Vatican releases list of participants for synod on the family

[LongingSoul]

The last synod was apparently quite raucous (or “rigged,” to use Edward Pentin’s term), despite the Pope’s desire for serenity and calm. As it should be, too, when a significant group of participants attempts to introduce heterodoxical practices into Church discipline.

Edward Pentin is a ‘commentator’ and I’d venture that he’s most probably one of the main offenders. Again from the Popes closing speech a discerning observation about where and with whom problems lie…

• One, a temptation to hostile inflexibility, that is, wanting to close oneself within the written word, (the letter) and not allowing oneself to be surprised by God, by the God of surprises, (the spirit); within the law, within the certitude of what we know and not of what we still need to learn and to achieve. From the time of Christ, it is the temptation of the zealous, of the scrupulous, of the solicitous and of the so-called – today – “traditionalists” and also of the intellectuals.
• The temptation to a destructive tendency to goodness [it. buonismo], that in the name of a deceptive mercy binds the wounds without first curing them and treating them; that treats the symptoms and not the causes and the roots. It is the temptation of the “do-gooders,” of the fearful, and also of the so-called “progressives and liberals.”
• The temptation to transform stones into bread to break the long, heavy, and painful fast (cf. Lk 4:1-4); and also to transform the bread into a stone and cast it against the sinners, the weak, and the sick (cf Jn 8:7), that is, to transform it into unbearable burdens (Lk 11:46).
• The temptation to come down off the Cross, to please the people, and not stay there, in order to fulfil the will of the Father; to bow down to a worldly spirit instead of purifying it and bending it to the Spirit of God.
• **The temptation to neglect the “depositum fidei” [the deposit of faith], not thinking of themselves as guardians but as owners or masters [of it]; or, on the other hand, the temptation to neglect reality, making use of meticulous language and a language of smoothing to say so many things and to say nothing! **They call them “byzantinisms,” I think, these things…

 

[Maximilan_Kolbe]

Oh that’s rubbish. Pope Francis is being very clear with the participants about the spirit in which the synod is held. In his closing speech to the Extraordinary synod he said this…

The is the Church, our Mother! And when the Church, in the variety of her charisms, expresses herself in communion, she cannot err: it is the beauty and the strength of the sensus fidei, of that supernatural sense of the faith which is bestowed by the Holy Spirit so that, together, we can all enter into the heart of the Gospel and learn to follow Jesus in our life. And this should never be seen as a source of confusion and discord.

Many commentators, or people who talk, have imagined that they see a disputatious Church where one part is against the other, doubting even the Holy Spirit, the true promoter and guarantor of the unity and harmony of the Church – the Holy Spirit who throughout history has always guided the barque, through her Ministers, even when the sea was rough and choppy, and the ministers unfaithful and sinners.

And, as I have dared to tell you , [as] I told you from the beginning of the Synod, it was necessary to live through all this with tranquillity, and with interior peace, so that the Synod would take place cum Petro and sub Petro (with Peter and under Peter), and the presence of the Pope is the guarantee of it all.

He clearly sees the main problem as lying with the ‘many commentators’ or ‘people who talk’.

And yet the last Synod was rife with leaks, unapproved edits made to official documents that were not supposed to take place, an ignoring of opinions from certain regions, and completely different views of what occured.

Again, the Pope can request what he wants, in good faith, but there is a reason why the faithful are being asked to pray for the Synod. If consensus was guranteed via the Hoply Spirit and the unwavering clairty of Church Doctrine, we wouldn’t be asked to pray, and in fact, the Synod would not be necessary at all.

 

[Colorad007]

Cardinal Caffara is one of the brightest minds on pastoral care for the divorced and remarried–he is firmly opposed to opening Communion to those couples but he is very good at reaching out to them. Cardinal Monswengo likes to call same-sex msrriage “satanic,” which it is, so that’s good.

 

[Seamus_L]

And on the other hand we have Archbishop Heiner Koch who has stated that “to portray homosexuality as a sin is hurtful” "the Church “needs a different language when it comes to homosexuals … I know gay couples who value reliability and commitment and live these in an exemplary manner.” And Archbishop Johann Bonny "“We must look within the Church for a formal recognition of relationship which is also present in many bi- and homosexual couples. Just as in society there is a variety of legal frameworks for couples, there should also be a variety of forms of recognition within the Church.” And Cardinal Reinhard Marx “We are not just a subsidiary of Rome,” Cardinal Marx said. “Each episcopal conference is responsible for the pastoral care in their culture and has to proclaim the Gospel in its own unique way. We cannot wait until a synod states something, as we have to carry out marriage and family ministry here.”
That's some pretty scary stuff coming from the mouths of Bishops !

