If you don’t intend to come back with something tangible, you know, like women being allowed to be ordained, then don’t bother starting your little synod.
Penance is more than saying that you are sorry. Penance is also saying that you’re going to try harder. It isn’t about beating yourself and wearing sackcloth and ashes. It’s about doing something positive to change the conditions that caused the transgression.
In this light, it’s not much different than any continuous improvement program.
Patrick, could you actually comment on and accurately represent the Francis of THIS universe? He has pulled some absolute rocks – dreadfully wrong-headed moves, either delaying action or not taking action with prominent, documented cases. In this era when this abuse is no longer secret, some of the needs of response are better understood, and he has experts he IGNORES and policies he has delayed implementing – when he knows better or should know better, but doesn’t act – he is in some ways more culpable than his predecessors.
I haven’t heard of any abusers — even massively repetitive abusers — being excommunicated. And yet many an otherwise “sinless” Catholic has been excommunicated for simply marrying outside the Church.
FreyjaRN Premium Member 3 months ago
One can hope.
rossevrymn 3 months ago
If you don’t intend to come back with something tangible, you know, like women being allowed to be ordained, then don’t bother starting your little synod.
Out of the Past 3 months ago
The synod sounds like another scapegoat for not doing anything.
gammaguy 3 months ago
Odd sin is not real change.
ladykat 3 months ago
The pope is an optimist.
MuddyUSA Premium Member 3 months ago
Real CHANGE!!
dflak 3 months ago
Penance is more than saying that you are sorry. Penance is also saying that you’re going to try harder. It isn’t about beating yourself and wearing sackcloth and ashes. It’s about doing something positive to change the conditions that caused the transgression.
In this light, it’s not much different than any continuous improvement program.
MuddyUSA Premium Member 3 months ago
Right on Leo…. but can that happen???
rmbdot 3 months ago
Patrick, could you actually comment on and accurately represent the Francis of THIS universe? He has pulled some absolute rocks – dreadfully wrong-headed moves, either delaying action or not taking action with prominent, documented cases. In this era when this abuse is no longer secret, some of the needs of response are better understood, and he has experts he IGNORES and policies he has delayed implementing – when he knows better or should know better, but doesn’t act – he is in some ways more culpable than his predecessors.
gammaguy 3 months ago
“The sins include the abuse of children….”
I haven’t heard of any abusers — even massively repetitive abusers — being excommunicated. And yet many an otherwise “sinless” Catholic has been excommunicated for simply marrying outside the Church.
Hypocrisy much?