What Failed 18th Century Synod Can Teach About Synodality

And yet, this renegade Jansenist synod has once again become relevant to Catholic discourse. The ghost of Pistoia is by now quite experienced at haunting Catholic memories. It managed to be an inspiration for radical reformers and a bugbear for conservatives through the Italian Risorgimento and during the proceedings of the First and Second Vatican Councils. ...But what concerns me here is renewed interest in the synod in ecclesial circles, and how the memory of Pistoia is once again being put to polemical and ideological use.  Read Full Article »