Was the Synod in Rome “Protestant”?

OK, someone has to say it.

It’s a shame that Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, RI criticized the recent extraordinary synod for being “Protestant.” Here are his exact words:

— The concept of having a representative body of the Church voting on doctrinal applications and pastoral solutions strikes me as being rather Protestant.

Bad word choice, that. Two problems I see with it:

1. Bishop Tobin seems to be using “Protestant” to mean “bad, something to avoid.” This is not the proper ecumenical spirit. We Catholics look at Protestants and other Christians with respect for their difference from us (which are sometimes quite significant), and with an open heart for what we can learn from them. And with humility: the liturgical vision of the Second Vatican Council is closer to Martin Luther than to Trent on many points, which suggests that we aren’t always right.

2. Synods and gatherings and ecumenical councils have been “voting on doctrinal applications and pastoral solutions” for about 2,000 years now, from the Council of Jerusalem to Nicea to Trent and ever since.

For all that, I appreciate that Bishop Tobin shared his “random thoughts,” and I like his open and honest spirit. His last two thoughts are very good indeed:

— Pope Francis is fond of “creating a mess.” Mission accomplished.

— Relax. God’s still in charge.

awr

Anthony Ruff, OSB

Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, is a monk of St. John's Abbey. He teaches liturgy, liturgical music, and Gregorian chant at St. John's University School of Theology-Seminary. He is widely published and frequently presents across the country on liturgy and music. He is the author of Sacred Music and Liturgical Reform: Treasures and Transformations, and of Responsorial Psalms for Weekday Mass: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter. He does priestly ministry at the neighboring community of Benedictine sisters in St. Joseph.

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Comments

11 responses to “Was the Synod in Rome “Protestant”?”

  1. Todd Flowerday

    Bishop Tobin must think very little of religious communities. He must be very pleased with the state of politics in the US, though. With legislatures in gridlock, the only people making decisions in government are executives and judiciaries.

    Sometimes I wonder if the late JP2-B16 era hasn’t produced some of the least competent bishops, intellectually speaking. Rather ironic that two popes thought of we intellects would leave such a legacy in the college of bishops.

    Reply
    1. Linda Reid

      @Todd Flowerday – comment #1:
      And he is all ours, Todd (sigh), and probably for a long while…..

      Reply
      1. EJ Mahar

        @Linda Reid – comment #4: Yes – he is only 66. We’re stuck with him.

  2. Peter Rehwaldt

    I took the synod to be very much the kind of “great and holy conversation” for which I prayed when I wrote my pre-conclave post about what a Lutheran-elector might say in the conclave.

    It’s a pity that Bishop Tobin does not appear to value such things. It also makes me wonder if he is unhappy about the work of another “representative body of the Church” which wrestled with “doctrinal applications and pastoral solutions” for the church back in March 2013. As I recall, they took a number of votes at that meeting at the Vatican . . .

    Perhaps at the next conclave, if he’s so upset about the concept of voting, Tobin would be happier if the cardinals simply cast lots for the next pope.

    Reply
  3. Brian Duffy

    +Tobin is not unlike his much more elegant predecessor, + Russell J. Mc Vinney,who often accused those who disagreed with him about church-state separation of being anti-catholic or pro-Protestant , even if they were Jews. His battles with the equally elegant Episcopalian bishop, +John Seville Higgins, were legendary.

    All this during the days when Blessed Paul VI and ++Michael Ramsay were engaged in meaningful dialogue. Fortunately the people ignored their local hierarchs and followed the examples of the pope and archbishop. Hopefully they will do the same today.

    Reply
  4. Norman Borelli

    It is called collegiality. I realize that Bishop Tobin, and others like him, have invested a lot of time and energy over of a 35 year period of ignoring or even trying to dismantle the Second Vatican Council, but it is starting to look like the Holy Spirit has other ideas.

    I would also point out that if any bishop had spoken of either of the two previous popes in such a matter they would have been branded as disloyal if not flat out heretics by many of the same people who know criticize Pope Francis. Funny how there are two sets of rules.

    Reply
  5. Christian McCOnnell

    It’s odd that he didn’t criticize as “rather Orthodox.” 🙂

    Reply
  6. Todd Orbitz

    I agree with the comment that it’s rather Orthodox, rather than Protestant.

    But with that said, a Catholic Synod has never before seriously looked for a way around divine positive law. I would argue this synod did exactly that, and failed miserably when those Bishops stood up.

    In the spirit of tradition, I would have much preferred a few fist fights on the floor of the synod.

    Reply
    1. Lee Bacchi

      @Todd Orbitz – comment #7:

      Yes, like St. Nicholas slapping Arius at Nicea!!

      Reply
  7. Bill deHaas

    Fr. Z – really

    Reply
  8. Jeffrey Pinyan

    +Tobin recommends against “publish[ing] half-baked minutes of candid discussions about sensitive topics”, but appears to argue for “fearless and candid discussion and transparency”. I suppose these are reconciled by making the minutes not “half-baked”, but perhaps he could clarify these two in another random thought some time.

    Reply

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