The Sat Report: The Year in Review

A look back at the Church in 2024

Firstly wishing everyone a Happy Christmas Season, may the birth of Our Saviour bring joy and peace to you all.

I’ve decided to do a review of the year. There is probably some massive moments that I have completely missed. Let me know in the comments.

Fiducia Supplicans

The year began with the biggest u-turn of this Pontificate. After initially stating there would be no more clarifications on Fiducia Supplicans, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith did just that, addressing misunderstandings and reactions to the original declaration. The clarification emphasized that the document does not change the Church's doctrine on marriage, reiterating that blessings for same-sex couples are not equivalent to liturgical blessings and that bishops have the discretion to apply the document according to their local context. Couples are not being blessed, individuals in the couple are, despite presenting themselves as a couple. The DDF even gave an example of this blessing, which reads more like a prayer for conversion of life.

Clear as day.

No

The ‘no’ heard around the world. Norah O’Donnell asked, “I’m curious for a little girl growing up Catholic today, will she ever have the opportunity to be a deacon and participate as a clergy member in the church?” “No” was the Pope’s brutal blunt response. O’Donnell follow up was, “I understand you have said no women as priests, but you are studying the idea of women as deacons. Is that something you are open to?”

Pope clarified his position, “No. If it is deacons with holy orders, no. But women have always had, I would say the function of deaconesses without being deacons, right? Women are of great service as women, not as ministers. As ministers in this regard. Within the Holy Orders.”

Clear as day.

Frociaggine

Pope Francis has been vocal, especially with the Italian Bishops’ Conference, in his opposition to the admission of homosexuals to seminary. This year saw him use a vulgar term to describe homosexuals in this context, for which the Vatican had to issue an apology, only for the Pope to repeat the same term a few weeks later, again speaking about homosexuals in the priesthood. This shocked people who may have been unaware that the Holy Father has a rather vulgar tongue, or those who didn’t know his views on this issue. Either way, it unleashed memes on the internet by people referring to this incident as based. I was clear at the time, such language is beneath the dignity of the papacy.

US elections

Pope Francis wade into the US elections, describing it as a choice between "the lesser evil." He said “Both are against life: the one that throws out migrants and the one that kills children. Both are against life. I can’t decide; I’m not American and won’t go to vote there.” I don’t think saying that Kamala Harris kills children moved the needle. After he received the GOP nomination, Trump was always going to win. It will be seen now how his administration works with the Holy See. I predict less antagonism this time around. Trump and Pope Francis could be the unlikely duo to bring peace in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Four more years

In a completely unsurprising move the Vatican renewed its provisional deal with the Chinese Communist Party on the selection of bishops. The deal first signed in 2018, and remains secret was renewed, and here is the surprise, for a further 4 years, rather than for 2 years as has hitherto been the case. The CCP has repeatedly unilaterally violated the deal, the most notable instance being the appointment of Joseph Shen Bin to the Diocese of Shanghai without Vatican approval. The CCP also has unilaterally redrawn the ecclesial map of the dioceses in mainland China, and the Vatican seems powerless to do anything about it. The deal remains secret, but isn’t worth the paper it is written if Beijing can violate it at will, with no consequences.

Additionally, all of this is happening with the background of ongoing concerns about the Chinese government's broader efforts to control and "Sinicize" religions, including Catholicism. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in China.

Nicaragua

The situation for the Church in Nicaragua is dire and is getting worse. The harvests of Liberation Theology are being reaped. I don't see how the situation can improve with the Sardinistas in power. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua.

Belgium

I said it at the time, the Apostolic Voyage to Belgium was the first time in his long Pontificate that Pope Francis came face to face the true opposition to his vision of the Church and world. The progressive church in Europe. The Church in Belgium in recent history has been in freefall, marred by the evil of clerical sexual abuse, and is becoming increasingly irrelevant in an ever more aggressively secular country. Just to highlight the direction of travel, Belgium legalised abortion in 1990, abolished the death penalty in 1996, and legalised euthanasia in 2002.

The Holy Father used his usual rhetoric to describe the evil of abortion, referring to it as homicide, and calling doctors who perform them "hitmen." The Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo criticized the Pope's comments, stating that it was unacceptable for a foreign head of state to comment on Belgium's democratic decision-making.

During his visit to the Catholic University of Louvain, Pope Francis faced criticism for his remarks on women, where he emphasised their traditional roles. The university issued a strongly worded press release during the Holy Father’s speech, expressing "incomprehension and disapproval" of the Pope's views, described them as "conservative, deterministic and reductive, and contrary to their commitment to inclusivity and gender equality. The Pope for his part described the timing of the press release and disrespect shown to him as “not moral”, and was visible irritated about this when asked about it on the plane trip back to Rome saying, “If this seems conservative to those ladies, then I am Carlos Gardel.”

Synod

The three year Synodal Synod on Synodality process drew to its conclusion, or not as it is never ending, depending on who you ask. From being the most significant event in the Church since the Second Vatican Council to becoming the friends we made along the way, the jury is still out. This and the clerical abuse scandals of Chile, Zanchetta and Rupnik will ultimately define how this papacy will be remembered. We will conclude our analysis of the final document in the first two Sat Reports of the new year.

Health

The Holy Father hasn’t been physically able to publicly celebrate for 3 years now. He is appearing increasingly infirm in his public appearances, his voice weaker than it was even just a few months ago. He was too infirm to be present for the opening of the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Rome, St. John Lateran, last Sunday. At 88, he is one of the oldest reigning Pontiffs ever, but despite his increasing infirmity, he remains mentally acute, and certainly has much more to do. He struck a far more conciliatory tone when addressing the Roman Curia this year before Christmas than he has done in previous years, speaking well of others. We should continue to pray for the good health of the Holy Father, and may God preserve him, give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.

Wishing you all a blessed 2025, may we all grow closer to the Lord, selflessly helping our neighbour and doing our bit to build up the Kingdom of God. May all your hopes and dreams be realised in the year to come.