Fr. Raymond J. de Souza: One, Many Cardinal Fernández Fiascos

The flagship of the fleet, the Holy See Ship Synodality, is in dire straits (leaks about the final document that will be issued today suggest it will be, for those with radical hopes, a disappointment). HSS Synodality took a serious hit last December with the fiasco of Fiducia supplicans regarding the blessing of same-sex couples, and began listing seriously to starboard.

The current synodal assembly on synodality in Rome has now delivered another shot on the port side; another fiasco has unfolded regarding women deacons. And the man responsible for both hits is Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, one of the most senior admirals in service on the barque of Peter.

HSS Synodality set sail when Pope Francis announced in March 2020 the commissioning of a great new ship. The synodal process on synodality for a synodal Church will thus mark its fifth anniversary early next year. It has sailed through some rough waters, but even after five years, it is not clear where exactly synodality is headed. HSS Synodality has thus been on a voyage without a destination. …

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