That Blessed Rage for Order

Jan Pieter Cardinal Schotte, C.I.C.M. †

Function: Secretary Emeritus of Roman Curia - Other

Title: Cardinal Deacon of S Giuliano dei Fiamminghi

Birthdate: Apr 29, 1928	Country: Belgium

Elevated: Nov 26, 1994	More information: www.catholic-hierarchy.org

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That Blessed Rage for Order
Jan 11, 2005
For one thing, Belgian Cardinal Jan Schotte, the man who runs the synod, suffers from that “blessed rage for order” described by poet Wallace Stevens.

(NCR, October 19, 2001) Rome - For one thing, Belgian Cardinal Jan Schotte, the man who runs the synod of bishops, suffers from that “blessed rage for order” described by poet Wallace Stevens. He is, in other words, a bit of a control freak. He said not long ago, in response to a question from Newsweek’s Bob Kaiser, that the Catholic church has no more obligation to open its meetings to the public than the Coca-Cola Corporation.

Schotte has argued that bishops from politically delicate spots need the protection of secrecy. Fine — close the doors for their talks, but let us in for the rest.

But it would be unfair to make Schotte the fall guy, because I think something more fundamental is afoot. I believe the church is experiencing an evolutionary shift. It lived for centuries out of the psychology of empire, in which accountability was to God and the prince. It now finds itself struggling to adapt to democratic culture. In fits and starts, the transition is happening; for all its imperfections, the very existence of the synod is a sign of headway. This is a historical process, however, that resists being rushed.

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