{"id":4039,"date":"2025-06-21T14:35:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-21T14:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/?p=4039"},"modified":"2025-06-21T15:27:19","modified_gmt":"2025-06-21T15:27:19","slug":"prof-schlevogts-compass-no-17-field-hospital-without-surgeon-general-pope-francis-cracks-laid-bare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/21\/prof-schlevogts-compass-no-17-field-hospital-without-surgeon-general-pope-francis-cracks-laid-bare\/","title":{"rendered":"Prof. Schlevogt\u2019s Compass No. 17: Field hospital without surgeon general \u2014 Pope Francis\u2019 cracks laid bare"},"content":{"rendered":"

No sledgehammer against sinners on the fringe, yes\u2014but what of the scalpel? Did the synodal pope cede the helm of his field hospital church?<\/strong><\/p>\n

An ancient ethical maxim, traditionally ascribed to Chilon of Sparta \u2014 one of the illustrious Seven Sages of Greece \u2014 and transmitted through the revered writings of Diogenes La\u00ebrtius, counsels that no reproach be cast upon the departed, enjoining a solemn silence where calumny might otherwise find voice. This august injunction was enshrined for posterity in the hallowed Latin adage: De mortuis nil nisi bonum dicendum est \u2014 \u201cOf the deceased, naught but good is to be pronounced.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

But shall we shy away from the truth simply because the subject has journeyed home? On the contrary \u2014 within the noble pursuit of leadership inquiry, it is not only appropriate but essential to cast an unflinching gaze upon the darker contours and missteps of those once revered.<\/p>\n

Such clear-eyed scrutiny is not to be mistaken for condemnation but must be understood as an exercise in principled discernment: a means of lifting the veil, exposing the insidious patterns which \u2014 far from being modern aberrations \u2014 have emerged, reappeared, and entrenched themselves down the annals of human history. Echoing through time, Ecclesiastes\u2019 memento rings clear: \u201cThere is nothing new under the sun.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In apprehending these recurring faults, we equip ourselves to fortify the foundations and elevate the standards of leadership, thereby drawing nearer to breaking the cycles that have long impaired our collective progress.<\/p>\n

One such enduring pattern resides in the very act of writing history. Creative revisionism \u2014 subtle in form, yet often deliberate in intent \u2014 persistently serves as a narrative mechanism by which the memory of the past is sculpted, recast, or repurposed to sanctify the present and pave the path for future control.<\/p>\n

This theoretically grounded and empirically observed tendency invites a sobering reflection: that historical writing, in its most rigorous conception, discloses not the objective facticity nor the veritable substance of the actual events it purports to recount, but rather the power, perspectives and prevailing interests of the ruling elite at the moment of its composition. Against this backdrop, George Orwell\u2019s trenchant insight retains its instructive force: \u201cWho controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Likewise, particularly within the spheres of religion and ideology, the full gestalt and profound richness of traditional teachings are seldom faithfully conveyed in their entirety. Rather, the intellectual patrimony is frequently fragmented and reshaped to conform to strategic aims of legitimization. The deleterious ramifications of such curated transmission poignantly echo the timeless parable of the blind men and the elephant \u2014 each apprehending but a portion and thus forging a distorted conception of the whole.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n \"RT\"
Prof. Schlevogt\u2019s Compass No. 15: Kakistocratic defense splurgers destroy Europe<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The late Pope Francis, though hailed by many as an inclusive reformer, did not escape the perils of selective moral emphasis and partial judgment. Conspicuously, in his earthly ministry, he sought to embody the mercy of Christ, but his actions betrayed a troubling incompleteness and imbalance. A critical yet fair evaluation of his papacy reveals deficiencies that extend well beyond superficial and incidental missteps and need to be juxtaposed with his strengths.<\/p>\n

