The four Cardinals are like pharisees confronting the Christ to try to trip him up.  While I would have also preferred that post-marital marriage not be defined as adultery in some situations, at least for the person harmed in the original marriage (the perpetrator should never be allowed to marry again unless given permission by the former spouse), putting into formal direction what happens in most of the Church anyway is at least a step in the right direction.  While it would be petty of Francis to discipline the offensive Cardinals, warning the Register and EWTN about their tendency to cooperate with scandal (as the other NCR was warned by Benedict, as well as America) would be poetic justice indeed. The fact is that, as non-pastors, they have no stake in this issue, while as a divorced man, I do have such a stake.  I am writing an answer to their questions and will post it shortly, since my rank as a retired Catholic guy is the same as theirs.