 

[JimG]

Here is an article by Prof. Stephan Kampowski about some of the matters to be taken up within the Synod.

catholicworldreport.com/Item/4164/a_path_to_sacramental_marriage_for_those_in_nonmarital_unions.aspx

 

[ARSpade]

Almost half of the 45 papally appointed voting members are from Europe with another 15 from the Americas, three from Africa, two from Oceania and one from Asia. At the extraordinary synod, almost all appointees were from Europe, and none of the papal appointees was from North America or other English-speaking countries.

I wonder why Europe (where the faith is doing rather poorly) is so overrepresented as opposed to the “peripheries” we hear so much about, both last time (very much so) and this time (again).

I mean, Asia has just under half the number of Catholics Europe does, but only one of their bishops got appointed. And then there’s Africa (but, of course, some church authorities think we don’t need to listen to them).

 

[SWolf]

I wonder why Europe (where the faith is doing rather poorly) is so overrepresented as opposed to the “peripheries” we hear so much about, both last time (very much so) and this time (again).

I mean, Asia has just under half the number of Catholics Europe does, but only one of their bishops got appointed. And then there’s Africa (but, of course, some church authorities think we don’t need to listen to them).

Two Reasons:

1. Tradition
2. Money

I admire Africa’s orthodoxy, especially since they always seem to get the short end of the stick.

 

[celestialhost]

If you look at the participants list, you will see that it is not all liberal German bishops. A long list of African bishops will be coming along.

 

[ARSpade]

If you look at the participants list, you will see that it is not all liberal German bishops. A long list of African bishops will be coming along.

I was talking about the ones directly appointed by the Pope, which heavily favors Europe over places like Asia and Africa.

 

[celestialhost]

I was talking about the ones directly appointed by the Pope, which heavily favors Europe over places like Asia and Africa.

I dare say you were. Whatever the case, the disappointing personal appointments of the Holy Father are only a small proportion of those who will be at the Synod.

 

[twf]

If you look at the participants list, you will see that it is not all liberal German bishops. A long list of African bishops will be coming along.

Only because of the long list of African nations with bishops’ conferences.

 

[Megan7]

And on the other hand we have Archbishop Heiner Koch who has stated that “to portray homosexuality as a sin is hurtful” "the Church “needs a different language when it comes to homosexuals … I know gay couples who value reliability and commitment and live these in an exemplary manner.” And Archbishop Johann Bonny "“We must look within the Church for a formal recognition of relationship which is also present in many bi- and homosexual couples. Just as in society there is a variety of legal frameworks for couples, there should also be a variety of forms of recognition within the Church.” And Cardinal Reinhard Marx “We are not just a subsidiary of Rome,” Cardinal Marx said. “Each episcopal conference is responsible for the pastoral care in their culture and has to proclaim the Gospel in its own unique way. We cannot wait until a synod states something, as we have to carry out marriage and family ministry here.”

                                                That's some pretty scary stuff coming from the mouths of Bishops !

Thanks for your post.

I wonder why Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone (San Francisco) was not invited.

He has worked as Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for the Defense of MARRIAGE.
He would be an ideal Archbishop to be invited to the Synod on the FAMILY

From the BIBLE:

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a Gospel
other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be anathema!” (Gal 1, 8)."

God Bless you,

+PAX

 

[Joe_5859]

Thanks for your post.

I wonder why Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone (San Francisco) was not invited.

He has worked as Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for the Defense of MARRIAGE.
He would be an ideal Archbishop to be invited to the Synod on the FAMILY

From the BIBLE:

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a Gospel
other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be anathema!” (Gal 1, 8)."

God Bless you,

+PAX

They can’t invite everyone. Bishop Malone is Chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, & Youth (of which Cordileone’s “Promotion and Defense of Marriage” is a subcommittee). He wasn’t invited either. There are already 7 bishops from the U.S. and they wouldn’t want us to be over-represented. I wouldn’t interpret it as a slight against Cordileone. Though, I agree, it would make sense for him and Malone to be there in light of their USCCB posts.