Complaint And Content

I see Sandro Magister leaked a document of complaint about synod15 procedures and focus. On the latter:

(V)arious fathers have expressed concern that a synod designed to address a vital pastoral matter – reinforcing the dignity of marriage and family – may become dominated by the theological/doctrinal issue of Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried.  If so, this will inevitably raise even more fundamental issues about how the Church, going forward, should interpret and apply the Word of God, her doctrines and her disciplines to changes in culture.  The collapse of liberal Protestant churches in the modern era, accelerated by their abandonment of key elements of Christian belief and practice in the name of pastoral adaptation, warrants great caution in our own synodal discussions.

Another commentator remarked that longstanding Petrine and Pauline loopholes don’t seem to be harming the Roman view so much. Nor do our Orthodox sisters and brothers seem to be up to their marital crowns in it for the practice of οἰκονομία.

I think it is a good thing that Pope Francis has opened up the synods to such discussions. It would have been unheard of in the 1978-2013 era for prelates to buck the prevailing trend. Unless they wanted an early retirement. Or an assistant bishop pronto.

I’m far more interested in the content of the synod discussions. I’m less concerned about practical ways to support the “dignity” or marriage as authored by celibate churchmen whose limited experience with families have been as kids, or adult children. That’s not an insubstantial experience. But it gets about as much into the depth of marriage and family as adoration gets into the Eucharist. One can get insights, respect, and even glimpse something of the dignity. But in the end, it is a derivation.