This kind of vigilant examination assumes greater urgency beneath the prevailing progressive refrain of self-appointed narrative shapers, tastemaker, and gatekeepers who tirelessly exalt his supposed abundance of virtues<\/a> \u2014 often echoed uncritically with near-liturgical zeal by an enthused and ecstatic throng within both popular and ecclesial discourse.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many erudite and discerning minds falter in reconciling this fervent dithyramb \u2014 one that smothers sober reflection and muffles measured dissent \u2014 with the ledger of history, a dissonance so strident that it warrants a reassessment, both searching and unsparing, in light of mounting countervailing evidence and truths long eclipsed.<\/p>\n

The initial focus here centers on the pope\u2019s foremost failing: to appease sin by diverting attention from repentance and redemption \u2014 favoring synods over spiritual surgery, and dialogue over doctrine. Metaphorically, the shepherd\u2019s relinquishment of his crook, substituting conviction with compromise, bespeaks, as critics may assert, a grievous dereliction: not merely a forfeiture of authority, but a profound breach of the Holy Father\u2019s solemn duty to cleanse his flock \u2014 not merely a failure of governance, but a profound betrayal of the Church\u2019s prophetic and pastoral mandate.<\/p>\n

Rembrandt revisited: Proclaiming the gravity of sin and urgency of repentance<\/h2>\n

Drawing upon Rembrandt\u2019s chef-d\u2019oeuvre \u201cThe Return of the Prodigal Son\u201d<\/em> as both a visual scorecard and hermeneutic key<\/a> (see Figure 1), the ensuing contention advanced here stands on firm ground and thereby warrants due acknowledgment: Pope Francis has, at minimum, fallen short in directing the gaze of mainstream journalists towards the quintessential, transformative message embodied by the genuine movens of the Lukan parable of quest \u2014 the prodigal son himself. That figure\u2019s epic penitential journey animates the entire tale of moral and relational renewal and propels the progression of the plot. Narrated with exquisite economy \u2014 wherein, as in the grand drama of salvation, no detail is superfluous \u2014 it reaches its consummate fulfillment in a redemptive nostos (homecoming).<\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/figure>\n

The pope\u2019s role as chief healer of souls: Retreat instead of remedy<\/h3>\n

Put in a nutshell, the Vicar of Christ extolled mercy yet understated the urgent salvific necessity of restorative justice. Though he envisioned the Church as a field hospital<\/a> in the aftermath of battle, he surrendered his vital post and sacred duty as surgeon general, dispensing comfort without cure. He failed to consistently lay bare and confront the abhorrent nature and existential threat of sin and to insist on repentance as the thorned but ineluctable path to the mystery of redemption.<\/p>\n

Called to be the Church\u2019s chief healer of souls, Pope Francis ought to have discerned that a physician does not aid the gravely afflicted by neglecting to diagnose the condition \u2014 be it bodily, mental, or spiritual \u2014 nor by concealing its severity. To placate while suppressing truth, to assure wellness where there is disease, and to deny treatment at the hour of necessity, is to abandon the art of healing itself.<\/p>\n

Sacred Scripture \u2014 complimentarily elucidating the narrative antecedent to the luminous instant immortalized by the renowned seventeenth-century Dutch master of chiaroscuro (the artful contrast of light and shadow) \u2014 serves simultaneously as both witness and corrective, casting penetrating light upon the pope\u2019s doctrinal and pastoral lapse, thereby exposing what silence conceals.<\/p>\n

The transformative journey of the prodigal son: An epic and dramatic biblical odyssey<\/h3>\n

The prodigal son, in the unfolding parsimonious trajectory of the eponymous Gospel parable, willfully sunders communion with his father \u2014 himself a figura Dei, an allegorical referent of God \u2014 by boldly and brashly demanding his inheritance ante mortem, as though preempting paternal death itself. In this hubristic move, he enacts a symbolic patricide, pronouncing his progenitor dead in his own heart as a precondition for asserting existential autarkeia (autonomy).<\/p>\n

