Synodality Exposed: Cardinal Zen’s Limited Critique Obscures Deeper Apostasy
Catholic News Agency reports that Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun condemned the Synod on Synodality as an “ironclad manipulation” and “insult to the dignity of the bishops” during Pope Leo XIV’s January 2026 consistory. The 93-year-old prelate criticized the process for bypassing the college of bishops while paradoxically claiming to “understand hierarchical ministry,” denounced the “ridiculous and almost blasphemous” invocation of the Holy Spirit to justify innovations, and warned that regional doctrinal adaptations would fracture the Church like the Anglican Communion. The article frames Zen’s intervention as a courageous critique while omitting the fundamental incompatibility of “Bergoglian synodality” with Catholic ecclesiology.