Quick Hits: After the Synod, praying for a miracle

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Oct 28, 2019 | In Quick Hits

The Amazon Synod has ended, with entirely predictable results, in terms of the propositions endorsed by the participating bishops. But bear in mind that the Synod is only an advisory body, and the final outcome depends on how Pope Francis responds to the bishops’ advice, in the apostolic exhortation that will conclude the work of the Synod.

Msgr. Charles Pope is, like many of us, terribly disappointed with the Synod, and not optimistic about the papal document that will ensue. But he hasn’t given up hope, and he urges us to join him as we Pray for a Miracle:

Pray for an apostolic exhortation that glorifies and lifts up Jesus as the only way to salvation. An exhortation that focuses not merely on a clean environment but purified souls. An exhortation that doesn’t speak of listening to the spirits of the rainforest, but of listening to Jesus, the Eternal Word of the Father.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider released a powerful open letter on the Pachamama controversy, which every concerned Catholic should read. This statement is not merely a protest or a criticism; it carries the dignity of teaching, as befits his episcopal office (and his first name). “Faced with such an evident scandal, it is impossible that a Catholic bishop would remain silent,” he writes.

Yet most bishops are silent. And as I search for an explanation of why they are silent, I come across a quotation from Henri de Lubac:

If heretics no longer horrify us today, as they once did our forefathers, is it certain that it is because there is more charity in our hearts? Or would it not too often be, perhaps, without our daring to say so, because the bone of contention, that is to say, the very substance of our faith, no longer interests us?