In his recently widely cited interview, he urged “proclamation in a missionary style,” with focus “on the essentials, the necessary things . . . what fascinates and attracts . . . makes the heart burn, as it did for the disciples at Emmaus,” offering “urgency and radiance and freshness [that] is new and welcome,” comments Robert Royal.
But if he were to call me he does such things, but Im not holding my breath I would point to the misleading phrase [“The dogmatic and moral
teachings of the church are not all equivalent”] that starts [the] passage [in
question]. Its true: not everything in Catholicism is on the same plane. Benedict and the American bishops, for example, tried for years to explain that life takes precedence over secondary policy questions. Francis no doubt agrees, but before making his strong evangelical point, hes given an unnecessary opening to those who would twist his words.
Those of us who publicly fight these battles already know what were going to be hearing from the other guys: “Will you Catholics stop yapping all the time about abortion [or contraception or gay marriage]. Even the pope has told you to give it a rest.” And they wont be entirely wrong.The world is only too happy for the Church to leave the battlefield and allow the secular world to kill babies in unimaginable numbers, destroy marriage, and along the way reduce religious freedom none of which will be good in the long run for the evangelical efforts Francis favors.
Francis is seeking to bring a new Catholic spirit to the world and thats all to the good. Lets hope the spirit that arises is the one he seeks, not a wayward one that others foist on him and the Church. [italics
added]
Here’s a bit of fraternal correction — as to phrasing, not substance. Quite legitimate, it seems to me.
Blithe Spirit 
This is my comment to the article:
“I too have been troubled by Francis’ off-hand remarks — a pope who must be explained and defended as orthodox is one who needs to spend more time organizing his communications; maybe he needs a good editor.
To be fair to him, I got the book he wrote with Rabbi Skorka of Argentina based on their friendship and dialogues entitled ‘On Heaven and Earth.’
I think that the pope has a highly-developed respect for each person and his right to develop in response to God’s interaction with him. He is willing to give his advice, but does not believe in harassment. All good as far as it goes. But, he’s not a simple parish priest, but the leader and defender of our ancient faith handed down by the Apostles.
On page 110 of ‘On Heaven and Earth’ I read this startling statement on divorce: “Nevertheless, today Catholic Doctrine reminds its divorced members who have remarried that they are not excommunicated — even though they live in a situation on the margin of what indissolubility of marriage and the sacrament of marriage require of them — they are asked to integrate into the parish life.”
Do they not have to have acquired an annulment of their previous marriage? If they did, they would not be on the margins and there would be no question of them being excommunicated. So has the doctrine changed and no one told us?
This is the “on the one hand, but on the other hand” kind of confusion he is promoting. Given the lack of catechesis we have had since the late 1960’s, Catholics in the pews are going to be lost.”
“
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Good analysis. Off-hand remarks a problem, yes. Thanks for the tip on the heaven-and-earth book. More than a parish priest, yes; on other hand, it’s a time, if not age, of instant communication. But if he’s going to communicate, he has to be good at it. Good luck to him in being good enough. He might be different in a year. Pius IX, “Pio Nono,” began as a liberal, changed mightily in office as the world hit him in the face. I can’t see Francis as so brittle. And the annullment business, oh my: can of snakes.
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