Let me clarify: there are some very troubling issues of the Amazonian Synod that smells to me of paganism.
One doesn’t need an entire concept to understand that the world that God created is good and that we’re called to be stewards of it rather than exploiting it. There is an acceptable eco-theology, so long as it does not exceed the bounds of what the relationship between the created world and man were called to do. It’s one thing to say that we are not supposed to destroy our own planet, either because it was created by God, therefor it’s good or because of our future generations. However, the flavor of eco-theology I’ve seen in Pope Francis and some of his advisors is decidedly more towards an eco-theology where ‘everything is connected’ and that human beings are equal to everything on the planet and vice versa. There is a big problem where there is a sign outside a church featuring a photo of a woman breastfeeding a child and a dog, encircled by the words ‘we are all connected,’ or ‘everything is connected.’ (Forgive me, I don’t have the exact quote). None of the bishops and the pope have zero education on environmental studies, I don’t think it is within their knowledge or power to tell the Church what to believe about the environment. This is a mixing of political views and Catholic teaching. The view should be that we are to care of the planet in so far that it is a) a gift from God, b) created by God so it is good and made for our good, and c) those gifts are to be used prudently and with respect. Outside of that, this current brand of eco-theology is edging a little too close to pagan earth worship for my taste.
When I say that the current papacy is trying to endorse paganism, I mean that no solemn rite of the Catholic Church should include idols, blasphemous depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, phallic statues, etc. The tree planting ceremony reeked of pseudo-earth worship. On top of that, you have the Instrumentum document of the Synod saying things like how the Holy Spirit, of all people, taught the indigenous to honor the Father-Mother ‘God’ and that the Eucharist can be adapted to the needs of the local people, which reads very open to interpretation. Local culture must be integrated into the liturgy of the people, which also opens Pandora’s box for any bishopric to adapt the liturgy to their own needs or whatever their diocese demand of them.
On top of all this, you have talks of married men becoming priests, women priests, and other issues. The Amazon Synod is a problem. I know paganism, even as diet paganism with Catholic dressings, when I see. I should know, because I was one. I studied these things. Once one locality changes how it does liturgy and ordains men, then it becomes a domino effect and the churches of the world will want to do the same.
