically.

So most of his time he was just talking about Jesus, the resurrection, mercy, love. But I think it's a fair question. How far did he go? I think he went as far as he could, basically.

One of the things I learned when I was at the Synod, I was a delegate at the Synod, which is this worldwide gathering of Catholics, and we met in Rome in October 23 and 2024, was realizing how much he wanted church unity. And so some issues, women deacons, LGBTQ people, you know, all sorts of things.

One of the things I learned when I was at the Synod, I was a delegate at the Synod, which is this worldwide gathering of Catholics, and we met in Rome in October 23 and 2024, was realizing how much he wanted church unity. And so some issues, women deacons, LGBTQ people, you know, all sorts of things.

You could see how much pushback there was from places like sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, and, you know, even in the United States. And he said a couple of times, unity is more important than these conflicts, right? So I think he tried to open the door to the discussion about some of these issues without breaking the church, right?

You could see how much pushback there was from places like sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, and, you know, even in the United States. And he said a couple of times, unity is more important than these conflicts, right? So I think he tried to open the door to the discussion about some of these issues without breaking the church, right?

I think, you know, one of the fundamental differences, I think, between Pope Francis and a lot of his critics, particularly in the church and sometimes even in the hierarchy... Sometimes even in the pages of the New York Times. Sometimes.

I think, you know, one of the fundamental differences, I think, between Pope Francis and a lot of his critics, particularly in the church and sometimes even in the hierarchy... Sometimes even in the pages of the New York Times. Sometimes.

Was that he really spent time listening to people talk about their spiritual lives and had a real reverence for the activity of the Holy Spirit in the individual person's conscience. And so he really took that seriously. So... when he talked about discernment and listening to people and even in the synod and LGBTQ issues and in Amoris Laetitia, his apostolic exhortation on the family.

Was that he really spent time listening to people talk about their spiritual lives and had a real reverence for the activity of the Holy Spirit in the individual person's conscience. And so he really took that seriously. So... when he talked about discernment and listening to people and even in the synod and LGBTQ issues and in Amoris Laetitia, his apostolic exhortation on the family.