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\n \"Germany
Prof. Schlevogt\u2019s Compass No. 14: \u2018Whatever it takes\u2019 revisited \u2013 Euromaniacs exploit threat bias again<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Mistaking rupture \u2014 a symbolic schism without institutional breach \u2014 for liberation, the son is ensnared in the illusion that severance constitutes selfhood. In this emblematic gesture of disrespect and estrangement, he presumptuously reenacts the primordial rebellion of man against God \u2014 an archetype of pride, autonomy, and fall, wherein sin manifests itself as an audacious self-willed rupturing of the covenantal filial bond with God. In the parable, the father \u2014 alive yet forsaken \u2014 bears the disunion with patient endurance, mirroring divine reverence for human freedom.<\/p>\n

In forsaking the sacred demands of pietas \u2014 that classical foundational virtue of sacred devotion to both the divine and societal order \u2014 the son precipitates not mere geographical estrangement, but an abyssal spiritual fall \u2014 a dark, self-imposed exile and willful banishment from the grace that once sustained him. Unmoored from home, he embarks upon a peregrination of dissipation \u2014 at once truly epic and dramatic \u2014squandering the unmerited bounty in a far-off land, and in true katabasis echoing the somber depths of classical Attic tragedy descends into spiritual and material destitution.<\/p>\n

At the harrowing moment of peripeteia \u2014 the sudden reversal of fortune \u2014 the destitute son is seized by ravenous hunger, a visceral symbolic representation and allegorical reference to the spiritual barrenness wrought by sin. Famished and forsaken, he awakens to the stark and unvarnished reality of his transgressions: that in casting away not mere gold but grace, he has severed himself from the very source of life and love, and thus reaped the desolation that inevitably follows such a ruthless and cataclysmic rupture.<\/p>\n

In that critical juncture of spiritual awakening, he steels his heart and vows to mend what was broken: With resolute heart and solemn intent, he turns his weary steps toward the hearth of home.<\/p>\n

His protracted and arduous odyssey, marked by errant wanderings, cathartic trials, anagnoristic self-reckoning and metanoia (change of mind), finds its denouement and reaches its telos (end) in a humble and remorseful return to the paternal figure. Though compelled initially by fleshly urge rather than lofty virtue, his contrite confession in this pivotal soteriological and eschatological moment bears witness to genuine repentance.<\/p>\n

Onus of repentance: The sinner\u2019s agency in turning<\/h2>\n

What lends the parable profound poignancy is the delicate, elegant interlacing between the narratological fulcrum of focalization and agency \u2014 the perspective from which the story is seen and the power of a character to effect change \u2014 and the semiotic concept of structural dynamic \u2014 the interplay of opposing elements through patterns of tension and release, which generates meaning.<\/p>\n

Crucially, it is the contrite and penitent sinner \u2014 through whose perspective the entire transformative journey is beheld \u2014 who, as the primary actant, ventures the initial, hesitant and fraught step toward conversion after his fateful, fathomless fall. Such initiative is the indispensable prerequisite for the precious, pivotal moment in which tension is released \u2014 when the son is met by his merciful father, who has watched him from afar. Overwhelmed by compassion, the earthly sire bursts forth in a swift sprint to embrace and kiss his returning offspring \u2014 seemingly unable to wait even a moment longer for the restoration of his beloved one.<\/p>\n

Within this distinctive framing, it is noteworthy that the pericope is conventionally referred to as \u201cThe Parable of the Prodigal Son,\u201d<\/em> rather than \u201cThe Parable of the Merciful Father.\u201d<\/em> This conscious and conspicuous choice of focal point reflects a salient interest \u2014 indeed, a keen and definitive preference, almost Aristotelian \u2014 for the tragic arc of fall and catharsis, underscoring the thematic emphasis on rebellion and return, sin and repentance.<\/p>\n

This nomenclature underscores that the actantial son\u2019s waywardness carries substantial hermeneutic weight, even if it is, precisely against this backdrop of brokenness and the metanoia it elicits, in the final act that the true telos is revealed: In a genuinely felicitous conclusion, the nostic journey \u2014 transcending mere physical passage to encompass a profound spiritual, moral, and existential quest \u2014 ultimately culminates in the transformative and restorative return to the self and home, embodying both repentance and renewal.<\/p>\n

