Which “Way” at the Synod on Synodality? – “Any version of synodality that neglects both Christ as the Way and the moral life as the way to Him does not rise to the level of syn-hodos, the way together.” Jesus the Way and Synodality (What We Need Now)
Outspoken Critic – “At a meeting Saturday, Pope Francis discussed with Vatican officials the prospect of requesting the resignation of Bishop Joseph Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, The Pillar has learned.” Pope Francis meets to discuss Strickland resignation (The Pillar)
Law’s Larger Purpose – “Yet the Dobbs Decision provided no reason why such a right does not exist. Indeed, by ‘sending the question back to the states,’ SCOTUS suggested that there might well be one.” Life and Law in the Wake of Dobbs (Humanum Review)
Radiate Christ’s Joy – “For all kinds of diseases there are medicines and cures. But for being unwanted, except there are willing hands to serve and there’s a loving heart to love, I don’t think this terrible disease can be cured.” Many Children Are Not All Right. What Are We Going to Do? (National Review)
Dystopian Storytelling – “In the last two decades, dystopian novels and their cinematic spinoffs have flooded the market.” Resisting the ‘Machine’: An Interview with Peco Gaskovski (The European Conservative)
Anti-Latin Latin Catholics – “‘Traditional’ liturgical components are just that – traditional – and therefore good. Because, you know, Catholic.” Priorities (Charlotte Was Both)
Ecclesiastical Ideology – “In the past week or so, the pope has: praised ‘that great imperial Russia’ for its noble culture and humanity (a remark later admitted to be ‘badly phrased’); lauded Genghis Khan’s blood-soaked empire for its religious tolerance and ‘pax mongolica'” Something’s Wrong in Rome (The Catholic Thing)
Wearing Masks Again – “The new mask mandates will not be about science or data or public health. They’ll be about the raw exercise of power, nothing more.” Petty Covid Tyrants Want To Bring Back Masks And Lockdowns. Don’t Let Them (The Federalist)
Religion’s ‘Usefulness’ – ‘Lapsed atheist’—that’s how Russian-British satirist and social commentator Konstantin Kisin describes himself in a recent article entitled ‘The Atheism Delusion.’ Evangelizing “Lapsed Atheists”
‘It’s Back’ – “The ladies were fairly giddy with excitement over the imminent return of the “’plague.’” Masks don’t work against COVID-19 and Dr. Fauci should use one to gag himself (NY Post)
Newly Discovered Documentation – “Researchers have discovered new documentation that substantiates reports that Catholic convents and monasteries in Rome sheltered Jews during World War II . . . ” Research Finds Catholic Convents Sheltered Jews During WWII (NewsMax)
(*The posting of any particular news item or essay is not an endorsement of the content and perspective of said news item or essay.)
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Pope Francis makes we reflect that we must avoid bad example even though it will be given, as in re Ecclesiastical Ideology.
It is unwise, in the absolute sense, for him to take on, by himself, the mushrooming Fifth Column problem that is now quite plain and in full gear; and to be having parts of the hierarchy constantly interpret what follows from there so as to keep everything normalized when that can not be so.
Also, it is untenable in the absolute sense, for him to be decrying religiosity one way and then attesting that “Synod religiosity” has to be protected with some kind of paternalist oversight; then integrated in “transmitting the Spirit” somehow.
It is not from God and God Himself shows you it is not sustainable, God will not sustain it.
There is a third distinct error going on, the shepherd collecting informations from the sheep and deriving a “new bestowal from the Holy Spirit outpouring on the community that will receive it”.
‘ “As diocesan bishop I used to ask people about what I’d discuss in my homilies in the cathedral and in my visits to the parishes: about Christ, about prayer, about the Holy Spirit, about Mary, about sanctification. And last year I proposed to the whole archdiocese to concentrate on ‘growing together towards holiness.” ‘
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/09/11/new-doctrine-chief-welcomes-debate-but-warns-bishops-about-schism-risks/
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/09/12/narrating-the-processing-or-processing-the-narrative/
“Outspoken Critic”
Has pope Francis asked for the resignation of Catholic Church leader Xi Jinping and Catholic Church leaders the Chinese Communist Party? I hear that Chinese Catholics are forced by these Catholic Church leaders to worship Xi Jinping instead of Jesus. I hear that these Catholic Church leaders are changing the Bible to read that the Chinese Communist Party is god.
