The Vatican risks turning marriage into a moral luxury

Most of the report on Pope Francis' synod was far from revolutionary. But one aspect was anything but.

Pope Francis
(Image credit: (Franco Origlia/Getty Images))

A supposed "earthquake" hit the Vatican this week with the release of an obscure document, a mid-play summary of the proceedings of the synod of bishops convened by Pope Francis on the question of the family.

What did all the shaking? The Vatican's supposedly new approach to affirming the good even in irregular family situations — e.g. couples that are unmarried, were previously divorced and remarried, or are same-sex — and to leading people "gradually" to a fuller understanding of Church teaching. But much of what has been hailed as a great discovery in this document is in fact not a discovery at all, but a truth so plain and old that it seems odd to call it revolutionary.

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Michael Brendan Dougherty

Michael Brendan Dougherty is senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is the founder and editor of The Slurve, a newsletter about baseball. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, ESPN Magazine, Slate and The American Conservative.