RI Bishop: Synod Process is 'Rather Protestant'

Crux ^ | 10/21/14 | Michael O'Loughlin

[marshmallow]

Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island has called on Catholics to “relax” following the tumultuous synod on the family, but nonetheless expressed concern over how bishops, cardinals, and even the pope conducted themselves earlier this month.

“Have we learned that it’s probably not a good idea to publish half-baked minutes of candid discussions about sensitive topics, especially when we know that the secular media will hijack the preliminary discussions for their own agendas?” Tobin wrote on the Diocese of Providence website.

In a piece entitled “Random Thoughts About the Synod on the Family,” Tobin said that “it’s an enormous challenge to maintain pristine doctrinal purity while at the same time respond to the experiential, personal, and difficult needs of married couples and families.”

He argued against what he called the pope’s suggestion that the Church “accommodate the needs of the age.” If that happens, he wrote, “the Church risks the danger of losing its courageous, counter-cultural, prophetic voice, a voice that the world needs to hear.”

“Pope Francis is fond of ‘creating a mess.’ Mission accomplished,” Tobin wrote.

[defconw]

I like this Bishop. He used to be in Ohio, but I forget which Diocese.

[Alex Murphy]

Presumably, everyone here knows that Crux is run by the liberal Boston Globe and the liberal Catholic John Allen, formerly of the National Catholic Reporter.

[Mears]

What is The Globe connection ?

.

[Alex Murphy]

What is The Globe connection?

The Boston Globe, which is exploring the launch of a free-standing publication devoted to Catholicism, has announced that John L. Allen Jr., a reporter with NCR since 1997, will be joining the newspaper as an associate editor.
-- from the January 2014 thread The National ‘c’atholic Reporter’s combox travails. Wherein ... (UPDATE: John Allen leaving!)

[Campion]

the original (substantially the same)

[Mears]

Thanks——I gave up The Globe a year ago,after about 60 years of reading it,and was unaware of this connection.

.

[marshmallow]

It's not an opinion piece giving the position of Crux or the Boston Globe. It's essentially lifting comments from the bishop's article on the diocesan website.

Unless they're misquoting the bishop's actual words, there's no issue.

[Heart-Rest]

From that additional "Diocese of Providence" link you provided in your post, Bishop Tobin also said, "Wherever he serves, Cardinal Burke will be a principled, articulate and fearless spokesman for the teachings of the Church."

May God bless and protect both of them.