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The Catholic Church has long grappled with how to bring people into the fold—whether through strict adherence to traditions and dogma or through a more open, welcoming approach. Traditionalists often argue that preserving the Church’s doctrines and rituals, like the Latin Mass, is the key to maintaining its integrity and drawing converts. However, this perspective misses the mark. The first step to converting people to the Catholic Church is not rigid traditions or dogma but a radical welcoming rooted in love, as exemplified by Pope Francis during his pontificate (2013–2025). By focusing on encounter over exclusion, Francis showed the world—and the Church—how to truly evangelize. This approach aligns with Scripture, the teachings of the Church Fathers, and the lives of the saints, proving that traditionalists are wrong in their dogmatic focus.
Pope Francis: The Model of Welcoming Evangelization
Pope Francis, often called the "People’s Pope," revolutionized the Church’s approach to evangelization by prioritizing welcome over judgment. From the start of his papacy, he emphasized a Church that meets people where they are. In 2013, he famously said, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” (Vatican, 2013). This wasn’t a rejection of doctrine but a shift in focus—inviting people into a relationship with God before addressing moral teachings. His 2023 approval of blessings for same-sex couples further underscored this inclusive spirit, aiming to make the Church a “home for all” (Vatican News, 2023).
Francis’s actions spoke louder than words. He dined with Rome’s poorest, visited conflict zones like the Democratic Republic of Congo, and held synods that included laypeople, women, and youth. His 2019 apostolic exhortation Christus Vivit urged the Church to listen to young people, meeting them in their struggles rather than imposing rules (Vatican, 2019). This approach bore fruit: under his leadership, the global Catholic population grew to 1.406 billion by 2023, with significant increases in Africa and among youth in the U.S. and UK, as noted in a previous post (Vatican News, 2023; Bible Society, 2024).
Traditionalists, however, criticized Francis for diluting doctrine. Figures like Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke argued that his openness on issues like the Latin Mass and sexual ethics caused confusion (The New York Times, 2023). But this critique misunderstands the essence of evangelization. Conversion begins with love and welcome, not with the immediate imposition of traditions or dogma.
Biblical Foundations: Welcome as the First Step
Scripture makes it clear that welcoming others in love is the foundation of sharing the Gospel. In Matthew 22:37–39, Jesus declares the greatest commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind… You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (NRSV). Love precedes all else—even the Law, as Jesus shows when he eats with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:10–13). He doesn’t demand they conform to Jewish purity laws first; instead, he meets them where they are, saying, “I have come to call not the righteous but sinners” (Matthew 9:13). This is the model for evangelization: encounter first, transformation later.
The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) further illustrates this principle. The Samaritan doesn’t ask about the injured man’s beliefs or practices; he simply helps him, showing mercy across cultural and religious divides. Jesus concludes, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37). Pope Francis followed this example by reaching out to the marginalized—migrants, the poor, and the LGBTQ+ community—without first demanding adherence to dogma.
Church Fathers: Encounter Over Exclusion
The Church Fathers, foundational to Catholic theology, also prioritized welcome over rigid rules in their evangelistic efforts. St. Augustine of Hippo, in his Confessions, reflects on his own conversion, noting that it was the kindness and patience of St. Ambrose that drew him to the faith, not immediate doctrinal correction. Augustine writes, “I was attracted to the Christian faith through the kindness of those who preached it… Ambrose received me like a father, and I grew to love him, not for his teaching at first, but for his kindness” (Confessions, Book V, 13). Augustine’s journey shows that love and welcome create the space for conversion—dogma can follow once the heart is open.
Similarly, St. John Chrysostom emphasized welcoming the poor and sinners as the path to their salvation. In his homily on Matthew 22, he writes, “Do you wish to honor the body of Christ? Do not ignore him when he is naked… For what good is it if the Eucharistic table is overloaded with golden chalices when your brother is dying of hunger?” (Homily 50 on Matthew). Chrysostom’s focus on caring for the marginalized mirrors Francis’s call for a “poor Church for the poor,” showing that acts of love, not dogmatic purity, draw people to Christ.
