UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism
Jerry Slevin
It may come down to where you sit as a Catholic. Some optimists say any movement at a Family Synod is progress among a dysfunctional Vatican hierarchy, even if the voting participants are all clerical celibate males who are ducking discussion at the Synod of the key family issue — the clerical child abuse scandal. Some pessimists say that Pope Francis has just bought a diversionary delay from the clerical child abuse scandal, and also a delay perhaps of three years (until 2016, his 80th year) from any need for him to state a clear position on controversial “pope-made moral dogmas”, like the Pope Paul VI’s 1968 Ban of the Pill.
This, of course, seems to then enable Pope Francis to continue to focus, as he has mainly for a over a year and a half now, on maximizing the protection of Catholic cardinals and bishops from criminal investigations related to the numerous clerical child abuse and financial corruption scandals.
For example, a lay Catholic reform group like Future Church that is interested in real reforms that benefit women and others, may see it one way. This reform group has, however, not been invited to be present during Synod deliberations.
On the other hand, a German Catholic bishop concerned about protecting significant “future church” governmental tax subsidies that may no longer be paid with respect to some divorced and remarried “ex-German Catholics”, may see it differently. Prominent Cardinal Walter Kasper, who many years earlier had been Hans Kung’s assistant, is present for the Synod deliberations and is expected, along with other bishops from Germany and elsewhere, to press for welcoming back divorced Catholics to full participation in the Eucharist celebration at Mass. This apparently may then secure German bishops’ access to their pro rata shares of German tax subsidies related to many of these divorced Catholics. Money still matters.
Please note the description from the reform group, Future Church, about what they faced recently (10/5) from Vatican security when they tried to express in St. Peter’s Square their views supporting lay voting participation at the Family Synod that presently excludes almost all independent lay Catholics from meaningful participation and excludes all all lay Catholics from voting on family moral matters.
This happened in Rome, not in Hong Kong, Moscow or Beijing! Here is an excerpt from Future Church’s recent e-mail:
Heading — “As Catholics stream to the opening mass for the Synod, reformers ask for a vote and run into the police.”
“As the crowds streamed into the Vatican Basilica for the opening mass for the Synod on the Family, members of Catholic Church Reform International were joined by International Movement of We Are Church, Women’s Ordination Worldwide and other international reform groups to protest the lack of real decision making power for families at the Synod. They unfurled a sign that read, “Families must have vote in family synods.”
“The group was quickly surrounded by the police who challenged their right to be in the square. Leader Rene Reid, showed the officers the permit she had obtained for the event, but that was not sufficient. With more than a dozen officers surrounding the group, the police snapped photos of the group’s signs, song sheets, and confiscated Reid’s passport. Given the circumstances, the group rolled up the signs and waited. The police later returned with Reid’s passport and agreed they could conduct their peaceful protest.” ***
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