"Thirteen Cardinals Have Written to the Pope. Here’s the Letter"

Sandro Magister, "Thirteen Cardinals Have Written to the Pope. Here’s the Letter" (www.chiesa, October 12, 2015): "But Francis has rejected their requests en bloc. And meanwhile, the “Relatio finalis” has disappeared from the program of the synod."

Related: John Alln, Jr., "Two quick thoughts on ‘letter-gate’ at the Synod of Bishops" (Crux, October 12, 2015):

If the synod’s final document is seen as the result of a manipulated or stacked process, then there will be doubt in some quarters about whether it really represents what a majority of bishops believe.

That perception likely would also be used by whoever’s unhappy with the result to discredit it.

As a result, the most important point about letter-gate may not be the precise details of the objections it voiced or the number and names of the people who signed it.

Rather, the bottom line may be that it would behoove the leadership of the synod, up to and including Pope Francis, to try to lance this boil before it festers, perhaps by using one of the afternoon free periods this week to clear the air and reassure the bishops that the final result will represent the thinking of the majority.

Otherwise, all the efforts of the past two years to steer the synod toward a strong reaffirmation of the family may end on a sour note.