By Russell Shaw, Catholic World Report, Oct. 3, 2024
Russell Shaw was secretary for public affairs of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference from 1969 to 1987. He is the author of 20 books, including Nothing to Hide, American Church: The Remarkable Rise, Meteoric Fall, and Uncertain Future of Catholicism in America, Eight Popes and the Crisis of Modernity, and, most recently, The Life of Jesus Christ (Our Sunday Visitor, 2021).
Now we run into a gag rule imposed on the synod participants by its managers “in order to guarantee freedom of expression.” Seriously?
Participants in the Synod on Synodality spent two days before the start of its final session in a closed retreat that ended with a “penitential liturgy.” The synod office also provided the participants with a list of seven “sins” for which forgiveness would be sought. It did not say who would do the forgiving.
To put it bluntly, all this struck me as a rather odd way to launch a meeting. Consider a couple of the sins on that list:
“Sin against peace”
“Sin against creation, against indigenous populations, against migrants”
“Sin against poverty” …
