'WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NEW POPE?"

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I will return to my series on “What to do when falsely accused” in my next column. But for this column, given the extraordinary moment of the surprise election of the man who took the name Leo 14, I thought I’d share a few thoughts on the new man in Rome. 

“What do you think of the new pope?” is a question I’ve been getting since the day the American, Robert Prevost, walked out onto the loggia as “Leonem Decimum Quartum.” 

First, I think he is a very smart man, and being smart, I predict he will be very careful, much more careful than his predecessor - who didn’t seem to care about being careful. In fact, you might say Francis’ order to “make a mess” at World Youth Day 2013 became the modus operandi  of his entire pontificate. 

During Francis’ reign, I had friends who went so far as to claim Francis was an anti-pope, an imposter to “the chair.” Some joined groups and movements to militate against him. 

Me…not so much. After every new discombobulation of the faith, from “Who am I to judge?” to the fabrication of “synodality,” I just shrugged my shoulders and repeated my usual refrain: “God gives us the leaders we deserve.”

And why wouldn’t God give us a discombobulating pope, given that for the better part of a century now, most Catholics have rejected Church teaching on everything from contraception to transubstantiation?

In fact, the election of the subdued and little known Robert Prevost is - I think - a quiet admission by his electors that Francis made too much of a mess, even for the progressive cardinals, many of whom were anointed by Francis to make more of a mess.

And speaking of “synodality,” this appears to be Leo’s first test. And how he handles it will bear witness to the remainder of what appears will be a long pontificate. 

While Francis flirted with blessing same-sex unions and permitting communion to adulterers, it really was just flirting. Of course flirting is dangerous, but with “synodality” Francis was “all in.” 

Synodality is the disturbance that it is because it functionally changes the nature of the Catholic Church. Let me explain. 

Earlier I referred to "synodality" as a fabrication. In fact, as I type “synodality” into my current draft, it keeps showing up with those squiggly underlines indicating that the word is misspelled or doesn’t exist. 

It doesn’t exit. The words “synod” and “synodal” do exist, but not “synodality.” Francis made it up. In fact, Cardinal Cupich, one of Francis’ “make a mess” boys, admitted “synodality” is a made-up word in a 2023 post titled: “‘Synodality’: a new word for an ancient reality.” 

Etymologically, “synod” means “assembly” or “meeting.” Okay, an assembly of who? Because the term has been hijacked by those who want to change Catholic Church governance, let’s take a look at an unadulterated definition in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Synod: an ecclesiastical governing or advisory council: such as a): an assembly of bishops in the Roman Catholic Church; b): the governing assembly of an Episcopal province; c): a Presbyterian governing body ranking between the presbytery and the general assembly; d: a regional or national organization of Lutheran congregations.

Up until Francis, a “synod” in a Catholic context meant “a): an assembly of bishops…” And as you can see, it means a different sort of assembly in a non-Catholic context. With “synodality,” Francis appears to have adopted “c,” the Presbyterian model: a meeting of “the presbytery (clergy) and the general assembly (laity). 

Suspiciously, Cupich’s blurb about an “ancient reality” conveniently avoids the actual “ancient reality” that was in fact the first synod: the Council of Jerusalem as described in Acts of the Apostles (15:2-35). Cupich skips it because, per the scriptural account, the only attendees were “the apostles and the elders” - in other words, the pastors or overseers (clergy). There is no mention of the “overseen” (laity) being present.

The motivation behind Francis’ fabrication of “synodality” was the creation of a so-called “listening church.” And that’s the problem. Jesus didn’t command his apostles to “go and listen.” Jesus commanded the apostles to “go and teach.”

So how will Leo handle this? He has already said at the outset “We are a synodal church.” It was a careful thing to say at the moment. But because the Catholic Church is first and foremost and always will be an Apostolic church, I think he’s going to let the whole thing die quietly.

Tim Rohr has resided in Guam since 1987. He has raised a family of 11 children, owned several businesses, and is active in local issues via his blog, JungleWatch.info, letters to local publications, and occasional public appearances. He may be contacted at timrohr.guam@gmail.com