Patrick Archbold, "What to expect when you are expecting (synodal disaster)" (Creative Minority Report, September 15, 2014):
... what I expect is that the Synod, by design, will be quite anti-climactic, if for no other reason that to disarm the myriad critics of Kasper both in and out of the Bishops conference.[Hat tip to JM]
See, Cardinal Kasper's speech was a full frontal assault on the teaching of marriage and as a result there was considerable public push back by many Cardinals and others. This is not how things are done. I actually believe that his speech was a strategic assault to test defenses. When introducing doctrine undermining change into the Church, the last thing you want is to be clear that is what you are doing. That is why I don't expect the synod itself to be a disaster. Rather, I expect it to be like that nice crisp autumn night, the perfect sleeping weather, something so comfortable you fall asleep, even though it is a clear sign that winter is approaching.
It is for this reason I believe that they have broken the synod into two parts, part this year and part next. They want anti-climactic.
So what do I expect?
Rather than a direct assault on marriage, I expect the opposite. What I expect is a nice flowery document re-stating the Catholic doctrine on the indissolubility of marriage. It will include language about the pastoral care of souls in troubled situations, but it will be generally orthodox. But at some point, whether this year or next, or in a post synodal document by the Pope, they will recommend the Bishops conferences to study and implement pastoral guidelines to help those in this situation.
No mandate, no direct assertions on what to do, but just a call for Bishop conferences to study the problem and implement pastoral practices in line with the synodal documents. That is when the horse will be permanently out of the barn.
Then certain conferences will run wild either directly allowing it or allowing the pastor to decide. You know they will. (See German Episcopal conference)
The traditionally minded will scream bloody murder while the "everything is awesome" Catholics will only refer to the document of the synod as the mostest wonderfulist re-statement of Catholic teaching ever, ignoring what his happening on the ground.
In the meantime, the Vatican will move at a glacial pace to correct any abuses. After a few years, it will issue some weak document asking the Bishops not to abuse things. This document will be completely ignored in praxis and will only serve the purpose of throwing it in traditionalist faces when they complain about the obvious. You know the drill.
After a few more years, the obvious abuse will be so commonplace, that people will think you a sedevacantist for even bringing it up.
This is how it is done. This is how you introduce radical novelty into the Church without provoking schism.
So don't expect a synodal disaster or schism. Expect the synod to be that nice calm cool night that lulls you to sleep even as winter furiously approaches.
6 comments:
So basically what he is saying is nothing new will happen that has not already happened in the last 60 years even under St John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI?
**Yawn!**
Yeh & yet I still know Catholics who have left the faith over this synod and extremists who believe the Church will change her doctrine and will continue believe that even if the documents themselves say otherwise.
I take it Mr.Archbold is giving the "Francis is the End of History/Sky is falling" Catholics permission to stay perpetually aggrieved when the Holy Spirit does the same Job He has done for the last 2000 year and will continue to do till the Second Coming?
Of course it's also short sighted. Pope Francis has indicated he might retire in three or four years.
What will the next Pope do(whatever he does there will be at least one fraction of complainers)?
Vanity of Vanities....there is nothing new under the sun.
Surely, what is described here is the intent of some within the Church. With equal sureness, it is not the will of God to confuse the faithful so that they will lose heart and follow Him no more. Please pray for the synod participants.
But the idea things never change or are always awesome -- despite people humming the theme song to the Lego Movie -- is also not quite right. Things do get worse and finally implode. The sky might not be falling, but it might be darkening. And if St John is to believed, it will in fact finally fall. The Gates of Hell will not prevail, in the last analysis. In the meantime, however, it may very well be "Game On!"
Those are good sentiments Chris and Anon 12:54.
I read recently that back during the Reign of Paul VI the hierarchy was way more liberal then it is today. Yet his holiness pushed back against those who wanted the Church to endorse use of The Pill.
The problem is we keep expecting the Bishops and the Pope to run the Church for us. I think orthodox and faithful layman have to get involved.
We need to join the parish councils. We need to be involved in the Pre-cana's.
It's better then all of us devolving into a class of complainers(BTW in spite of my own partisan rhetoric I don't put this all on "the Trads". The "Cons" are just as bad.
>I don't put this all on "the Trads". The "Cons" are just as bad.
Heh, and I'm glad that you never complain about either of those, Ben! =)
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