Left Tastes Sour Grapes as Vatican Synod Leaves Doctrine Untouched

As the Vatican synod on marriage and the family draws to a close with no significant change in Catholic doctrine or practice, liberals are left nursing their wounds over yet another revolution that didn’t happen.

The poster child of progressive bitterness is Jesuit Father Thomas Reese, a long-time proponent of liberal reforms in the Catholic Church, who saw in this synod a chance for the sort of sea change that couldn’t have happened under Popes John Paul II or Benedict XVI. And yet it didn’t happen here, either.

Though the synod was convened to discuss the many issues facing Christian families in the world today, Reese and his cohort had a considerably more narrow focus: Communion for the divorced and remarried and a softening of the Church’s condemnation of homosexual sex.

The “success” of the synod would be the degree to which these two objectives were reached.

As Reese himself wrote on Oct. 20: “The bishops appear oblivious to the fact that, at least in the West, the success of the synod will be judged by whether there is an opening to Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics.”

I think Williams is a bit optimistic here:

Has he read the Relatio for himself (how did he get a copy?) or is he depending upon the words of those who have?
Does he have some magical insight as to whether the Relatio will be published?
Does he know:
1. IF an Apostolic Exhortation will be published?
2. WHAT the content of this hypothetical Apostolic Exhortation will be?
3. Will this hypothetical Apostolic Exhortation be written motu proprio or will it be written by the same homosexualists who guided the official press coverage prior to the synod and during the synod?

Having said that, there are some (IMHO) good things that have come out of this synod and activities leading up to it:

The Lavender Mafia's actions have become very apparent. Rather than being in the shadows, they have come out into the bright sunlight. Sunlight tends to be an effective disinfectant if it is used properly. Hopefully it will be.
There are some bishops who decided "enough is enough" and have finally decided to take some sort of stand. (Remember that Dolan was one of the "gang of 13" who wrote that infamous letter to the Pope. A pleasant surprise, to say the least)

It is far too early to see if the vandals were successfully repelled from the walls of the City (a little Augustinian reference for those who care to note). We won't see the totality of the result for months.

But I don’t think the orthodox believers are going to be as happy as they thought they’d be.

When I wrote my comment, I hadn't realized that the Relatzio had been published (even in Italian).

One good thing about it is paragraph 76:

76. La Chiesa conforma il suo atteggiamento al Signore Gesù che in un amore senza confini si è offerto per ogni persona senza eccezioni (MV, 12). Nei confronti delle famiglie che vivono l’esperienza di avere al loro interno persone con tendenza omosessuale, la Chiesa ribadisce che ogni persona, indipendentemente dalla propria tendenza sessuale, vada rispettata nella sua dignità e accolta con rispetto, con la cura di evitare «ogni marchio di ingiusta discriminazione» (Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede, Considerazioni circa i progetti di riconoscimento legale delle unioni tra persone omosessuali, 4). Si riservi una specifica attenzione anche all’accompagnamento delle famiglie in cui vivono persone con tendenza omosessuale. Circa i progetti di equiparazione al matrimonio delle unioni tra persone omosessuali, «non esiste fondamento alcuno per assimilare o stabilire analogie, neppure remote, tra le unioni omosessuali e il disegno di Dio sul matrimonio e la famiglia» (Ibidem). Il Sinodo ritiene in ogni caso del tutto inaccettabile che le Chiese locali subiscano delle pressioni in questa materia e che gli organismi internazionali condizionino gli aiuti finanziari ai Paesi poveri all’introduzione di leggi che istituiscano il “matrimonio” fra persone dello stesso sesso.

Auto-translation:

76. The Church has modeled her attitude to the Lord Jesus that in the boundless love he offered to every person without exception ( MV , 12). To the families who live the experience to have within them the homosexual person, the Church reaffirms that every person, regardless of their sexual orientation, must be respected in their dignity and welcomed with respect, with care to avoid "any brand of unjust discrimination "(Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons, 4). To reserve a specific attention to the accompaniment of the families in which they live homosexual person. Regarding Proposals to equivalent to marriage to unions between homosexual persons, "there is no foundation whatsoever to assimilate or establish even remotely analogous between homosexual unions and God's plan for marriage and the family" ( ibid ). The Synod believes in any case completely unacceptable that the local churches suffer pressure in this matter and that international bodies to condition financial aid to poor countries to the introduction of laws that establish the "marriage" between people of the same sex.

Thankfully, at least this paragraph leaves virtually no wiggle room. It talks about ministry to families who have sodomites in them but slams the door on ever recognizing the legitimacy of sodomite unions.

There wasn't supposed to be anything about buggery in this Synod to begin with. It's a trick to make us think they're upholding traditional teaching on the one hand while opening up a mess on the other. From rorate's translation:

84. The baptized who are divorced and civilly remarried are to be more integrated in the Christian communities in the various possible ways, avoiding every occasion of scandal. The logic of integration is the key to their pastoral accompaniment, so that they be aware not only that they belong to the Body of Christ, that is the Church, but that they may have a joyful and fruitful experience. They are baptized, they are brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit pours gifts and charisms in them for the good of all. Their participation can be expressed in various ecclesial services: it is therefore necessary to discern which of the different forms of exclusion currently practiced in a liturgical, educational, pastoral, and institutional role that can be overcome. They should not only not feel excommunicated, but they should live and mature as living members of the Church, feeling her as a mother that welcomes them always, takes care of them affectionately, and encourages them on the path of life and Gospel. This integration is necessary for the Christian care and education of their children, who must be considered what is most important. For the Christian community, taking care of these persons is not a weakening of their own faith and testimony regarding matrimonial indissolubility: rather, the Church expresses precisely in this care her charity.

