Synod of Bishops Week 2: The Drama Continues

A great deal has been made of the Relatio post disceptationem released yesterday out of the Synod. I usually try to down play all the talk of how ground breaking things coming out of the Vatican are, because in reality they usually aren't. I'm going to avoid that here, because a reasonable person can read it, as I did, and come away believing that there isn't just a different tone being offered, but a new doctrinal and pastoral approach.  Paragraphs 40-52, dealing directly with homosexuality, have gotten the most attention. While affirming that gay marriages can't be considered sacramental, and homosexual acts present moral problems (51) the two paragraphs which sandwich this representation of the traditional understanding of homosexuality stress the need for the Church to be open and pastoral to gay Catholics, and cherish the gifts they have to offer. This, again, is nothing really new. It's the suggesting that there is something intrinsic to orientation that is to be cherished that is the departure point.

But to more progressive minded, who see this as the sign of a doctrinal sea change, I say curb your enthusiasm, and to more traditional minded folks who see this as a betrayal, I say hold your fire.

This Relatio is a midterm working document. It's a cross between meeting minutes and the summary of a brain storming session. In reading it there were things I liked, things I had questions about, and a lot that seemed muddled and half baked; which is the way a document of this type is going to look like at a synod's midway point. I've been to several our provincial chapters, triennial meetings of the Salesian leadership, that are not exactly like a synod, but share things in common; like the need to formulate a closing document. There's writing, debate, revision, more debate, more revision, on and on until the mind reels. We passionately debate substance, we debate the placement of semicolons. It can be a very tedious, as well as engaging affair.  I'm imagining a lot of this is happening in the Synod, though at this stage there's more debate about substantive issues as opposed to grammatical style. Keep in mind too that what has been made public is an unofficial translation, even though it was released through the Vatican Press Office. So drawing conclusions about what the final document will be is premature.

These midterm relatio's are usual. What is unusual is that the verbatim interventions made by the bishops in session have not been released. Selective quotes have been made public in the daily news briefings, but no names are attached to the words. So we have no idea who is saying what, or if the the content of the relatio reflects to the actual debates going on inside the hall. I almost wish that if they weren't going to release the interventions then they should have held off releasing anything until the closing document.

Ah, but if they did that then what would I have to write about?

One thing I do want to write about is the principle of graduality, something being floated by some of the bishops that impacts the issues of homosexual acts, cohabitation and civil marriage.

More on that next time.