Saints: Living Examples of Welcoming Evangelization
The lives of the saints further support this approach. St. Francis of Assisi, after whom Pope Francis named himself, is a prime example. Francis didn’t preach dogma to the lepers he served; he embraced them—literally and figuratively—despite their social exclusion (Thomas of Celano, First Life of St. Francis, Chapter 17). His love for the outcast converted many, including the wealthy who joined his order. St. Francis’s method was simple: live the Gospel through love and welcome, and others will follow.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the “Little Flower,” also prioritized love over rigid rules. In her autobiography, Story of a Soul, she writes, “I understood that the Church had a Heart… that this Heart was burning with love… I understood that Love comprised all vocations, that Love was everything” (Manuscript B). Thérèse’s focus on love as the core of evangelization aligns with Francis’s approach, showing that welcoming others in love is the first step to conversion.
Traditionalists Miss the Mark
Traditionalists argue that preserving rituals like the Latin Mass and strict adherence to dogma are essential to maintaining the Church’s identity and attracting converts. But this approach often alienates rather than invites. A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that 75% of U.S. Catholics viewed Francis favorably, largely due to his welcoming stance, while only 12% supported a return to pre-Vatican II practices like the Latin Mass (Pew Research Center, 2024). Young converts, in particular, cited Francis’s inclusivity as their reason for joining, not traditional rituals (NPR, 2025).
The Latin Mass, while beautiful for some, can be inaccessible to those unfamiliar with Latin or traditional liturgy. Insisting on such practices as a prerequisite for belonging risks turning the Church into a museum, as Francis warned in his 2013 exhortation Evangelii Gaudium: “We must not reduce the bosom of the universal Church to a nest protecting our mediocrity” (Vatican, 2013). Dogma and traditions have their place, but they should serve the mission of love, not hinder it.
Francis’s Legacy: A Church That Welcomes All
Pope Francis’s pontificate proved that welcoming is the first step to conversion. His focus on encounter led to a global increase in Catholic membership, particularly among youth, as seen in the 72% rise in converts in the Diocese of Fort Worth from 2023 to 2024 (Diocese of Fort Worth, 2024). By following the example of Jesus, the Church Fathers, and the saints, Francis showed that love and welcome—not traditions or dogma—are the true path to evangelization.
The Bible, Church Fathers, and saints all agree: conversion begins with an open heart, not a closed rulebook. Traditionalists may cling to the past, but Francis’s approach points to the future—a Church that, as he often said, is for “everyone, everyone, everyone.” Let us follow his lead and welcome others as Christ did, trusting that love will lead them to the fullness of the faith.
References
- Bible Society. (2024). The Quiet Revival: Church Attendance Among Young People in the UK. YouGov Survey.
- Diocese of Fort Worth. (2024). “Annual Report on Converts and Catechumens.”
- NPR. (2025). “Young Catholics Reflect on Pope Francis’s Legacy.” NPR.
- Pew Research Center. (2024). “U.S. Catholics’ Views on Pope Francis.” Pew Research Center.
- The New York Times. (2023). “Pope Francis’s Legacy: A Divided Church?” The New York Times.
- Thomas of Celano. (1229). First Life of St. Francis of Assisi.
- Thérèse of Lisieux. (1897). Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
- Vatican. (2013). Evangelii Gaudium: Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel. Vatican Publishing House.
- Vatican. (2013). “Press Conference of Pope Francis During the Return Flight from Brazil.” Vatican Archives.
- Vatican. (2019). Christus Vivit: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation. Vatican Publishing House.
- Vatican News. (2023). “Fiducia Supplicans: Declaration on Blessings for Same-Sex Couples.” Vatican News.
- Vatican News. (2023). “Statistical Yearbook of the Church: 2021-2023 Data.” Vatican News.