Has much changed in 1,600 years?

When the U.S. bishops gather for a large meeting (the most recent taking place last week in Baltimore), much is made of how, well, boring they are. More than 1,600 years ago, St. Gregory of Nazienzen, in his "Letter to Procopius" in 382 AD, minced no words about his thoughts on such meetings. Ouch. I can't imagine he was popular among his fellow bishops:

"I am determined to avoid every assembly of bishops. I have never seen a single instance in which a synod did any good. Strife and ambition dominate them to an incredible degree. From councils and synods I will keep myself at a distance, for I have experienced that most of them, to speak with moderation, are not worth much. I will not sit in the seat of synods, while geese and cranes confusedly wrangle."