I think if Pope Francis is going to ask for Catholic Church leader resignations, he should start with the evil Catholic Leaders Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party.
@ Outspoken Critic
A moment of truth. Whether we remain measuredly prudent in criticism of a Roman pontiff, or morally prudent in pronouncing what should be said.
Bishops may criticize the pontiff more circumspectly, as some have, Strickland perceives the need to be more open using Twitter as a means. It may be we’ve reached our Savonarola moment. Our Church is perceived by a significant number of Catholic intellectuals, clerics and laity, as well as the ordinary Catholic we preach to in the pews as distancing from Christ’s revelation. Is it the moment for unabated outspokenness?
That is a value judgment for us. Archbishop Broglio, certainly among the faithful to Christ’s Gospel remained somewhat detached from Strickland’s brave audacity. Fear has stricken the hearts of many realizing they can be summarily dismissed in accord with a recent statute that gives Francis that authority. And that authority he wields contrary to overtures of democracy.
Whether it may be justly argued Savonarola pushed the envelope too far, Bishop Joseph Strickland is free of taint of error. Like Thomas More, he seems to take the position that while you and I may have reason to sign the oath of loyalty to His Holiness, he cannot. Likened to Thomas More’s response to the Duke of Norfolk in A Man for All Seasons who famously adds, “And when we die, and you are sent to heaven for doing your conscience, and I am sent to hell for not doing mine, will you come with me, for fellowship?”.
Of Bishop Strickland and the recent visitation and his published affirmations of the faith: “Several figures in the diocese confronted Strickland over the tone [!] of the letter, The Pillar was told, and warned the bishop his position was becoming untenable.” Good point, the combustible “tone”—all around, as in “bigoted, fixistic, rigid” and most recently, “backwardist.”
Missing today, too often on all sides, is the artfulness, good humor and “fraternal collegiality” of saying one’s piece without dilution, but also with style…Winston Churchill, when he discovered another member of Parliament lying outright, simply said that he was guilty of a “terminological inexactitude.”
Over the centuries, might there even be some good humor in contrasting a comment by the 18th-century Pope Pius IX with another comment by the 21st-century Pope Francis? Said the first when challenged: “I am Tradition!” And, said the latter when ordering Cardinal Muller to fire not a capable bishop but three capable priests, “I don’t need a reason, I’m the Pope!”
Oh, wait, where’s the artfulness, good humor and “fraternal collegiality” in that?
19th-century
Pius IX, “19th-century”
Goodness, I hope the Covid Wars don’t break out again just in time for the elections.
@ Anti-Latin Latin Catholics
No longer susceptible to daiquiri heavy Saturday nights [my preference would have been single malt Aberlour] I’ve learned to love Latin since studying Aquinas and influenced by the bishop select crowd at the Casa Santa Maria who offered daily private Mass [that long room with altars facing the walls on each side has since been unfortunately demolished]. Since, Mass has become the center of my life and happiness.
Amy Welborn is on target with her anecdote on liturgical variety. Diversity in worship at its best when liturgies are designed with the inclusion of Latin whether ad orientem or versus populum. That happy option is not always available. Nevertheless I’m deeply consoled when offering my private Mass in Latin. Indication of a blessed uniqueness in Catholicism, that there’ll always be a presence of faithful who know what is good and just and will not bend to error.
Will resignation requests also be sent to Cardinal Cupich and James Martin and the many other compromised prelates? Just curious.
It may be that many requests for resignation have been sent, but not from Pope Francis.
Natural Law’s Larger Purpose saves us from alarmism and you can get a good sense of the havoc we would be thrown into just listening to the video in the link here. I found the video in the original MSN posting. I would like to entitle it, “The Great Alarmists”.
I believe God has counsels for us to be effective in countering such things. We have to ask Him about that and keep storming heaven.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/news/a-warning-from-alabama-clinics-on-abortion-%E2%80%9Cthis-is-coming-for-blue-states%E2%80%9D/vi-AA1gvYaF?t=157
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/it-s-dead-house-gop-abortion-push-stymies-funding-bill/ar-AA1gFjV6
Who cares?
With regard to Religion’s ‘Usefulness’ and the lapsed Catholics. Bishop Barron has an outstanding explanation of how the God in which the atheists do not believe is not the God in which the Church does believe, a variation of the “the words do not mean the same thing” crucial clarification:
Video (9 min. 57 sec.) Bishop Barron on Who God Is & Who God Isn’t
A longer version follows on YouTube.