"To be right in everything we ought always to hold that the black that I see is white if the hierarchical Church so decides it." St. Ignatius of Loyola.
There are many examples in history when the hierarchical Church lost its way. It is at this time that the Holy Spirit—working amidst the lay and the clergy—helps her to reset her course. It is too easy to see the sins: sodomy, abomination,etc. and condemn the person as opposed to the sin. But they—as we—are still children of God. We are all sinners. I’m reminded of our Lord’s words: “Let he without sin cast the first stone.” I see the cited conference as a reaching out, a healing process. It is an attempt to bring our brothers and sisters back into the fold, through dialogue and discussion. There is always a place and time for healing, as we know from Ecclesiastes. And the Lord knows that our U.S. Church—beset by its own scandals—can benefit from healing. In the end, I believe the loving words of Christ trump the wonderful and inspiring words of Ignatius and that too is part of the Jesuit tradition. God bless, ‘wideawake’...AMDG