Calls for being pastoral as an excuse for dodging truth seem to be very limited in their scope

The great appeal of this is that it makes the purely natural lives of both willful sinners and pastors “more comfortable”. Moreover, any competent observer will have noticed that this distinction arises primarily in relationship with the sins that are culturally thought not to be sins. To put the spotlight on an illuminating example, the Church is typically urged to be “pastoral” when it comes to those guilty of non-marital sexual relationships, but she is not urged to be “pastoral” when it comes to those guilty of environmental pollution or racial prejudice.

But being "pastoral" as a pastor is more or less if being "medical" as a doctor meant not telling patients when they were sick and needed medicine

It is just here, in fact, that the catastrophe of misguided pastoral practices becomes especially clear. What it means to be “pastoral” is to lovingly care for the flock, and the biggest failure of any authentic pastoral work is the failure to identify the spiritual and moral dangers faced by the flock.

Good read from Dr. Jeff Mirus and worth going through in detail.

Labels: catholic, theology