Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 04/22/25

Catholicism’s cultural crossroad. The death of Pope Frances is a turning point for the Roman Catholic Church and for the world at large. Opinion about his papacy remains divided.  Some conservatives have expressed concern that his attempts to express sensitivity and inclusivity toward the gay community and divorced Catholics who civilly remarry has undermined the moral teachings that have guided it for over 2,000 years. Others feel that his compassion for migrants often crossed over the church/state boundary by sometimes at least appearing to conflict with the legitimate right of government to control its borders. Those Catholics with a more liberal bent welcomed his change of tone, particularly regarding social issues, which arguably may have contributed to the rise in young people joining the Church during his tenure. Some of them wish he had been more progressive on issues like abortion and women in the priesthood. Few on either side question his deep faith or sincerity in trying to lead his flock in a truly moral direction.

With Frances’ funeral set for Saturday and a new conclave to choose his successor to begin shortly after that, the media is once again turning its attention toward the Catholic Church. Fox News – which, much more than the other news networks, on a day-to-day basis usually can be counted on to pay more attention to the perspectives of the Church on the issues of the day, offered a good deal of coverage.

Fox & Friends, for instance, featured New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan who, noting his personal interactions with the late pontiff, said “I won’t forget when he called me when my mom died, I won’t forget when he called in the middle of COVID, just when COVID had started to say, how are things in New York? I won’t forget when he called on October 7th and he said, how are the Jewish community in New York? Give them my love and solidarity. I won’t forget when he wrote a note to my brother-in-law who was dying of cancer. These are personal things that you think of and that make the grief more poignant.”

Later on America’s Newsroom, theologian, former priest and Fox News contributor Jonathan Morris discussed the politics of choosing a new pope and his personal opinion that Dolan would be a strong choice.

Meanwhile, Mark Brumley, President of Ignatius Press, which published several books and two encyclicals by Francis, paid tribute to him saying ““Pope Francis both encouraged and challenged Catholics in various ways – especially with his emphasis on divine mercy. We pray for the repose of his soul and for the people of the Church to learn from the lessons of his papacy.” He continued “Pope Francis’ emphasis on ‘people on the periphery’, especially poor people and others variously marginalized, is fundamental Christianity. In this way, he helped remind us of what being a follower of Jesus means.”
_____

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.