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\n \"US
Prof. Schlevogt\u2019s Compass No. 13: How to recast the White House into the \u00c9lys\u00e9e \u2013 five rules for handling a strongman<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This climactic consummation \u2014 God\u2019s final, life-bestowing word to the contrite soul yearning for home \u2014 eschews retribution in favor of redemption in a divine reunion with what is truly essential: the paternal embracing of the penitent son, who still bears the vestiges of abject poverty wrought by sin \u2014 all fully and faithfully canonized in sacred oil by Rembrandt.<\/p>\n

Call to conversion: Sin no more!\u00a0<\/h3>\n

In a parallel vein, the oft-told Johannine narrative of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11) \u2014 the iconic confrontation between law and mercy \u2014 depicts Jesus as literally disarming the incensed crowd with a piercing challenge: \u201cHe that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her\u201d<\/em> (John 8:7, KJV). Yet mercy is not license, but bears a charge \u2014 not to be squandered. Once the accusers have vanished, the Savior issues a final, stern and uncompromising injunction to the marital interloper: \u201cGo, and sin no more\u201d<\/em> (John 8:11, KJV).<\/p>\n

This laconic yet succinct command reveals mercy as but a prelude to profound personal and redemptive transformation in harmony with God\u2019s sacred design, not a carte blanche to persist in licentiousness. Consequently, this pivotal moment \u2014 etched indelibly into the Gospel narrative \u2014 may be regarded as the true climax and crowning point of the episode, transcending and shining forth beyond even Christ\u2019s terse rebuke of hypocritical judgment: a critical oversight by the progressive faction, which, in a self-serving manner that engenders interpretative bias, dwells exclusively on the suspension of both judgment and condemnation while minimizing, or altogether neglecting, the gravity of sin.<\/p>\n

The logos incarnate: Truth proclaimed, not negotiated<\/h3>\n

Cast your gaze once more upon those hauntingly poignant gospel scenes, rich in both sacred and secular resonance. When the father sees his wayward son in the distance, does he convene a family council? Does he weigh opinions before embracing his offspring? When Christ stands before the adulteress, does he open the floor for negotiation?<\/p>\n

Of course not. Instead, a consistent theological and pastoral pattern emerges: In both cases, truth is not debated \u2014 it is declared. It breaks forth with clarity, with authority, and without compromise. These are not moments of democratic dialogue; they are swift revelations \u2014 of celestial wisdom and moral certainty.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jesus, the rabbi par excellence, functions not as a facilitator of value-neutral, error-prone democratic discourse, but as prophet, priest and king \u2014 an infallible divine pedagogue whose authority derives from true and unassailable heavenly commission. He speaks not as a broker of compromise but as the Logos incarnate, whose majesty admits neither confusion nor contradiction. He does not offer terms but absolute, unambiguous and eternal truth \u2014 impervious to dissent.<\/p>\n

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\n \"FILE
Prof. Schlevogt\u2019s Compass No. 12: Man is an incurable gambler by nature \u2013 how liberals spur social sores<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In like fashion, as Pastor Bonus \u2014 the Good Shepherd, not elected by the vote of the flock but sent by the will of the Father \u2014 Christ does not follow but leads with sovereign purpose, regal resolve and unwavering command. For a true herdsman does not linger and trail behind his sheep; he goes before them as sure-footed guide. He does not parley with his fold, neither as to the road nor its reward \u2014 stooping to inquire where it imagines the pasture lies and deferring to it in choosing which ravine to brave or which cliff to scale. Left to their own devices, sheep scatter, stumble, and are lost.<\/p>\n

A shepherd who surrenders his sacred charge to the caprice of the flock is not merely unfaithful or negligent; his dereliction surpasses administrative deficiency and rises to the level of moral collapse. In abdicating his duty, he becomes not a guardian but a hazard \u2014 an agent of peril, rightly subject to removal. The ramifications for ecclesial ministry are nothing short of dire.<\/p>\n

Crucially, the image of Christ as the Good Shepherd stands as the definitive paradigm and authoritative model for priestly identity and conduct. The priest, as alter Christus \u2014 a living icon cast in His likeness \u2014 participates in this divine pastoral mandate, not as a hireling, but as one called to lead, guard, and lay down his life for the sheep.<\/p>\n

