Pope Francis, he said, has rediscovered the "social and political dimension of the Gospel". This pleases Heiner Geibler, who said on our site interview talks about the hopes he has for this pontificate.
Interviewer: Mr. Geissler, you are a critic of the Catholic Church. What do you think of the pope's recent statements on the role of women and the treatment of homosexuals?
Geissler: It is high time! He said what Jesus would have said as well. Jesus broke taboos that were much worse. It has swept away the taboos and embraced people who have been socially ostracized, and that includes homosexuals, who are also fellow human beings for whom the Church must be there.
Interviewer: Do you think that the Germans in particular want to see Pope Francis as a reformer?
Geissler: Yes, reforms are absolutely necessary. Benedict XVI. Had, after all, totally spiritualized the church. He talked about the de-worldization. The new Pope has clearly rediscovered the social and political dimension of the Gospel. He turns to the people and takes leave of a dogmatic policy and moral theology alien to humanity. The church, after all, has been concerned almost exclusively with sexual morality in recent decades – from contraception to denying communion to remarried divorcees. The marriage image of the Catholic church is not acceptable in such a way. If a woman married to a drunkard who beats her, cheats on her, cannot be divorced from that man, and if she runs away to another person she loves, then, according to the Catholic Church, she is living in the state of mortal sin. These are all completely wrong moral concepts that have nothing to do with Jesus and the Gospel.
Interviewer: Do you think the Pope is deliberately pursuing a reform course??
Geibler: He said himself that reforms are necessary, but also that these reforms must be approached slowly and carefully. But that he wants to change the church is quite unambiguous. He has already done it by his choice of name. This is a clear rejection of pomp and procade vestments, wealth. This alone has made an incredible impact, and it clearly shows what this Pope wants, he is not a Jesuit for nothing. The Jesuits are oriented to Jesus, they want to be Jesus' companions and make people his companions. That Jesus is in the center of his message, that is the decisive change.
Interviewer: What else do you expect from this pope?
Geissler: I hope he will stay healthy, he is not the youngest anymore. And that he gets the necessary support from the church and the bishops. And that above all in the future he appoints bishops who are not perceived as embarrassing in their work and harm the Catholic Church.
The interview was conducted by Dagmar Peters.