All in all, its a pretty devastating critique of the Synod and much that came from it. I'm yet to be convinced, however, that the Synod is really about the family. It doesn't seem to be about proclaiming the Catholic Faith or about defending the family in these times when the family is under great and sustained attack. Among others, this terrifying reality has been noted by a Polish Archbishop.
I will tell you brutally. The Church has betrayed John Paul II. Not the Church as the Bride of Christ, not the Church of our Creed, because John Paul II was an expression, an authentic voice of the Church; but it is the pastoral practice that has betrayed John Paul II.
It is a thesis [theory] to which I subscribe because 40 years of my priesthood has been devoted to marriage and the family, during which time I promoted the theme of "the evangelization of marital intimacy". In Poland it is and was better in this respect.
In many other countries, due to the contestation to the teachings of the Church, as expressed by Blessed Paul VI, the pastoral care of families was stopped.
All indications seem that the Pope's extraordinary Exhortation, "Familiaris Consortio" was not implemented. The Pope formulated four tasks for the family. He asked his brothers to share [exchange] them. The pastors did not share, because they did not not read it, or they did not remember.
It cannot be emphasised enough how while those words do not explicitly criticise the Synod, they can certainly be interpreted as a direct response. I expect the voices 'crying out in the wilderness' are only going to grow louder and louder in the run up to October, the month dedicated to the Holy Rosary. Much like the experience of the lay group received by Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, however, one really seriously doubts whether these are voices that Rome, under the new regime, will be apt to take on board during their conjuring routine that sees the 'God of surprises' appear from a hat with new and strange doctrines amid a hoard of false prophets dedicated to ear-scratching for those who cannot abide sound teaching. Let's not pretend St Paul did not warn us that this time would not come.
It is lamentable and shocking that the slick propaganda arm of ISIS can post their human torch in a cage snuff movie on Twitter and that Fox News actually ran all 22 minutes of it like a Hollywood trailer for them on their website. Haven't the social media gurus thought to cancel ISIS's YouTube subscription yet?
It is, of course, lamentable and shocking that anyone would do that to another human being, even in reprisal for bombing raids from a fighter jet. Just remember though, that an ISIS terrorist can put you in a cage and set fire to you and watch without mercy while you drop to your knees in agony. However, liberal bishops and cardinals, with a Pope who through ambiguous messages unambiguously fails to uphold the teaching of the Christ and His Church, all those who confirm you in your sin and tell you there are no consequences can put you in that cage for all eternity, body and soul.
In Church history and indeed in all major crises since Christ shed His Precious Blood for His Bride, one thing is abundantly clear. Our Lord Jesus Christ is worth speaking up for when His words are twisted and then re-presented to mean something else. The family is worth defending to the uttermost. Marriage is worthy of our defence. When ecclesiastical fraudsters and con-men invent their own doctrines and then blasphemously pass them off as the work of the Holy Spirit then the Lord, the giver of life is worthy of our vocal and active defence. The Holy Eucharist is worth, beyond all imagining, our defence, even unto the shedding of our blood. In the Eucharist, Jesus Christ, the Lord, has entrusted Himself, in a position of utmost vulnerability, to hands that could be the hands of friends, but can become the hands of enemies.
He will demand an answer from us all one day. The time will come when the King will return in power and majesty and ask us what we did when rebellious and seditious men rose against Him and profaned Him, desecrated Him and treated Him with scorn and contempt, when they arrogantly attempted to dethrone He who will sit in judgement of all mankind and with righteous judgement. Let every Bishop and Cardinal present at the Synod on 'Everything But the Family' know: the Lord, the King of Kings will return one day and demand an answer from us all but even more so from you with all the authority and trust He has invested in you.
"What did you do during the Great War?"
In the great Eucharistic Battle of 2015, when you were subtly asked to decide whether that which you hold in your hands is bread, or the Eternal Word, the Son of God, will you side with the King according to the words He has spoken to you or will you side with those who made it apparent that they were His shrewd and cruel enemies? Think about it, think about it long and hard, because although we cannot discern God's judgement of individuals, I thoroughly expect there is an eternal cage of unquenchable fire for each Bishop who makes the wrong decision.
Does that sound too dramatic? If you think so, you had better re-read the Gospels, because no matter who sits upon the throne, Jesus Christ is King, today, forever, in every age and for all time. Certain things are beyond the control of even the most effective of ecclesiastical arch-manipulators. Along with sudden invasion, the weather, be it on earth or from space, volcanos and earthquakes, death, judgment and the day and hour of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, nobody - not even the Bishop of Rome himself, can control your conscience.
For speaking out, for raising your voices and for defending Jesus Christ and His teaching, for defending the sanctity of marriage and the family, for defending the Holy Eucharist, it might very well be that you fall out of flavour for a time and a season, thereby forfeiting certain privileges in the Church in response, but at least you won't have forfeited the eternal Salvation of many, as well as yourself, and then, when you are commended for your loyalty to the King, by the King, you can say, "We were only doing our duty. Viva Christo Rey!"
18 comments:
Well said.
This is the truth. The terrible truth.
Excellent piece. Once slight quibble:
"Let's not pretend St Paul did not warn us that this time would not come." I think there is one "not" too many in there, specifically the last one.
Brilliant Bones! The clouds are glowering and you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.