Just as a true shepherd does not confer with his flock, soliciting its counsel on the path to green pastures, so too the spiritual tender of the fold is tasked with guiding, not yielding. To invert this hierarchical dynamic would be to court pastoral dysfunction; congregations left to their own devices are prone to peril, and a priest who defers leadership forfeits both vocation and credibility.<\/p>\n

Shepherd steered by sheep: The pope as synodist harmonizer rather than surgical healer<\/h2>\n

Such definite and resolute divine authoritarianism and heteronomy \u2014 externally imposed norms which, in this particular instance, nonetheless resonate with the natural law engraved upon the human heart \u2014 stands in marked contrast to Pope Francis\u2019 emphasis on what I term pastoral synodality.<\/p>\n

Trend instead of truth: Neo-Protestant tendencies in the Catholic Church<\/h3>\n

The Bishop of Rome\u2019s increasing deference to democratic modalities within ecclesial governance risks fostering a theologically erroneous and pastorally perilous impression. It may suggest that the Ecclesia is to be shaped in an adaptive manner by the transient values and shifting norms prevailing in secular society. This stands in glaring and haunting contrast to the Church\u2019s true vocation as a transcendent spiritual and moral authority, prophetically calling the world to repentance and conformity to the divine will. Succinctly put, the Church is to stand as mater et magistra \u2014 Mother and Teacher \u2014 not a mirror to the age, but its corrective lodestar.<\/p>\n

Faith betrayed: Protestants rallying to Hitler\u2019s banner<\/h3>\n

This inversion of ecclesial mission \u2014 where the Church imitates the world rather than sanctifying it \u2014 bears striking resemblance to the distinctive Protestant proclivity for doctrinal malleability and unquestioned conformity with the mutable, and at times calamitous, zeitgeist. Historically, such a treacherous trajectory has borne spiritually and politically deleterious fruit. The Protestant endemic susceptibility to ideological capture was starkly revealed with apocalyptic effect when v\u00f6lkisch nationalism \u2014 arguably irreconcilable with the universalism of Christianity \u2014 spread like wildfire across Europe.<\/p>\n

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\n \"FILE
Prof. Schlevogt\u2019s Compass \u2116 10: China\u2019s silky future in a realigned world<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It remains a little-known yet well-documented fact that during the ascent of National Socialism, Protestant communities in Germany \u2014 frequently aligned with the political, social and cultural mainstream \u2014 were markedly more inclined than their Catholic counterparts to embrace Adolf Hitler, his creed, and his cause. By contrast, Catholics \u2014 fortified by the steadfast guidance of the Church hierarchy, buttressed by the unifying force of Catholic social institutions, and anchored in authoritative magisterial teachings such as the encyclical Mit brennender Sorge \u2014 mounted a more resolute resistance to Hitler and the broader neopagan, chthonic ambitions of the era.<\/p>\n

The ballot box bore witness to the stark confessional cleavage: while the National Socialist German Workers\u2019 Party (NSDAP) thrived in staunchly Protestant regions \u2014<\/p>\n

routinely garnering over 60% of the vote \u2014 its electoral traction proved markedly weaker in Catholic strongholds, where its popular support rarely rose above 20 to 30 percent at the polls.[i] Moreover, as evidenced by party membership records, Protestants were overrepresented within the ranks of the NSDAP relative to their share of the general population.<\/p>\n

As if such displays of docile accommodation had not already proven abundant, the 1933 Protestant church elections delivered a staggering verdict: two-thirds of voters cast their lot with the nationalist \u201cGerman Christians\u201d<\/em> \u2014 a Protestant faction closely aligned with the NSDAP, zealously promoting unwavering submission to the party\u2019s ideological line, including the expulsion of baptized Jews. Its aim was nothing less than the institutionalization of \u201cPositive Christianity\u201d<\/em> \u2014 that vague, pliable creed enshrined in the party program \u2014 within the official Protestant churches of Germany, which were to be recast as racially purified vessels of an Aryan faith.<\/p>\n

