Despite all the discussions about the Holy Spirit during the Synod on Synodality, an objective observer would have to say that the tongues of fire that produced the Gospel of John, Paul's Letter to the Romans, and the Book of Revelation seem to be running out of words as the event unfolds.
The great Irish poet W.B. Yeats, who was not Catholic, observed a century ago that "the Holy Spirit is an intellectual fountain":
"The Holy Spirit is an intellectual fountain," and did the bishops believe that the Holy Spirit would manifest in decoration and architecture, in daily manners and written style. What pious man can read the Pastorals of our Hierarchy without being horrified by a stale, coarse, and vague style, like that of the daily newspapers?
And Yeats never saw the "modules" of an Instrumentum Laboris or listened to murky reflections on mission, communion, and participation.
The Catholic Church possesses the longest and richest cultural tradition in the world. What must make the angels weep is to see the stringy, self-satisfied, pseudo-sociological, pseudo-psychological, mind-numbing ecclesiastical language in which the current synod is conducted.
It is as if the Church had decided that its deep and extensive heritage from the Hebrew prophets, the early Church Fathers, Greek philosophy, Roman law, and the entire subsequent history of the saints and sages of our civilization could be set aside for the purpose of "walking together."
This diatribe originates from the account of the synodal discussions on LGBT issues, which began late last week. We are not supposed to know what is said in the synod hall. Some media close to the Pope have even praised the restraint shown by synod participants towards the media. Other media, also close, however, easily discovered from what they believe to be appropriate sources—because they are anonymous—that there were emotional debates between people reaffirming the Church's teachings on LGBT issues and others calling for greater "discernment"—the latter being applauded in the hall.
It is already revealing that the acronym LGBT is so widespread among enthusiasts and detractors. But the Synod, which seems partly designed to catch up with the "world," is—even in its most progressive elements—already far behind.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently sought to defend himself against accusations that he was attacking parental rights in education—which could have been a fruitful topic for this synod, by the way. He spoke of protecting 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Will we need another synod soon to address this issue? And there are still many unused letters in the alphabet. And numbers.
The word "homophobia" was rejected by all present in the synod hall. That is very good if it means that persons belonging to a sexual minority should be treated civilly, like anyone else.
But as Catholics, we should not let ourselves be fooled by ideological artifices. When you casually accept the use of a term (LGBT) created for ideological purposes—and thus congratulate yourself on your humanity—you are on the brink of intellectual and moral shipwreck. Taking the term "homophobia" literally is to believe that anyone who rejects or resists what has recently been considered a sexual aberration is themselves afflicted with a mental disorder (a phobia).
There are many men and women in the synod hall who know this. And who also know the depth and breadth of what is at stake. And yet, it is said that some lay participants are astonished that many bishops remain quietly seated while these terms are thrown around.
It would be serious enough if this kind of ideological fantasy were limited to LGBT issues. But it is clear that on topics like "women," "diversity," "inclusion," "openness," "equality," it is as if Catholic progressives have received the ball on the Church's five-yard line while the defense is scrambling to line up.
Several Catholic thinkers have responded that what is missing in all this is an authentic Christian "anthropology," which indicates who we are—homo sapiens—because of who God is. Anthropology is probably not the appropriate term to address the problem we face, although I have used the term myself for convenience.
The science of anthropology should properly be descriptive. Any anthropologist can observe, for example, that practically all human communities we know of have a set of beliefs we might call religious, and moral norms linked to those beliefs.
The language used by human communities on these matters is not the slang of the internet or social media about "inclusion" and "diversity," which, to the extent they are valid (i.e., within narrow limits), derive from more fundamental principles. These principles are marked by terms—"binary" terms—like sacred/profane, holy/sinister, divine/human, and (further down the conceptual chain but still in the same register), good and evil.
But anthropology as such cannot tell us what we must do. "Christian anthropology" itself introduces some confusion, as it associates a scientific concept with a religious one, likely making it harder to correctly pursue both.
To truly understand homo sapiens, we need good philosophy. And Christian theology. And pastoral practice. And, consequently, great courage. And boldness.
Also read | Synod: Confidential Documents Publicly Accessible
The synod organizers have repeatedly stated that the synod does not have the authority to decide, but only to discern (a key term in the Jesuit tradition). So, a joke is circulating. Given the different personalities involved, including Pope Francis, the verb "to discern" should be conjugated:
I discern.
You discern.
He decides.
Yes, but meanwhile, the way the Synod discerns is a kind of decision, deciding what is important and thus valid experience, what can or cannot be discussed, what is true and good, the best way "to move forward," what future "governance" should look like.
In short, what it means to be Catholic today.
The Pope may decide to ignore all this. But he and his closest allies have arranged things so that, in all likelihood, he will not have to.
This article was originally published by TheCatholicThing and then translated by LeCatho | Original Link.