“Some have been suggesting that the Synod ought to consider a change in the Church’s moral teaching and sacramental discipline in order to make alienated Catholics feel more included,” Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester (MN) wrote as he prepared to take part in the Synod.
“If that alienation is the product of hatred or stupid prejudice, then the situation must be addressed immediately and directly,” he continued. “But if the estrangement is caused by a deep disconnect between what the Church legitimately demands and the manner in which someone is living, then the needful thing is for that person to change his attitude.”
“The point is that we cannot adjudicate the matter by remaining at the level of feelings,” he added. “We have to move to the level of real argument based on the Bible, the theological tradition, and the natural moral law.”