The story included a quote by Cardinal Napier seemingly challenging the right of Pope Francis to appoint members of a commission to draft the synod on the family's final document.

But after Cardinal Napier protested, examination of a recording of an interview he gave revealed a journalist was speaking while the cardinal was saying a key word.

Cardinal Napier was stressing he was not challenging the Pope's right to appoint members.

The quote was removed from the story after the cardinal's protest.

While Allen did not write the article, he oversaw its publication and had listened to the interview before the story went public.

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Cardinal Wilfred Napier of Durban told Crux that he shares concerns about "the choice of the people that are writing up the final document" for the synod.

Pope Francis appointed a 10-member commission to put together the final synod document, which will be submitted to the Pontiff.

"If we're going to get a fair expression of what the synod is about, [such as] what the Church in Africa really would like to see happening," Cardinal Napier said, then different people should be chosen.

"We wouldn't like to see the same kind of people on that committee who were there the last time, who caused us the grief that we had."

Cardinal Napier was referring to a controversial interim report in 2014 that seemed to embrace a progressive line on some debated questions.

One reported version of the letter, allegedly signed by 13 cardinals and given to the Pontiff on the first day of the synod, was sharply critical.

It stated the synod process "seems designed to facilitate predetermined results on important disputed questions".

Four of the alleged signatories subsequently said they had never signed the document or supported its arguments.

After he received the letter, Pope Francis reportedly told synod participants not to give into a "hermeneutic of conspiracy" that is "sociologically weak and spiritually unhelpful".

Cardinal Napier acknowledged signing a letter, but said its content was different from that presented in early news reports.

The letter he signed, he told Crux, was specifically about the 10-member commission preparing the final document.

US Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who is a member of the final document drafting commission, defended its make-up.

"It looks to me like it reflects the makeup of the synod," he said.

There have been reports that the initiative to send a letter to Pope Francis complaining about the synod process came from Cardinal George Pell.

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, one of the alleged signatories, said a letter highlighting several perceived problems with the synod process was sent to Pope Francis before the synod began.

Sources

• Crux
• Associated Press
• Reuters
• National Catholic Reporter
• Catholic World News
• Image: Irish Times

Writing in the Catholic Herald, Cardinal Wilfred Napier stated: "I am never at ease where people are busy fitting everyone into one or other pigeonhole, camp or category in order to predetermine what they are going to say even before the debate starts."

"The more controversial the question, the more rigidly they want to confine you to your box.

"In my experience, no human being can possibly be fitted fully into the ‘conservative' or ‘liberal' box.

"Therefore, it is not only unfair but also untruthful to label people in this way."

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The cardinal had told BBC Radio 5 live that people who were abused as children and became paedophiles were not criminally responsible for their actions in the same way as somebody "who chooses to do something like that".

After victims' groups and others said the comments were insensitive, the South African cardinal apologised.

"I apologise sincerely and unreservedly to all who were offended by the botched interview, and especially to those who have been abused and need every help and support that the Church can give," he said in a statement.

"Child sexual abuse is a heinous crime among other things because of the damage it does to the child. In that concern I include the abused who has become an abuser."

In the BBC interview, Cardinal Napier spoke of two priests he knew who were abused as children and went on to become paedophiles.

He said: "Don't tell me that those people are criminally responsible like somebody who chooses to do something like that.

"I don't think you can really take the position and say that person deserves to be punished when he was himself damaged."

The cardinal's comments brought immediate criticism from Barbara Dorries, who as a child was abused by a priest and now works for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests in Chicago.

She told the BBC: "If it is a disease that's fine, but it's also a crime and crimes are punished, criminals are held accountable for what they did and what they do.

"The bishops and the cardinals have gone to great lengths to cover these crimes to enable the predators to move on, to not be arrested, to keep the secrets within the Church."

Sources:

Reuters

Daily Mail

Image: The New Age