Whenever we talk about “problems” in the Church, we first need to determine whether it is a particular problem of the moment, or whether it is the perennial problem of fallen human nature. Now, as clear as this distinction may appear at first glance, it is anything but obvious where the dividing line is to be found. Let me explain.
There are some problems in the Church that appear at particular times and for particular reasons. For example, the Protestant heresy arose at a specific moment in time due to the theological, moral, and social collapse of the late Middle Ages.
Other problems in the Church, however, are linked to our nature. These are not time-bound and arise repeatedly, or in certain cases, never go away. For example, sexual morality will always be an issue in the Church because of fallen nature. The Albigensians came and went, but our inability to master ourselves will never go away. Both are problems in the Church, but they are different kinds of problems necessitating different kinds of solutions. So far, so good.
The problem is that every “issue” in the Church is in some way linked to nature. Whether it be the feeble will of an errant clergyman, or the feeble mind of an errant ordinary — whether it is confusion about the incarnation or our inability to keep our self-control — they all eventually involve some aspect of our fallenness. While there is still clearly a distinction between the two kinds of problems, there is not always a demarcation between where one ends and the other begins. And this matters a great deal.
Thus, every problem in the Church needs to be categorised as either something to be overcome and put away for good, or something to be overcome over and over again. And the first place for us to start is our current obsession with synodality. Is this just some theological cancer that can be quarantined and cut out? Or is it a problem spread over the whole body that will need constant chemotherapy until the Last Day? Is synodality our problem or the Church’s? Before answering this question, let us first describe why it is a problem, and then decide what kind of problem it is.
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