But on the bright side there has never been a Bishop of Rome who offered free haircuts, shaves, and showers in St. Peter's Square! Getting everyone spiffied-up for Maundy Thursday, I suppose.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/vatican-to-provide-free-haircuts-shaves-and-showers-for-homeless-people-in-st-peters-square-30950875.html
Pray the Rosary daily and pray very much for Francis. I fear the great apostasy (once described as silent) will be full-blown before this very year has passed.
Thank you! Well said.
Que Viva Christo Rey!!, Que Viva!! Que Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!, Que Viva!! Que Viva San Jose!, Que Viva!!, Que Viva San Juan Diego!, Que Viva!!...
Every monday the haircuts, every day showers in baths near S.Peter's, anyway yesterday he gave 300 umbrellas to homeless, tourists visiting vatican museums are careless....hem they are a gentle gift by the boR, naturally. Seriously, the great apostasy is running, I'm not sure it will be full-blown this year.....estote parati. God bless+
Perhaps the free shaves are intended for Muslims?
I wouldn’t encourage your readers to spend too much time in the company of Christian Order, aka Mr Rod Pead. This is a guy who amongst other things thinks (I kid you not) that giving money to CAFOD is a sin! His editorials are written in a wordy, rambling style that starts off with some point or other then moves around the whole Catholic landscape in a blaze of purple prose and self-righteous indignation, rather, I’m afraid, like your own post here, Bones. When you converted, did no-one tell you not to become a crashing bore/bigot/more Catholic than the Catholics? If so, you didn’t listen. By now, I think we all “get it”: anyone who disagrees with you – especially the Pope – is going to Hell. Mass should be done by men wearing frilly lace and in an incomprehensible language like people did in the 1950s. Off with their heads!
You should heed the lessons of the Gospel. If there is one class of people constantly attacked by Our Lord, it was not sinners but the Pharisees. And to deride Pope Francis’s humility and compassion (borne out by his actions and lifestyle) is not a good position for a Christian to adopt.
You are absolutely right. Real Catholics need to call heresy by its name, even if it's uttered by those in the hierarchy, and no deference must be given, can no longer be given, when these heretics talk openly about calling sin now a good, and seek ways to profane the Eucharist by those in on-going mortal sin.
I think the spotlight is on these cockroaches, which they never expected. They expected that real Catholics would deferentially keep quiet as has been done over the past 40 years. But that has not happened. Look what happened two weeks ago when Cardinal Baldisseri stood before the family groups and expected applause for his defense of Kasper, and where he admitted the pope was the one who published the abominable paragraphs in the Relatio in October. Instead of applause he was hit between the eyes.
On my blog, I wrote a piece entitled "The Moment When Tyrants and Heretics Realize The Jig Is Up" that noted this moment with Baldisseri. (May I share the link at https://exmagnasilentium.wordpress.com/2015/01/30/the-moment-when-tyrants-and-heretics-realize-the-jig-is-up/
Please delete that is you would rather not share.)
You, me and many others are raising our voices and shining the spotlight on these abominations, and they will fight, but they will not succeed. Thanks for your post. I will be sharing on my blog which I hope you don't mind.
....but the Pharisees were content that the divorced were still full members of the spiritual community and sinless in that respect while Jesus declared them 'hard of heart'. So who are the Pharisees of our day, not those who support Jesus, surely?
@Cathprogrocker,
I read your comment and, forgive me, reflexively laughed when I read your observation:
"When you converted, did no-one tell you not to become...more Catholic than the Catholics?"
Such are the times we live in that the age-old truism "more Catholic than the Pope" now requires a narrower clarification.
Peace
This is nothing but gratuitous insult. Have some respect. Everyone ought to be as holy as they can before death. One converts to gain salvation, and help others to gain salvation, not to play at being a Catholic, by following the example of bad Catholics.
@ Lynda,
You are right. We must all seek, strive, each in our own way, to be as holy, to do what we can to sustain and increase the Mystical Body of Christ on Earth, The Catholic Church, for our own Salvation and for that of the Human Race, that is, to love the Lord our God and our neighbour as we would ourselves. We can each of us make only a tiny contribution, but whatever it is we must make it.
We all have a choice, which is to gain, to choose, the Salvation which Christ's death on the Cross has made available to us, or to reject it. Christ does not impose Salvation on us . It is our choice.
We are required to be Catholic, and we had better be so for our eternal good, whether we are twenty and have a fast motorbike, or eighty and sitting in the waiting room.
Cathprogrocker: There are genuine concerns about CAFOD and its policy on the use of condoms amongst other matters. Therefore there are many, like myself, who prefer to donate to Aid to the Church in Need rather than to an organisation that may be promoting sinful behaviour.
Further to your question "What did you do during the Great War?" I offer the following just released video clip of Cardinal Burke giving an interview on French TV during which Cardinal Burke says (per the translation) he will 'resist' Francis.
http://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/vatican/video-vatican-ce-cardinal-qui-entend-resister-face-au-pape-francois_818417.html
Certainly, it is Cardinal Burke's duty and the duty of us all to resist evil.
Cathprodrocker You are wrong of course. Rod Pead has done more for the authentic Church than you have ever done. He stands up for truth and ortho-doxy. And yes I agree with him about CAFOD. They give out contraceptives which is an un Christian thing to do. It is therefore sinful to support such an organisation. I hope you can see where he is right and you are wrong.
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