Ivereigh sees Holy Spirit's hand in October Synod and Amoris Leititia, and faithless dissent in the dubia of the four cardinals

In an article that would leave spinning the head of even Cardinal Newman, the exponent of doctrinal development, Austen Ivereigh, "As anti-Amoris critics cross into dissent, the Church must move on" (Crux, December 11, 2016), launches a diatribe against critics of the Kasper doctrine that assumes a view of doctrinal development that looks like a recipe for synthesizing Styrofoam from Silly Putty and Play Dough.

The article has to be read to be believed. "Cardinal Burke, it is worth remembering," says Ivereigh, "was removed as head of the Vatican’s highest court because he rejected any reform to the annulment process - a reform sanctioned by the synod - on the grounds that it would undermine marriage." Unbelievable. 'Reform' is one thing. Baptizing the practice of serialized polygamy is another.

Again, he writes: "By rejecting the process of the synod and its fruits, the critics of Amoris Laetitia, led by four protesting cardinals, have crossed a line, and look increasingly like the dissenting lobbies under John Paul II who accused him of betraying Vatican II. Meanwhile, the Church is moving on."

"Moving on ..." where? Quo vadis? Twisting the Magisterium into a pretzel?

In addition to further confusing the faithful, such statements will have the added effect of confirming the opinions of those like the respected Bishop Athanasius Schneider that a bizarre schism, an 'anti-Gospel,' already exists within the Church. -- See Michael Chapman, "Catholic Bishop: 'We Are Witnessing Today a Bizarre Form of Schism' in the Church, an 'Anti-Gospel'" (CNS, December 8, 2016).

In fact, if those like Ivereigh continue to assert that their novelties represent a "hermeneutic of continuity" with Vatican II, this may have the unwanted effect of (1) increasingly undermining the confidence of conservative Catholics in many of the formulations of Vatican II particularly charished by the likes of Walter Kasper and their fellow champions of revisionism, as well as (2) emboldening Pelosi/Biden-type liberals to think that they have no vested interest whatsoever in keeping faith with foundational doctrinal traditions of the Church.