Boston's O'Malley: Francis prefers to talk love, not abortion

Joshua J. McElwee ncronline.org "Pope Francis has not mentioned traditional hot-button Catholic issues like abortion because he prefers to emphasize that Catholics "love people" and are not "mean or old-fashioned," Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley has said. O'Malley, the only North American Francis asked to serve on a group of eight cardinals advising him on reforming the church, made the comments during a keynote address Tuesday in San Antonio at the annual convention of the Knights of Columbus. "Some people think that the Holy Father should talk more about abortion," O'Malley told approximately 2,000 attendees, according to a copy of the remarks posted online. "I think he speaks of love and mercy to give people the context for the Church's teaching on abortion," he continued. "We oppose abortion, not because we are mean or old fashioned, but because we love people. And that is what we must show the world." O'Malley's focus on explaining the pope's lack of abortion talk may be seen by some as a reaction by the cardinal to recent reports that some American Catholics have been underwhelmed by the new pope's emphases, which have also not highlighted other more controversial Catholic teachings on issues like gay marriage or divorce and remarriage.

Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput alluded to such displeasure in an NCR interview last month, when he said the right wing of the church "generally have not been really happy about [Francis'] election." to read more click here: ncronline.org