The Protestant pursuit of ideological conformity \u2014 where fads trump facts, and meek docility slips into outright complicity \u2014 lays bare the hazardous repercussions of forsaking theological orthodoxy and moral constancy in favor of cultural assimilation.<\/p>\n

One unprecedented papal experiment in collegial governance and ecclesial deliberation \u2014 evocative of Protestant practices \u2014 stands out as a landmark embodiment of the piercing maxim, Scalpel shelved, sinners spared.<\/p>\n

The Synod on Synodality: Global multi-tier consultation process\u00a0<\/h3>\n

On 7 March 2020, Pope Francis formally convoked the Synod on Synodality \u2014 a visionary initiative conceived to reimagine the Catholic Church as a more participatory, inclusive, and mission-oriented communion, animated by the guiding principle of \u201cjourneying together.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

This ecclesial initiative endeavored to engage the entire People of God in far-reaching discernment concerning the Church\u2019s mission and its unfolding destiny. It aspired to transcend the traditional confines of hierarchical decision-making in favor of cultivating a more participatory and inclusive ecclesial ethos.<\/p>\n

Central to its vision were the interwoven themes of communion, participation, and mission \u2014 each enunciated not merely as ideals, but as imperatives for the Church\u2019s renewal in the modern age.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The multi-year process unfolded in carefully delineated phases, ascending from the grassroots upward: commencing with local consultations at the parish and diocesan levels, it advanced through national and continental assemblies, ultimately culminating in a convocation of bishops and ecclesial delegates in Rome.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Voters
Prof. Schlevogt\u2019s Compass \u2116 9: How to seal an election in five steps through information power<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Framed in the aspirational rhetoric of structured dialogue and shared responsibility, the methodical schema encompassed parish assemblies, diocesan surveys, and global listening sessions \u2014 each designed to draw forth input from every stratum of the Church.<\/p>\n

The Synod\u2019s vast scope and lofty aspirations reflected Pope Francis\u2019s vision of a Church that listens with attentiveness and walks in communion. Yet as the process unfolded, it gave rise to profound and still-unsettled questions touching the very nature of reform \u2014 penetrating inquiries that transcend superficial considerations of formal and stylistic veneers and modalities, implicating substantial matters central to the foundational pillars of magisterial authority, ecclesial unity, and the integral coherence of doctrine.<\/p>\n

From revelation to roundtable: Discerning feelings, diluting faith<\/h3>\n

Central to the operational-procedural critique of this synod resides the observation that, over time, it appreciably assumed the semblance of a meticulously choreographed ecclesial outreach campaign \u2014 a theatrical pageant, some may deem a charade, marked by consultation bereft of true compass. More often than not, it bore the hallmarks of a managed descent from theological abstraction to pastoral anecdote, all under the guise of inclusivity. Notably, the initiative deployed mechanisms more apt for the curated harvesting of sentiment than to authentic theological discernment. Particular solicitude was granted to those styled as \u201cmarginalized voices,\u201d<\/em> whose indeterminate status only heightened the process\u2019s ambient vagueness.<\/p>\n

Perspicacious and judicious detractors might espy therein a curious spectacle: a hierarchy of herdsmen consulting the flock not for veritas (truth), but for vibes \u2014 a dynamic tension evident in some tenderly phrased and gently meandering yet pastorally skewed lines of inquiry. For instance, the wise in spirit may find illustrative sample questions \u2014 such as \u201cWhat experiences of Church life bring you joy?\u201d<\/em> \u2014 bathetic in their earnest and reductionist simplicity, casting a faintly sentimental hue over a process ostensibly aimed at serious and momentous structural reform.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At times, the effect bordered on the parodic and profane, with the ecclesial initiative taking on the character of administering a trivial and mundane wellness survey rather than representing a solemn act of sober-minded ecclesial discernment and erudite theological self-examination bearing on the Church\u2019s identity and mission.<\/p>\n

