Francis Clears the Decks

Here’s America magazine’s rush translation of Pope Francis’s speech to the Synod today. Shorter Pope Francis: “Remember, I’m the Pope, and I make the decisions around here.”

The Jesuit Father Jim Martin knows that something is up:

@Pontifex‘s comments today suggest he’ll probably issue an “apostolic exhortation” at the end of the Synod, summing up the deliberations…

— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) October 17, 2015

 

of the Synod, and putting his personal stamp on the decisions and deliberations, as all other popes have done in the past. A prediction…

— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) October 17, 2015

Meaning, as you continue to read Fr. Jim’s thread, that the Pope is going to change the doctrine himself, call it pastoral practice, and expect them all to get in line, because he’s the Pope and they are Catholics. If this happens, then the Trads will have been proven right, and the fix really was in from the beginning. More:

All the Jesuit insiders have abandoned the Synodal pretext and are pre-promoting a papal document. I presume it is already finalized.

— Michael B Dougherty (@michaelbd) October 17, 2015

This IS happening, folks. If you think it won’t touch you, you’re wrong.

— Aaron Gigliotti (@GigliottiAaron) October 17, 2015