Whatever the opposition, something irreversible happened at the synod

Whatever the opposition, something irreversible happened at the synod

THE TABLET

16 October 2014 by Christopher Lamb in Rome

Frank discussions on how the Church can support families led to the production of the mid-way point text – the relatio – that proposed a dramatically new approach to the way the Church might support gay Catholics, cohabiting couples and those in civil marriages.
Crucially, the document used new language that did not spell out where people are going wrong but looks to build on the good already present. As the document puts it, the Church needs to find the “seeds of the Word that have spread beyond its visible and sacramental boundaries.”
This is the theology of the Second Vatican Council – the 1962-65 gathering that put the Church on a path to reform and renewal – and after the mid-point relatio was released we were told that the Synod Fathers felt inspired by the spirit of the Council.
Since then we’ve seen a backlash from some senior figures such as Cardinals Burke and Pell, and have been told that the document will be revised.