The Synod: Smuggling Burglars without Outlawing Burglary

If you want the word on the ground in Rome regarding the Synod on Synodality - you really need to listen to the podcast below.

In it Dr Gavin Ashenden speaks to the veteran Catholic journalist Edward Pentin and attempts to get to the bottom of just what is going on in the lead up to October's Synod.

Pentin says "We have never had a pope who has impinged on doctrine in the way this pope has" confirming what we already know about the belligerent, arrogant Argentinian Pontiff.

Gavin asks Edward if it is correct that the Synod theology has an overarching direction which is geared according to the reader - the hypothetical person imagined in the text - which, as he explains, is a subjective approach which assumes too much and leads us to a strategy led by identity politics. 

This pseudo-consultative methodology is an approach common to other politically motivated  progressive groups and it's pointlessness was probably best revealed in the minimal numbers responding to the consultation process. Edward confirms that he has heard for the last ten years that there is a definite agenda that the "authorial intent" is trying to achieve - the more they (eg Hollerich) protest that there is no agenda the more it seems there is an agenda.

One great insight is that the synodal direction of travel is one that seeks to set up a false dichotomy where they say the Church's teaching can't be changed but the pastoral practice can. So no real change is happening, what we see is this change in the "mood music" which naturally sets off alarm bells for the faithful, and rightly so!

The call to change ones life, to conform to Christ (μετάνοια) is totally absent from the Instrumentum Laboris which is, instead, about affirmation of those ethically at odds with Church teaching which makes those who care about the faith wonder what exactly they are up to?

There is a big push to legitimise homosexuality as well. Edward thinks this comes largely from those surrounding Francis with influence and from Germany. The focus on homosexuality is one constantly worrying contingent of everything Pope Francis and, as Edward says, the Pope constantly affirms homosexual orientation by his actions and/ or inactions.

Aside from these issues, there is an interesting overarching strategy being pushed by the document which is basically: too much war, too much climate change and unjust economics - Gavin wonders what this has to do with Catholic spirituality, is it not clearly a leftist political manifesto? Especially when the Christian "medicine" is utterly missing from this. Edward Pentin investigated the background of those drafting these documents in this article which perhaps goes some way to explaining why this is the direction of travel being laid out for the synod.

In it Pentin looks at the odious Grech and Hollerch who, by now we all know about, but also draws our attention to the less well known Jesuit Father Giacomo Costa, head of the synthesizing task force. Pentin reports that Costa: 

"worked with 26 experts to prepare the DCS for two weeks in Frascati, near Rome, over the summer. Last year, Father Costa caused indignation for saying Italian anti-homophobia legislation (called the “ddl Zan” bill) “was needed,” as the “priority is the defense of the person against all violence and against all discrimination.” Italian bishops and the Vatican opposed the bill, which, among its measures, would have mandated that Catholic schools and other institutions celebrate an annual anti-homophobia day. The legislation was later defeated in the Italian Senate.

Working under Father Costa’s guidance were 26 experts, most of them with similar heterodox visions for the Church. They included Msgr. Philippe Bordeyne, dean of the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for the Sciences of Marriage and the Family. In 2015, the theologian appeared to dissent from Humanae Vitae’s teaching on artificial contraception and last year approved of liturgical blessings for same-sex couples under certain conditions."

It's well worth reading this and familiarising yourself with the other agitators and enemies of the faith included in the list!

Ultimately, the Instrumentum Laboris is all process with no destination: it would be wonderful if the synodal process actually threw up the real issues and a way to begin to deal with them and yet Catholic spirituality seems completely absent from the document which takes the reader very much into the world and worldly affairs, an economic and political document which proposes the subjective, what looks and feels good, rather than the objective truth. A move to make the Church human centred rather than  Christ centred. Edward says this synod is a natural part of that process.

The good news is that Pope Francis hasn't actually managed to change anything very much and Edward explains that the feeling is, especially from Canon Lawyers, that the next pope can really easily dismantle the problematic legacy of the Argentinian Pope.

Gavin asks if the big change would actually be the ordination of women. Edward explains that this was the big fear of the Amazonian Synod (as I mentioned in my blog yesterday) and this didn't happen in the end. Edward says if he does try to change these things he will come up against the wall of the Holy Spirit and won't be able to go any further.