Forget Confusion: Let's Just Hope And Trust

God bless Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Ireland.  He participated in last month’s Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family.

Last week, Catholic News Service writer Michael Kelly reported that Archbishop Martin has said he was “quite surprised at the remarks of some commentators within church circles about the recent Synod of Bishops, often making accusations of confusion where such confusion did not exist and so actually fomenting confusion.”

Here is more from Kelly’s CNS story:

“‘A strong – and indeed orthodox – faith is never afraid of discussion,’ Archbishop Martin said.

“‘They fail to see how Pope Francis shows that his concern for people who suffer is far from being a sign of dogmatic relativism, but rather is a sign of pastoral patience,’ Archbishop Martin said, adding that ‘a church which becomes a comfort zone for the like-minded ceases to be truly the Church of Jesus Christ.’”

That last statement begs the question – what truly is the Church of Jesus Christ – or, more accurately, who is that Church?

You are. I am. We are.

And our humanity, sadly but not surprisingly, makes us dysfunctional. Our God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – has known this since the events in the Garden of Eden. As proof, I offer the passion, death and resurrection of the Son of God. He died for our humanity – specifically, to save us from it and enable us to gain eternal life.

That humanity has led many to “take sides” since the Extraordinary Synod concluded. It has led some to publish reports suggesting Pope Francis’ Vatican has an enemies list.

Actually, a list of enemies does exist in the Church. It’s been around for millennia. We refer to it in prayer, and it includes “Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.”

There’s irony in that, too – because there are many people asking St. Michael the Archangel to defend them in what I find to be a delusional battle against other Catholics who are just as faithful.

Nothing about the Extraordinary Synod changed Church doctrine. And guess what? Nothing about the Oct. 2015 General Assembly and Synod of Bishops on the Family will change Church doctrine, either. The synod fathers will be able to make recommendations, if they are moved to do so, but they collectively are not unlike a parish council.

They can advise and recommend, but the Bishop of Rome – Pope Francis, who serves as pastor to more than a billion Roman Catholics across the world – ultimately owns responsibility for any actions that result.

As we all wait for the meeting of the synod council that Cardinal Donald Wuerl discussed during a recent telephone press conference with members of the Catholic Press Association, I suggest we contemplate words that our Bishop Thompson first offered in this newspaper less than a month ago.

“I believe,” he said, “that there is cause for great expectation and hope for any and all who are willing to set aside personal agendas in order to trust in the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

Certainly, such trust will mitigate confusion.