I hope the Pillar will do a story if it can confirm that F.S. was never discussed by the Dicastery's General Assembly, and give context as to how common that is for docs published by the Dicastery.
I hope the Pillar will do a story if it can confirm that F.S. was never discussed by the Dicastery's General Assembly, and give context as to how common that is for docs published by the Dicastery.
Excellent point. As I have said elsewhere, FS is such a shoddy western-centric document. If more people from different continents had been involved in its creation, might they have raised multiple red lights? Like, how is this going to work for polygamous set ups? How is this going to be received in Africa? (Check out the Anglican African reaction to the Anglo Anglicans introducing same sex "blessings"). Is this going to give zealous Muslims another excuse to persecute and murder Catholics because they are obviously pro-gay?
Western-centric? Nothing new. Remember the death penalty update in the Catechism? The logic was that since penitential justice systems have reached such an advanced level, the death penalty is now an intrinsic moral evil... but anywhere outside of the top two dozen or so countries of the 200+ countries on earth could fit that qualifier even now, let alone who knows what might happen in the future. It's like he never stopped to even think of Central Africa, the obvious shining beacon of security/stability effectiveness and prison policy reform...
Yes, the Western-centric bias of the new teaching on the death penalty is all too obvious. But even modern prison systems can't totally control their inmates. I used to be a volunteer prison visitor at Reading Prison (yes, Oscar Wilde slept there). The staff were always alert to spring into instant action if the riot bell rang. If they did not instantly control even a minor fight, they might well lose the prison completely (as indeed happened on 26th December 1992).
And there is no guarantee of safety for any staff, prisoners or volunteers like me. We were briefed on how to survive (no guarantees) if a riot isolated us in one cell.
Did anyone at the Vatican ask about prisons in various parts of the world? Did anyone around Pope Francis seek views from any Catholic policemen, prison officers, criminologists, prison chaplains, prison doctors, etc before he issued that decree?
Good question. I have a strong feeling that this document was more the opinion of 2 or 3 people rather than a representative consultation of bishops/clergy/theologians from the worldwide Catholic Church.
I hope the Pillar will do a story if it can confirm that F.S. was never discussed by the Dicastery's General Assembly, and give context as to how common that is for docs published by the Dicastery.
Excellent point. As I have said elsewhere, FS is such a shoddy western-centric document. If more people from different continents had been involved in its creation, might they have raised multiple red lights? Like, how is this going to work for polygamous set ups? How is this going to be received in Africa? (Check out the Anglican African reaction to the Anglo Anglicans introducing same sex "blessings"). Is this going to give zealous Muslims another excuse to persecute and murder Catholics because they are obviously pro-gay?
Western-centric? Nothing new. Remember the death penalty update in the Catechism? The logic was that since penitential justice systems have reached such an advanced level, the death penalty is now an intrinsic moral evil... but anywhere outside of the top two dozen or so countries of the 200+ countries on earth could fit that qualifier even now, let alone who knows what might happen in the future. It's like he never stopped to even think of Central Africa, the obvious shining beacon of security/stability effectiveness and prison policy reform...
Yes, the Western-centric bias of the new teaching on the death penalty is all too obvious. But even modern prison systems can't totally control their inmates. I used to be a volunteer prison visitor at Reading Prison (yes, Oscar Wilde slept there). The staff were always alert to spring into instant action if the riot bell rang. If they did not instantly control even a minor fight, they might well lose the prison completely (as indeed happened on 26th December 1992).
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/prison-officers-retake-riot-jail-by-storm-1565560.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ballad_of_Reading_Gaol
And there is no guarantee of safety for any staff, prisoners or volunteers like me. We were briefed on how to survive (no guarantees) if a riot isolated us in one cell.
Did anyone at the Vatican ask about prisons in various parts of the world? Did anyone around Pope Francis seek views from any Catholic policemen, prison officers, criminologists, prison chaplains, prison doctors, etc before he issued that decree?
But, Bill, that would require a kind of... synodality. Which, by now, we all recognize as hypocritical claptrap and smoke-screening.
I had these same thoughts after a few minutes of reflection on this change and am consoled to hear that others had similar reactions.
Good question. I have a strong feeling that this document was more the opinion of 2 or 3 people rather than a representative consultation of bishops/clergy/theologians from the worldwide Catholic Church.
Me too . Wish they had consulted the Nigerian Bishops
The message here is that synodality with Africans doesn't really count.
Well one Cardinal did say once that we don't listen to what they say.
I would also wonder if James Martin may have consulted on the text before it came out.
Of course he did