Burke Derangement Syndrome™ has struck again!
Michael Sean Winters of the Fishwrap has swooned upon his fainting couch at the news of Edward Pentin’s new book about what happened at the Synod of Bishops last October.
More about Pentin’s new Smoking Gun Book™ about last year’s chaotic Synod.
MSW hasn’t read the book. “I have not read this tome”, he wrote.
But he seems to know all about it!
Not only that, even though he wasn’t there and didn’t have any special access to the key players cited by Mr. Pentin, MSW knows how to judge all things concerning that Synod.
What has brought on this case of the vapors? This is the key, according to MSW:
The second charge Pentin levels is more pernicious [not to say “venomous“]. He suggests that the Interim Report was given to the press in an effort to sway the synod towards its purportedly more “liberal” views, especially on the hot button issue of homosexuality. [There it is.] Apparently, few if any of the spoken interventions even mentioned the topic, so people were surprised to see it in the Report. This is one of the problems with the Synod format: If the topics are not assigned in advance, and each of the synod fathers can speak on whatever they want [sic], they are more likely to focus on the issues affecting a vast majority of families, not on a relative side issue like homosexuality. [I don’t think it was a side issue at all.] We do not know how many of the written interventions discussed the topic, nor how often the topic was addressed in less formal settings. [“We do not know”… and yet here is MSW, judging.] I thought the language on homosexuality in the Interim Report was unimpeachable: It basically said everyone should be welcomed in the Church. Full stop. [Not quite full stop, no. First, they were vague. What does “welcome” mean? In the civilized world is there a Catholic parish that turns homosexuals away? Not a one. It isn’t a sin to be a homosexual. Does it mean give them Holy Communion without emendation of life if they are openly sexually active? What does “welcome” mean? Should we have them stand up during Mass so we can all say “Bravo!”? Also, are we to welcome homosexuals because they are homosexuals or because they are people? There was clearly an agenda hidden inside the vague language.] It happily, and hopefully, avoided the language of “intrinsic disorder” which, whatever its theological precision, which is questionable, its pastoral significance is obvious and malign. [The Church teaches that homosexual acts are gravely sinful and intrinsically disordered. Full stop.]
And it’s all Card. Burke’s fault, apparently!
This book was written by Pentin, but it could alternately be called The Synod According to Cardinal Burke. The petulant cardinal made a beeline for Pentin and other conservative reporters at the end of each session of the synod last year.
This is complete B as in B, S as in S.
Read Pentin’s book, everyone. There were indeed people trying to rig the last Synod to accomplish a pre-determined agenda.
Buy it and tell others to buy even if it is unlikely that they (like MSW) will actually read it.
Warning: What we saw last year will be nothing compared to the skulduggery this year. As I have written before, I expect and less transparency and more rule changes to shut down opposition to the underlying agenda. The Synod will be a real battlefield. Prayers are in order.
UPDATE: