Abstract
The recent comments by Pope Francis on abortion have caused a bit of a stir in the media. His nuanced responses are often lost in the media, and also by advocates on both sides of the abortion debate. While the Catholic position against abortion is common knowledge, this does not preclude openness to dialogue. This article looks at some recent attempts at dialogue on the controversial topic of abortion. The first example comes from a book that surveys the public view on abortion that surprisingly finds many areas of common ground. Followed by this is a theological reading of Pope Benedict’s encyclical ‘Charity in truth’ that can be the basis of dialogue between parties with divergent views. A third example refers to a conference in Princeton University three years ago, where I mentioned several points where dialogue could be built.
Highlights
Comments by Pope Francis on abortion caused a media stir
During an interview with the Jesuit Magazine Civiltà Cattolica, Pope Francis made recommendations for how Catholics should broach the difficult subject: We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods
Pope Francis has not changed the Catholic teaching, but merely they way we talk about it today
Summary
Comments by Pope Francis on abortion caused a media stir. During an interview with the Jesuit Magazine Civiltà Cattolica, Pope Francis made recommendations for how Catholics should broach the difficult subject: We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. Pope Francis has not changed the Catholic teaching (which is in principle opposed to abortion), but merely they way we talk about it today He believes the approach to the subject must be contextualized and pastorally oriented. The interview with Pope Francis demonstrates this element in his own Jesuit tradition, which calls for constant discernment of the spirit and to be in continual tension His comments about the spiritual life can be illustrating: Yes, in this quest to seek and find God in all things there is still an area of uncertainty. The Pontifical Council for Culture under the inspirations of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI has promulgated the ‘Courtyard of the Gentiles’ project which has the goal of engaging the secular world and those who hold different views in a spirit of fraternity It is based on a firm belief that as reasonable persons, there is always room for dialogue even though there can be disagreements [3]. I proposed several points where dialogue could be built on the three values of truth, love and freedom
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