This dynamic pattern reveals the disjunction between the Synod\u2019s liberal approach \u2014 marked by relativist and affective, some might say emotive, consultation, which crowdsources consensus and reduces both engagement and discernment to the mere solicitation of sentiment unmoored from objective value \u2014 and the Church\u2019s sacred vocation to proclaim the truth with doctrinal fidelity and unequivocal clarity.<\/p>\n

From hierarchy to havoc: Where bishops whisper, babel rings<\/h3>\n

At a higher, strategic level, unity through division seems to have become the Church\u2019s disquieting new logic and latest innovation \u2014 epitomized by the tautologically termed ecclesial consultation process. Though commended for transparency and participatory ethos, the unfolding synodal endeavor exacts a grave toll: ecclesial fragmentation and a profound erosion of episcopal authority \u2014 as the crozier slips from grasp, the crowd usurps the altar, and the multitude overshadows the wise and prudent. Most pointedly, the papal venture dilutes the bishops\u2019 magisterial role by dispersing responsibility through decentralized, quasi-democratic lay-driven processes, often buoyed by ersatz spirituality.<\/p>\n

In its zealous pursuit of pastoral responsiveness, the unparalleled venture risks subverting, some may say obliterating, the very foundations of the Church. Principally, it jeopardizes doctrinal integrity and clarity, fostering corrosive relativism by supplanting immutable divine truths with ephemeral secular opinions. Such shades of thought are warped by virulent and insidious progressive political ideology and liberal social agendas rather than grounded in rigorous and authentic theological and spiritual discernment. This raises a pressing question: can a house of truth truly stand on the shifting sand of opinion?<\/p>\n

Conclusion: Pontiff\u2019s retreat unmoored the Church<\/h2>\n

To revisit Pope Francis\u2019 guiding metaphor of a field hospital is to witness a perplexing paradox: the papal surgeon general appears to have stepped away from the operating table of his faltering ecclesial infirmary, abundant in compassion yet deficient in cure, leaving the wounded to wait and bleed without the blade \u2014 untended by the very hand ordained to minister restoration.<\/p>\n

It is fitting to acknowledge that the Vicar of Christ may arguably have exercised wise and prudent pastoral caution and discretion in eschewing the heavy and blunt sledgehammer of harsh public censure against sinners exiled to the moral edges of society. Yet in his overwrought, some might say affected, gentleness, he let fall into disuse, of all things, the very scalpel entrusted to him \u2014 both archetype and apex of his vocation \u2014 that precise, exacting and incisive implement of definitive, primal and pure truth, whose keen edge wounds not to harm, but to heal.<\/p>\n

Though outwardly cast as a cordial exercise in dialogue and participation, the synodal experiment progressively and perilously assumed the contours of an aggressive populist powerplay and calculated and methodical mobilization of the masses. Over the arc of this insidious crusade, Pope Francis\u2019s emphasis on inclusion seeded instability, while the rhetoric of empowerment, at length, ushered in tangible upheaval and uncertainty.<\/p>\n

The unvarnished gravity of this trajectory grows ever more apparent under closer scrutiny, inasmuch as what once passed for a mere reform of ecclesiastical governance upon reflection unveils its true countenance, its full dimension, and its far graver stakes: far from constituting a solely surface-level administrative adjustment, the synodal offensive has been quietly and deftly interwoven with the threads of a Vatican-style color revolution.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

[To be continued]<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

This article is the second part of a series on the reign of Pope Francis.<\/p>\n

Previous column:<\/p>\n

\n
\n READ MORE: <\/span>Prof. Schlevogt\u2019s Compass No. 16: Rembrandt reveals blessings of Pope Francis\u2019 reign
\n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No sledgehammer against sinners on the fringe, yes\u2014but what of the scalpel? Did the synodal pope cede the helm of his field hospital church? An ancient ethical maxim, traditionally ascribed to Chilon of Sparta \u2014 one of the illustrious Seven Sages of Greece \u2014 and transmitted through the revered writings of Diogenes La\u00ebrtius, counsels that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4039"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4039\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4047,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4039\/revisions\/4047"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}