As reports emerge from the Synod of Bishops on the family, we are able to discern some of the key fault lines in the discussion. â??For our knowledge is imperfect,â? wrote St. Paul in his ode to love in First Corinthians, and that is true of what those of us outside the synod hall know, but just as that acknowledgement did not keep Paul from completing his letter, so too must we try and make sense of what we know so far.
On Friday, I identified what is clearly the largest fault line, between those who believe that the Church has not adequately brought our doctrinal teaching about mercy to bear on our understanding of, and pastoral practice towards, the family and marriage, certainly not to the degree that our understanding and pastoral practice have been shaped by the Churchâ??s teaching on the indissolubility of marriage, and those who seem startled by the idea that anyone would think there is much to discuss. Cardinal Donald Wuerl published the text of his intervention on Friday which clearly shows his support for the Holy Fatherâ??s approach, recognizing the need to balance doctrines in our pastoral practice and not just say it is all about mercy or all about indissolubility, but must be about both. I am told his intervention was well received in the hall and am delighted he is on the drafting committee for the final synod document.
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