The Pope Says You’re Welcome. But Are You Interested? by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture, Apr 26, 2024

Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org

Another week, another papal interview.

In the latest, broadcast by CBS (with a more extensive version to air in May), Pope Francis is asked about the many Catholics who have left the Church. His answer is revealing in several ways. He insists that there is “always a place” for Catholics in the Church. “If in this parish, the priest doesn’t seem welcoming, I understand,” he says; “but go and look elsewhere.”

Father Raymond de Souza, writing in the National Catholic Register, remarks that here the Pope seems to be endorsing the practice of “parish-shopping,” which is contrary to the norms of canon law. As Father de Souza puts it, “The norm is that your parish is where you live.”

True (and Father de Souza points this out as well), the Church has long recognized that many Catholics today worship outside their geographical parishes, and a 1970 Vatican statement concluded that “any pastoral action that is limited to the territory of the parish is outdated.” Nevertheless that same statement added that “the territorial principle remains in force.” …

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