85. Saint John Paul II offered an all-encompassing criterion, that remains the basis for valuation of these situations: "Pastors must know that, for the sake of truth, they are obliged to exercise careful discernment of situations. There is in fact a difference between those who have sincerely tried to save their first marriage and have been unjustly abandoned, and those who through their own grave fault have destroyed a canonically valid marriage. Finally, there are those who have entered into a second union for the sake of the children's upbringing, and who are sometimes subjectively certain in conscience that their previous and irreparably destroyed marriage had never been valid." (FC, 84) It is therefore a duty of the priests to accompany the interested parties on the path of discernment according to the teaching of the Church and the orientations of the Bishop. In this process, it will be useful to make an examination of conscience, by way of moments of reflection and repentance. Remarried divorcees should ask themselves how they behaved themselves when their conjugal union entered in crisis; if there were attempts at reconciliation; what is the situation of the abandoned partner ["partner" in the original Italian]; what consequences the new relationship has on the rest of the family and in the community of the faithful; what example does it offer to young people who are to prepare themselves to matrimony. A sincere reflection may reinforce trust in the mercy of God that is not denied to anyone.

Additionally, it cannot be denied that in some circumstances, "the imputability and the responsibility for an action can be diminished or annulled (CIC, 1735) due to various conditioners. Consequently, the judgment on an objective situation should lead to the judgment on a 'subjective imputability'" (Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, Declaration of June 24, 2000, 2a). In determined circumstances, the persons find great difficulty with acting in a different way. Therefore, while holding up a general rule, it is necessary to recognize that the responsibility regarding specific actions or decisions is not the same in every case. Pastoral discernment, while taking into account the rightly formed conscience of persons, should take these situations into account. Also the consequences of the accomplished acts are not necessarily the same in every case.

86. The path of accompaniment and discernment orients these faithful to becoming conscious of their situation before God. The conversation with the priest, in internal forum, concurs to the formation of a correct judgment on what prevents the possibility of fuller participation in the life of the Church and on the steps that may favor it and make it grow. Considering that in the same law there is no graduality (cf. FC, 34), this discernment must never disregard the demands of truth and charity of the Gospel proposed by the Church. In order for this to happen, the necessary conditions of humility, reserve, love for the Church and to her teaching, in the sincere search for the will of God and for the desire to reach a more perfect answer to the latter, are to be guaranteed.

I've got a priest on the phone reading it in Italian, so far his reaction has been "ok but what are we supposed to do?" He's said that twice. I'm thinking that since the internal forum is brought up that we'll see a clarification (or a smudging) that puts all this in the confessional with individual priests.

The trick I was referring to was that they brought up homosexuality at all in the relatio. Homosex wasn't supposed to be a subject of this synod at all and those who introduced it knew they weren't going to get any movement on the subject but the very appearance of upholding traditional teaching in one respect means they can wiggle all over the place on the divorced/remarried questions. It's a classic civil service maneouver... it's almost like Sir Humphrey Appleby himself wrote it (look him up. :) )

Meanwhile I'm typing, texting and talking all at the same time, please hold for additional stuff that may turn up.

There wasn't supposed to be anything about buggery in this Synod to begin with.

You could have fooled me. Both the Lineamenta and Instrumentum Laboris contained a significant amount of content on this.

From the Lineamenta:

Relatio Synodi
of the
III Extraordinary General Assembly
(5 - 19 October 2014)
Part III
Confronting the Situation: Pastoral Perspectives
Pastoral Attention towards Persons with Homosexual Tendencies
54. Some families have members who have a homosexual tendency. In this regard, the synod fathers asked themselves what pastoral attention might be appropriate for them in accordance with Church teaching: “There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family.” Nevertheless, men and women with a homosexual tendency ought to be received with respect and sensitivity. “Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided” )Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons, 4(.
55. Exerting pressure in this regard on the Pastors of the Church is totally unacceptable: it is equally unacceptable for international organizations to link their financial assistance to poorer countries with the introduction of laws that establish “marriage” between persons of the same sex.
Questions Aimed at a Response to
and an In-Depth Examination of
the Relatio Synodi
…
Part III

Confronting the Situation: Pastoral Perspectives
Pastoral Attention towards Persons with Homosexual Tendencies (ns. 55 - 56)
The pastoral care of persons with homosexual tendencies poses new challenges today, due to the manner in which their rights are proposed in society.
40. How can the Christian community give pastoral attention to families with persons with homosexual tendencies? What are the responses that, in light of cultural sensitivities, are considered to be most appropriate? While avoiding any unjust discrimination, how can such persons receive pastoral care in these situations in light of the Gospel? How can God’s will be proposed to them in their situation?

From the Instrumentum Laboris:

130. (55) Some families have members who have a homosexual tendency. In this regard, the synod fathers asked themselves what pastoral attention might be appropriate for them in accordance with Church teaching: "There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family." Nevertheless, men and women with a homosexual tendency ought to be received with respect and sensitivity. "Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided" (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons, 4).
131. The following point needs to be reiterated: every person, regardless of his/her sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his/her human dignity and received with sensitivity and great care in both the Church and society. It would be desirable that dioceses devote special attention in their pastoral programmes to the accompaniment of families where a member has a homosexual tendency and of homosexual persons themselves.
132. (56) Exerting pressure in this regard on the Pastors of the Church is totally unacceptable: it is equally unacceptable for international organizations to link their financial assistance to poorer countries with the introduction of laws that establish "marriage" between persons of the same sex.

Sorry, but the above were very problematic sections of both the Lineamenta and the Instrumentum Laboris (the documents that guide the synod). Although buggery should not have even been considered, it was on the agenda.

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