While this may be, it does make me wonder if some of those inside the synod will talk to the media. If it is a private event and private document then we shouldn’t expect to hear any real news from anyone but the pope himself and it could take years to know anything. He might decide not say anything at all and leave everyone in a sort of limbo. Has there been a gag order on what those inside are allowed to say or not say? Why even make it private news?It will probably be wise to remind ourselves that the synod’s final report is a private report to the Holy Father. It is not intended as a public document. If it is released, it may very well be in language not easily grasped by most laity. Hopefully, the Holy Father will come out with a public document not too long after the Synod.
I don’t think this Synod is intended to be a private event. However the final document is a report to the Holy Father and as such not considered a public document. It will probably be released (at least in Italian) but the document is not intended as a communication to the faithful but to the Holy Father.While this may be, it does make me wonder if some of those inside the synod will talk to the media. If it is a private event and private document then we shouldn’t expect to hear any real news from anyone but the pope himself and it could take years to know anything. He might decide not say anything at all and leave everyone in a sort of limbo. Has there been a gag order on what those inside are allowed to say or not say? Why even make it private news?
This podcast is very good.
Private doesn’t mean secret or even confidential. The report it TO the Holy Father, not TO the Church.While this may be, it does make me wonder if some of those inside the synod will talk to the media. If it is a private event and private document then we shouldn’t expect to hear any real news from anyone but the pope himself and it could take years to know anything. He might decide not say anything at all and leave everyone in a sort of limbo. Has there been a gag order on what those inside are allowed to say or not say? Why even make it private news?
Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude by asking these questions but…Private doesn’t mean secret or even confidential. The report it TO the Holy Father, not TO the Church.
Even if nothing is released, there is no “limbo”. Everything would continue along in the same way it has. Or the fruits of the discussion might be efforts by individual Bishops to shore up support for the family in their own dioceses. The Synod is not some kind of Congress where no action is equal to a failure. The gathering and the discussions are as important as any final report.
It means that the final report is not part of the authentic teaching of the Church. It is part of the Bishops, and especially the Cardinals, responsibility of advising the Pope.Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude by asking these questions but…
If the report is only to the Holy Father and not to the Church what does that mean exactly?
It might. It all depends on what the Pope does with the final report. Any actual effect won’t be directly from the Synod, but rahter, from other things that might occur such as encyclical, changes to canon law, directives from the CDW or the CDF (on the Pope’s direction).Doesn’t this report effect the Church in some way?
That’s an interesting question. This Pope is fascinating to the media. The Church has Synods at least every three years and most don’t draw any interest except for Church nerds.Also, why are are they having press meetings everyday?
IMHO, this is artificial. There are certain groups that are looking for a “sign” from the Synod that some big change will come in the Church. Most of these are unfounded expectations. A priest at one of the CINO publications actually said that the whole Synod would be a failure if it didn’t result in some huge change. That’s just nonsense.If this whole thing is no ones business and doesn’t change anything, why does it seem like everyone really wants to know the outcome?
Who says there are not politics in the Church?!? There are lots of politics in the Church. But this vote is to make sure that there is agreement on the wording of the final report.As far as saying there is no such thing as politics in the Catholic Church, why even have a vote?
They can vote to recommend a change but nothing changes until the Pope says so. The Pope is unlikely to make any huge change without the support of the majority of the Bishops. So a sense of how each group feels is important.A vote on if the document says things such as communion for divorced and remarried is ok and being open to gays more seems to be a pretty big deal considering the church has already spoken clearly about these things.
I don’t buy into the many conspiracy theories that are being floated around. But that doesn’t mean that some of the Synod fathers might not have (individually or in groups) an agenda to push, which may or may not be all that hidden. These are human beings and capable of human failings including confusion, pride or being overly influenced by secular agendas.I don’t understand and probably never will… if the Holy Spirit is in charge of it, is it safe to say there’s absolutely no hidden agenda trying to be pushed?