This Synod was convened because there are many political and social forces which are causing confusion among Catholics and in the way others view Catholics on family issues. The flame-fanning press is a huge influence, reporting every instance of the pope not condemning gays or divorcees as an indication that he wants to change doctrine to say that these behaviors are no longer sins. I don’t believe that is his plan, and I don’t believe that will happen. This latest report from the synod supports that.
I don’t understand why so many are characterizing this as ‘The pope is losing’. Only people who believe everything the press reports and don’t actually read the context or the actual words could believe otherwise. On EVERY issue so far, the breathless, drama-queen reports of the pope allowing women priests, disregarding active homosexual behavior or ongoing adultery have proven to be false. The press are pushing your buttons, and you are jumping to their beat. They are trying to weaken the Church by discouraging and confusing Catholics and by emboldening critics. With many here that plan is working beautifully.
The purpose of the Synod is to discuss issues. We all know that there are bishops and cardinals and priests who are pushing for inappropriate action on these issues. They have been given a voice in this Synod, which exactly where this kind of debate belongs. At every turn, the press has jumped at the chance to report the questions as though they were the answers. The liberals are losing. I don’t believe Pope Francis is among them.
I also suspect that there are many conservative priests there who are gaining valuable insight into how to educate their liberal parishioners on these issues without alienating them.
Those who can’t see through the agenda of the leftist media should probably stop watching the sausage being made. In the end it is going to be fine, but the process is messy.
Love, O2
Excellent analysis of the situation and the Pope.
The media which is 99.999% progressive is bent on lying about Pope Francis and even here some are falling for that baloney.
Be wise as the serpent and as innocent as the dove. Those of us who are old enough have seen this play before. The liberals in the Council used the press to prevent the “conservatives” in the Curia from setting the agenda. In the end we get a set of documents that are still not widely known which were interpreted for the public by liberals with a radical reform agenda. Whatever the report of the Synod says, and it will say nothing extraordinary (I think) but what follows next will determine the course of events. I wonder what Pascal would say about this Jesuit pope?
This isn’t leftist media. The relatio was approved by Francis before being released. Then the conservatives fought back. Thank God. The press didn’t cause this.