Over at First Things, Matthew Franck is running in overdrive spin mode, trying to defend remarks made by Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput regarding the recent Synod on the Families during a Q & A after a lecture delivered at the same First Things.
Archbishop Chaput's comment to which I objected was: "I was very disturbed by what happened. I think confusion is of the devil, and I think the public image that came across was of confusion." It is true that +Chaput preceded this comment with some qualifications. I read them and remembered a conversation my mother had with me when I was about 12 years old. She explained that it is not okay to say, "I don't mean to be offensive" and then say something highly offensive.
There is an easy remedy to this situation. Archbishop Chaput should withdraw his remarks and apologize for them. Until he does that, Franck and others have to live with the fact that he said what he said.
