Did I get it right that the Bishop’s Synod began with a Mass with some half naked dancers? I would want to see Pope Benedict’s face. I saw his face when he saw those female Magis at the WYD and those usual gimmicks at the recent cetechesis for First Communicants. Sort of saying “Ohhhh nooooooo! Not again.” Is it that same Master of Ceremonies behind him, again?
Now, why would a Pope whose theological knowledge on the Eucharist is outstanding would like to call a Synod on the Eucharist? And invite Bishops who are known to have less outstanding theological knowledge? Is it to ask them for advice or to tell them his advice? We are, definitely, in awe at the humility of Pope Benedict, though we are certain he would not like to hear that. But that is the reason, because he is humble.
The list of topics for discussion looks like the table of contents of one of his books. And the few among the 50 resolutions leaked out by bloggers sounds like an attempt to lessen his “Ohhhhh nooos.” when celebrating mass.
Though the Holy Father had made up his theological mind with regards the Holy Eucharist, like all holy people he wanted to take counsel, “Do everything with counsel, and you will not repent when you have done it.” This is the advice of Scriptures quoted by St. Benedict in his Holy Rule. This is a chapter on how to find God’s will by calling a counsel. Pope Benedict XVI must be familiar, also, with the Book of Considerations – advises offered by St. Bernard of Clairvaux to a Pope. Saints think alike.
From the brief reports by bloggers on the on-goings in the synod, a few bishops, apparently were out to give the Pope a piece of their minds and congratulate themselves for being able to successfully inculturate liturgical abuses into their native liturgies. The ugly head of relativism is difficult to remove. It is like the head of the mythical Hydra, it multiplies as often as you behead it. Well, Pope Pius X used a similar figure to describe this evil; an octopus.
Religious men tend to forget that when they gather together for consultation it is primarily to find out God’s will. Most had forgotten this because of the onset of democracy where the goal is to find out the will of the majority. But the majority is always made up of the stupid humans. The intelligent makes up a minority. Was it Blaise Pascal who said that? Vox populi, vox Dei does not apply here. By populi is meant the faithful, good Catholics; it does not mean Democrats.
But when a meet is meant to find out God’s will, this elusive will is always revealed to the humble, not to the proud. So St. Benedict tells the participant to those kinds of meetings to concentrate on being humble in all things, in listening, in speaking, in giving advice, in receiving suggestions. If a little pride enters, there will be conflicts because they will impose their will on all and reject whatever is contrary to their will.
So following St. Benedict’s admonition, Pope Benedict XVI, on this important business, called together a representative of the Catholic community and stated the matter to be acted upon. He intends to listen to get confirmation to what he suspects already to be God’s will. He will turn the matter over in his own mind and compare it to what he already knows.
What he hears may confirm what he already knows. It may improve on what he already knows. His motive is clear. Through what is said during the Synod, he will try to find out God’s will. God’s Will will be expressed in either clear terms from the participants or it could be extracted from the heretical suggestions that are given. But he knows that God’s Will will come from his own judgment as Pope and not from the proceedings of the Synod.
And then, finding the presence of the Bishops as an opportunity, he will impose God’s will on them, as he should as Pope. And the Bishops should obey out of fear of God, for the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, otherwise suffer the chastisement due to those who are insolent towards one chosen by Him.