Like Father James Martin, I am excited by Pope Francis's new vision of the Catholic Church: a vision of faith, love, positivity, openness, and care for the poor. The Pope is exhorting all of us to look at the Church in a new way and be open to positive changes. While he is not supporting the changing of actual Church teachings, he is advocating a new, more modern approach to centuries-old teachings. He also condemns modern society's "idolatry of money" and our "complacency." Frankly, I think that both of these evils do exist in our society, and I am happy that Pope Francis is talking about them and seeking to find solutions for these vices.
Our society's celebration of "Black Friday" and the materialism of the holiday season in general is completely counter to what the Pope teaches in this latest apostolic exhortation. Not only does he condemn our preoccupation with money and materialistic gains, but he also says that we need to turn our focus from money to the care of the poor and needy. He challenges our priorities: daring us to give up our obsession with the things of this world and return our focus to the love, care, and faith that Jesus Christ himself practiced.
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