"Church must include, not exclude" says chief Synod rigger

Two weeks ago, in "2014 Vatican Synod's 'Welcome gays!' moment was rigged!", Walt recommended, a new e-book by journalist Edward Pentin. In The Rigging of a Vatican Synod, Mr. Pentin lays the blame for the pro-queer "interim report" of the 2014 Synod on Family Life at the feet of the Synod's secretary, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri.

Walt predicts that -- having failed to silence the bishops opposed to gay marriage, Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics, and the rest of the "progressive" (read: anti-traditional) agenda -- the Prelate and those in the highest offices of the Roman Catholic Church who pull his strings, will have another go when the Synod resumes in October.

What would make me think that? Check out an address given by Cardinal Baldisseri to at a diocesan conference in Sessa Aurunca, Italy, on September 15th. As reported by L'Osservatore Romano (the Vatican's version of Pravda) summarized under the rubric "L'arte dell'accompagnamento" on page 6 of today's edition, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops said emphatically that the Church must "include" rather than "exclude".

According to His Eminence, "the crisis of the family is due also to the hiddenness of the Church", which is called to "listen", "accompany", and "include" rather than "exclude", so that all may experience the "incomparable beauty of matrimony."

Walt wants to know how many times one may experience "the incomparable beauty of matrimony". Traditional Catholic teaching -- the Faith of fathers, living still (although just barely) -- is that marriage is a Sacrament which may be received only once. So divorced Catholics who want a second helping would seem to be among those who should be excluded.

And what about homosexuals? Aren't they part of "all"? The Church teaches (or taught, once upon a time) that homosexuality is a grave disorder, and homosexual acts seriously sinful. Does Cardinal Baldisseri mean that, in the name of "inclusivity" we should "accompany" the sodomites on their quest for the "incomparable beauty" etc?

Ah yes... "accompany", that's the key word. One may translate "L'arte dell'accompagnamento" as "The art of the accompaniment". Let's go along with the poor tormented sinners, to keep them company. After all, they can't help it, can they? Perhaps they don't even know that their "lifestyle choice" is contrary to the laws of God and nature.

Walt wonders if Cardinal Baldisseri (and/or his well-travelled master) has read A Man for All Seasons, the play by Robert Bolt about the life and martyrdom of Saint Thomas More. Here's a short passage which seems a propos. The Duke of Norfolk is urging Sir Thomas (as he was before he was beheaded) to join him and all the other nobles or England in swearing to the Act of Succession, which was meant to validate Henry VIII's divorce and remarriage.

NORFOLK: Frankly, I don't know whether the marriage was lawful or not. But damn it, Thomas, look at those names... You know those men! Can't you do what I did, and come with us, for fellowship?
MORE: And when we stand before God, and you are sent to Paradise for doing according to your conscience, and I am damned for not doing according to mine, will you come with me, for fellowship?

That would be a nice question to put to Cardinal Baldisseri. Would he repeat his call for the Synod to "rediscover the art of accompaniment". I wonder...