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The Vatican synod was about the meaning of church

Amid conflicting and confusing headlines about the Vatican synod in October, a major issue was lost. What’s happening within Roman Catholicism is a fundamental discussion of ecclesiology. Despite the fact that Catholic theology itself cannot be reduced to progressive or conservative labels, there are indeed progressive and conservative Catholics disagreeing on what it means to be church. That foundational disagreement underlies every debate about sexuality, family life, and divorce and remarriage.