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The fact that they disagree with what you say, doesn't mean you weren't "heard."

The two are not synonymous.

There is also a difference between "hearing" and "listening".

And synodality, I thought, meant more than listening -- do not forget about accompanying, walking with, etc. Though of course the definition seems to still be up in the air so perhaps I was mistaken...

> And synodality, I thought, meant more than listening

Even if it *only* means that a decision has already been made and the question is how to deliver the news in a compassionate way through someone who has earned trust and brought healing to relationships, so far the process has successfully completed step 1 which is "someone needs to earn their trust and bring healing to relationships so that it's possible to receive difficult news with an open heart", and then in a surprising move BURNED IT ALL DOWN AGAIN which is unfortunate.

The news will be “delivered in a compassionate way” via a canon lawyer who no one except other canon layers understand.

Despite his peerless pastoral, administrative, and ministerial/liturgical skills, my dear friend Bishop Paul J. Bradley is not a canon lawyer. Neither is Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus - He holds a doctorate in moral theology from the Alphonsian Academy in Rome.

That is why they dragged Kalamazoo Bishop Ed Lohse (Bishop Bradley’s successor in Kalamazoo) into this ecclesial de…