Stuck

The American Catholic Church is stuck in its Papal coverage.  When all the bishops agreed with the last two popes about "being tough" on doctrine and rules, every breath of the Pope was publicized.  We got used to hearing "what the pope says," about any issue.  When I was a boy, we rarely heard about the pope.  Now with the new Pope Francis, the Catholic media machine is still revved up about whatever the Pope says or does.  The problem for the American hierarchy is that they and the Pope are not on the same page.  These prelates do not have pastoral DNA.  To make the shift, and it will be cumbersome, we will hear such things as, "Throwing an olive branch to divorced."  What is that about?  An olive branch is a symbol of making peace.  It shows the attitude of one side, not the divorced, being at war with people who don't follow rules.  If we had simply lived out the fulness of the gospel, we would never have gotten into this mess in the first place.