Cardinal Robert Sarah was elected last evening as a member of the Information Commission responsible for disseminating news on the Vatican Youth Synod, but has declined the position.
At a Vatican press briefing today, Bishop Fabio Fabene, Undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, told journalists that Cardinal Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, did not specify what his motives were for declining the position, but only said that it was due to “personal reasons.”
His Eminence is a wise man indeed!
Just one look at the Working Document will indicate where this Synod on Youth is heading and it isn't in the direction of re-affirming traditional Catholic teaching.
According to article 15 of a new ‘Instruction on the celebration of synodal assemblies and the activities of the General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops,’ issued on October 1st, just two days before the start of the Synod, the Information Commission is responsible for establishing “criteria and methods for the dissemination of news.”
Article 15 specifies further that: “Press conferences may be held on individual topics by the Synod Fathers appointed by the President of the Commission.”
The Instruction states that the commission is composed of: “the President and the Secretary, who are appointed by the Roman Pontiff, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops [Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri]; the Undersecretary [Bishop Fabio Fabene]; the Special Secretary [Fr. Giacomo Costa, S.J.], the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication [Mr. Paolo Ruffini], the Director of the Press Office [Mr. Greg Burke], “as well as five Members elected by the Assembly according to the Regulations of the Synod Assembly.”
But, hold on just a minute.
This was the same gang that caused all the rukus during the last Synod on the Family.
Cardinal Baldisseri and Father Spadaro took it upon themselves to instruct the Synodal Fathers that daily news conferences as well as the Final Report would not include the specific interventions of individual Bishops, but rather just present a summary of the discussions.
There was such an uproar that Pope Francis was forced to direct the Secretariat of the Synod to include the interventions.
The Secretariat of the Synod wanted to add Cardinal Sarah’s name to the Information Commission to give cover for their antics and high jinks.
Apparently, Cardinal Sarah saw right through that ploy and, gracefully as he always does, simply bowed out citing “personal reasons” as his explanation for not wanting to be compromised.
At present, then, the members elected to the Youth Synod’s Information Commission include: Cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix of Quebec, Canada; Cardinal Wifrid Napier of Durban, South Africa; Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, Austria; Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, Philippines; and Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney, Australia along with with the Papal appointed president, Mr. Paolo Ruffini, and Secretary, Fr. Antonio Spadaro.
Yes, Cardinal Sarah, you are a wise man indeed!
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