The "Robber Synod"?

Believe it or not, that is what some are now calling the Synod on the family. Following my post this morning, there has been a major upheaval, the Synod Fathers have revolted against Cardinal Baldisseri, the Secretary of the Synod who has been controlling proceedings and press releases, when he announced that the reports from the subcommittees, the Circuli Minores, would not be made public. 

According to accounts, Cardinal George Pell stood up, condemned the decision and demanded that the reports be made public. He then announced that the Synod Fathers were tired of the manipulation which has been taking place since the beginning of the Synod. Apparently Cardinal Baldisseri stood his ground and reiterated the reports would not be made public, and this provoked angry protests from the bishops who rose up against him. He was shouted down, it seems, and, if I may use the metaphor, all hell broke loose in the chamber. Cardinal Baldisseri had to turn to the Pope who remained silent but seemed furious with the bishops. The Pope had to relent, nodded to the Cardinal and so permitted the publicizing of the reports. For more see Fr Z's blog, he has a few posts on it.

The proceedings have been published on the Vatican website, go and consult them, because at last we may well have an accurate account of what is actually going on in the Synod chamber, unfiltered. At last, it seems, the Synod Fathers, who for the most part are orthodox and faithful, are standing up. 

Reflecting on all this, I wonder, are these protests the voice of the Holy Spirit, using the faithful bishops to ensure that the Pope and Church will not fall into error? These last few months I have come to see the reaction of the Cardinals to Cardinal Kasper's talk last February as a movement of the Spirit. If these events are such, Pope Francis would do well to pay close attention to them.

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PS: I see a comment on another blog and it just sums things up, it's very good: "If the bishops go crazy, the pope puts down the foot. If the pope goes crazy, the bishops put down the foot. And if both go crazy, the Holy Ghost puts down the foot."