
Cardinals at the Synod on the Family. Image courtesy of La Stampa.
La Stampa‘s “Vatican Insider” section is reporting that Vincenzo Cardinal Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council on the Family, announced the impending release of Pope Francis’ post-synodal exhortation at a course on the family in Portugal this week.
The Italian cardinal said he was certain that the Pope’s text will focus on a Catholic Church that “ventures out” and stands by families at all times.
“I am certain that the Exhortation,” Paglia said, “will be an ode to love, the kind of love that cares for the wellbeing of children and that is able to be close to wounded families”.
“The challenge for us Christians today,” he concluded, “is to stand by families without putting labels on people. We must always see the positive side of every family and help it to grow.”
The language Cardinal Paglia used in his announcement is portentous, and advocates of traditional Church teaching on family and marriage should not be surprised to hear it.
What the document will actually say remains an open question.

Steve Skojec is the Founding Publisher of OnePeterFive.com. He received his BA in Communications and Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2001. His commentary has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, Crisis Magazine, EWTN, Huffington Post Live, The Fox News Channel, Foreign Policy, and the BBC. Steve and his wife Jamie have eight children. You can find more of his writing at his Substack, The Skojec File.
Put another way, it isn’t likely to be Catholic.
So we should know by then who is pope, or rather who isn’t pope.
“What the document will actually say remains an open question.” Yeah, but it’s not hard to guess beyond that question, is it? Break out the cryptography books to understand this work of mercy wrapped in compassion. Oh, and don’t forget to stock up on strong drink before delving into this masterpiece of mercy.
We’re in the connect-the-dot activity book publishing business.
Nice. Can you tell us what picture appears to be emerging? Does it have 7 heads and 10 horns?
I should have said “seven heads and seven tails,” because, it must ever be kept in mind, any conclusion of bergoglian theology is as predictable as a coin toss, part of its (c)harm.
I’m worn out with the Apostate Church of Rome. God will not be mocked by these pretenders to the Faith. I thank God daily for bringing back to the Traditional Catholic Faith after spending 40 years in the wilderness of the Novus Ordo of confusion.
40+
“every family” requires us to define “family”… or undefine “family”.
Who is interested or even much any longer cares? Platitudes by fisherman who speak modern gibberish and cannot take care of their own nets, no matter the authority of their offices.
Here is another link that may help the discussion. God help His Holy Church.
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/
“The challenge for us Christians today . . . is to stand by families without putting labels on people. We must always see the positive side of every family and help it to grow.”
A masterpiece of question-begging! Truly first-rate humbuggery!!
There’s a man in a polyamorous civil union with a squirrel and a turnip? Well then, of course step right up, O family!
No labels here!
I don’t think this can any longer be read as begging the question. Cardinal Paglia is stating clearly that “Family” no longer has an objective meaning; instead, it can now be applied to any quasi-domestic association of people (related or not, moral or immoral) who choose to identify as such. It’s an abomination.
q.v. Matthew 24:xv–xvi.
I am tired of love without the truth of Jesus Christ. ‘Love’ alone does not save anyone’s soul. True charity does not separate the love from the truth of Jesus Christ.
I would imagine that the document is going to be thoroughly modernist, ambiguous, confusing, scandalous, and loquacious.
And I take it that includes so called “families” with two moms and two dads?
I really dread the coming of the exhortation. I think it would be better if it were not written.