Is the Church no longer top-down?
On 20 December, 'Pope' Francis gave an interview to Argentina's 'Canal Orbe 2', in which he shared his thoughts on the challenges of our times, the Church’s openness to all, and, of course, Synodality. Commenting on the conclusion of the Synod, he said:
'The Church is no longer top-down. It is no longer the bishops, the Pope, the priests, the nuns; it is the Church from below that expresses itself and creates community.' (Pope Francis’ vision of hope, forgiveness, and unity in troubled times , Vatican News, 20 December 2024, 18:00, [accessed 22 December 2024]).
It sounds like a denial of the Church's hierarchical constitution, doesn’t it?
Before discussing the aforementioned statement, let’s consider what the magisterium has to say:
The Hierarchical Constitution of the Church: An Overview
The Catholic Church is hierarchical. Ecclesiastical power is derived from the hierarchy to the faithful, not the other way around.
The Council of Trent taught that …usquequodomine1958.blogspot.com
Since he is NOT the remedy of the mess, he certainly is one of the main causes of the mess.