Archbishop Fisher: don't expect dramatic changes from Synod
December 03, 2014
Archbishop Anthony Fisher has added his name to the list of prelates reassuring Catholics that the Synod of Bishops will not make any dramatic change in Church teaching on marriage.
The newly installed leader of the Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia told Crux that Pope Francis wants a strong pastoral outreach toward people in difficult situations. “But in the end, we’re not going to say, ‘No, God got it wrong,’” he quipped.
Archbishop Fisher said that the discussion of pastoral care for Catholics who are divorced and remarried should be seen in the context of a larger problem, which he described as a failure to love. “If we don’t address that,” he said, “we’ll only be putting on a Band-Aid. It’s going to keep breaking, and the wounds hemorrhaging.”
The Australian archbishop said that there were some clear disagreements during the October session of the Synod, largely because Pope Francis encouraged open debate. While this might be seen as a “dangerous strategy,” he pointed out that St. Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa, summarized the strongest arguments of his opponents, believing that the sharp contrast of ideas was the best way to highlight the truth.
Archbishop Fisher said that he has noticed the “Francis effect” in the willingness of ordinary people to discuss questions of faith. “So I think we’ll get some real discussions,” he said.
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