The midterm report, presented by Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, was intended as a summary of the synod’s conversation to date, and has no standing as a statement of church teaching. It likely will be significantly modified before a final version is adopted by the bishops on Friday.
One cardinal taking part in the synod told reporters today that some media coverage distorted a proper understanding of the document, falsely suggesting that it contained firm conclusions of the whole body.
“We’re now working from a position that’s virtually irredeemable,” said Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier of South Africa.
“The message has gone out that this is what synod is saying, that this is what the Catholic Church is saying,” he said. “Whatever we say hereafter will seem like we’re doing damage control.”
Interesting to find out how they got into this position. It appears that they have been committing Indaba:
[blockquote]A small group is hard at work over the weekend producing a new document that seeks to summarise all that has been said ready to be shared on Monday morning. The small groups (circoli minori) will then spend 5 and a bit sessions discussing this and offering feedback ready for a final version to be drafted. As this is an Extraordinary Synod there will be no propositions, just a paper. Over the next year in every country this will be considered further ahead of the full Synod next October, following which propositions will emerge.[/blockquote]
Oh dear – it is spreading, rather like Ebola.