Pope Francis to bishops, cardinals: Work with ‘humble creativity’

Pope Francis on Sunday called for a more humble approach on the Catholic Church’s handling of matters such as divorce, pre-marital sex and contraception, the Associated Press reported.

The pope spoke to about 200 cardinals and bishops at a Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, as a two-week meeting gets underway of the Catholic Church’s world leaders to discuss the Church’s stance on issues affecting the Catholic community.

“Synod gatherings are not meant to discuss beautiful and clever ideas, or to see who is more intelligent,” Francis said during the mass. “Rather, it’s an opportunity to “work generously with authentic freedom and humble creativity.”

During the two-week meeting — the first in nearly 30 years — Pope Francis will ask other prelates to work together creatively in order to understand the realities of Catholics’ lives, the Guardian reported.

Feedback from a survey Francis had his bishops give last year confirmed the gap between pastors and parishioners on sexual matters, according to the AP.

“Pastors lay intolerable burdens on the shoulders of others,” Pope Francis said without elaboration, the AP reported.

Pope Francis’ views on the Catholic Church were the subject of this PBS NewsHour interview: