Pope Francis visited Brazil from the 22 – 29 July 2013.
While returning to Rome aboard the papal plane, Pope Francis engaged in a remarkable candid dialogue with journalists.
He took questions from reporters traveling aboard the papal plane for a full hour and 21 minutes with no filters or limits and nothing off the record.
Pope Francis stood for the entire time, answering without notes and never refusing to take a question.
The final query was an incredibly delicate one about charges of homosexual conduct against his recently appointed delegate to reform the Vatican bank, and not only did Francis answer, but he thanked reporters for the question.
The Pope’s response reverberated throughout the whole world.
People rubbed their ears and asked themselves or others, ‘Did I hear right?’
Pope Francis words were, “Who am I to judge them if they’re seeking the Lord in good faith?” “Who am I to judge them?”
Today’s Gospel (Jn. 8:1 -11) is prefaced in the Gospel I use with the heading, ‘The Woman Caught in Adultery’, and every Bible I could lay my hands on at the time had the same heading!
However, let us be clear about one important point right from the start: this story is not about adultery!
When we know something of the culture in which Jesus lived, our understanding is broadened.
At the time of Jesus, men were allowed multiple wives, and women were regarded as property.
This story is about retaining ‘my property’.
In our world and social norms, we regard adultery as sexual almost exclusively.
In the culture of Jesus, it is about property rights!
This Gospel is not about adultery!
It is about men, using, judging and condemning women.
Little of that has changed!
This Gospel is not about adultery!
It is about finger-pointing, and, as I have said more than once, “to point a finger at another one needs to point three at oneself.”
“Let anyone without sin cast the first stone.”
We read of a gospel riddled with the unacceptable, the suspect, the devious and the weak — for the lepers and the Samaritans and the women.
We read of Jesus with thieves, of Jesus with tax collectors, of Jesus with sinners.
“Who am I to judge?”
“Let anyone without sin cast the first stone!”