Much — far too much — is being made of Pope Francis’s decision to marry 20 couples today, some of whom have been, as the old saying goes, “living in sin.” Some of them have children. The Reuters story on this “event,” as reprinted in today’s Chicago Tribune, is indicative of the media hype that often accompanies any papal action which appears to signal a “relaxation” or even “repeal” of traditional Church doctrine and praxis:

Some people have asked me what I think about the recent news concerning Cardinal Gerhard Mueller’s invitation to the Society of St. Pius X’s Superior General, Bishop Bernard Fellay, for “an informal meeting to review the relations between the SSPX and Rome.” Mueller’s chilly attitude toward the Society is a matter of public record, and certain members of the SSPX have been less-than-thrilled with some of Mueller’s more exotic theological speculations. (There is a brief overview of the dustup which occurred in some traditional circles over Mueller’s appointment to head the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) at the  Sancrucensis web-log here.) However, events can change attitudes pretty quickly. While some traditional Catholics fretted over the possibility that Mueller would import his private theological views into the CDF, the reality is that he has become the frontline defender of the Church’s traditional teaching on marriage. On the need to put down Cardinal Walter Kasper’s mad proposal to split doctrine from praxis with respect to civilly divorced-and-remarried Catholics is one area where Mueller and Fellay undoubtedly agree.