Was the Synod All Just a Terrible Dream?

George Weigel! George Weigel! I had the most frightening dream! It was about the Synod on the Family, and oh, it was dreadful!

Now now, have you been listening to The Media again? You just come over here and let George Weigel put it all in the proper context for you.

Well, I dreamed that the bishops at the synod were openly debating how to apply abstract principles to specific challenges, instead of serenely insisting that nothing about either church teaching on marriage or its application in particular instances can ever change a bit!

My, that does sound scary.

I dreamed that people -- respectable, important people, not just the lamers we always make fun of! -- were talking about Vatican II as if it were an authoritative council of the church whose vision of collegiality ought to be faithfully studied and implemented, instead of just some embarrassing thing that happened in the '60s, like Woodstock, that has no relevance now!

Nonsense. That was just the northern-European bishops and theologians and bishop-theologians trying to spook you. I mean now really, who would take those guys seriously?

But weren't they appointed by --

No one, that's who.

But wasn't the last pope from --

Shhhhhh, now you're getting yourself upset.