My very liberal seminary education in the late 1970's included much South American, Jesuit liberation theology. It was the in-thing then with a young cabal of truly radical Catholics most of whom where in religious life, like the Jesuits promoting it in South and Central America. Since it was so politically charged challenging the ruling class, the ruling class waged warfare on the Church of Liberation and killed many of their adherents. Some have been named martyrs.
When Liberation Theology took root in some of the banana republics in South and Central America, the true ideology of this movement became evident. It was socialism or communism and the leaders were good, old fashioned dictators. Just think of Noriega who has ascended once again in Nicaragua! Think of what has happened in Venezuela.
The resurgence of this 1970's theology in the 2010's is from the same cabal, except now they are my age and much, much older, well into their 70's, 80's and 90's! They are still radical revolutionaries and feel as though their time has come now that Saint Pope John Paul and Pope Benedict are out of the way, although Benedict not completely and of their age representing a totally different view of the Church. Interesting, no?
What I did not realize at the time and only have come to realize in the last three weeks is that some of the liturgies that I experienced in the seminary, wild and in most cases invalid, were built upon this liberation theology of inculturation of pagan influences into the liturgy, a sort of Christianizing of these pagan realities. But in reality, it was syncretism not inculturation. I did not understand this at the time.
What do I mean? Several times, meaning more than once, I attended Mass not in a chapel but in an priest's living quarters or outside where no altar was used. Instead, a blanket was spread out on the floor or on the ground and we sat around the blanket to "celebrate" the "eucharist." Get this, no table as a temporary altar, but the floor or the ground, meaning the good earth was the "altar" or, back then, the "table" of the Eucharist.
Of course the liturgy was contrived, some sort of radical teaching was read from one of the liberation theologians replacing the first reading. At the consecration, as the priest said the words of institution, he was passing the unconsecrated hosts to us for us all to consume as soon as he finished the words of institution. The same with the chalice, although he finished the words of institution before drinking from it and then passing it to all sitting in a circle around the blanket.
Of course, the Eucharistic Prayer was made up as he went and since we had consumed the elements, nothing was present for the actual "sacrificial" offering of the Eucharistic prayer following the consecration.
This was around 1977 or 78. And it is eerily similar, although not a eucharist, thanks be to God, to what Pope Francis enabled and witnessed in the Vatican Gardens and then prayed the Lord's Prayer which is the prayer of the Holy Meal of the Mass.
The talk of an Amazonian Rite syncretizing pagan elements transformed into Christian symbol has begun but it started in the 1970's. I am a witness to it!
11 comments:
"To what Pope Francis witnessed in the Vatican Gardens...."
This should be rephrased to say "what Pope Francis enabled and embraced in the Vatican Gardens"....
Honestly I am sickened by what this pope is doing, allowing, enabling, embracing etc. This old liberation theology crowd cannot die off fast enough. I am about at the point of a personal schism with this pope. Were it not for the youthful priests and sisters with whom I have contact and in whom I see a future/path through this craziness, I would likely break and run. Thanks be to God someone had the spine to get his hands on those pagan idols the pope embraced and tossed them into the Tiber.
Fortunately these evil-doers in the hierarchy will either be dead or in nursing homes shortly. Then the Church will revive through the efforts of the younger clergy and laity. History will not look kindly upon the "leadership" in the Church since Vatican Disaster II, taking a vibrant, active Church and turning into a withering organization that functions as an NGO.
Bishops from the region are beginning to weigh in.
The October 4 “pagan” Pachamama ceremony with Francis in the Vatican gardens should have been “avoided entirely” according to retired Caracas Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino.
He told AciPrensa.com (October 21) that the event was “surprising”, “syncretistic”, of “primitive nature" and of "pagan appearance.”
Urosa warns that an Amazonian-indigenous rite, suggested by the Synod, should carefully avoid “unwarranted syncretism.”
One cannot help but compare this false non-evangelization to actual evangelization undertaken during the 20th century, particularly that of Abp. Marcel Lefebvre in Africa as Apostolic Delegate. Here’s a summary from The Rad Trad Blog:
“In a few decades he baptized tens of thousands of people personally, founded two seminaries, initiated numerous religious orders into his diocese, and built a full cathedral. By the time he transferred from Dakar to the bishopric of Tulles he left behind an independent diocese with a completely indigenous clergy. There is inculturation.“
Indeed, his program of importing clergy to establish parishes and school for the indigenous peoples ultimately led to the foundation of seminaries (always accompanied by a Carmel for prayer support) that begat indigenous clergy and ultimately indigenous bishops. All of whom said the Roman Rite Mass.
In his biography, Bp. Tissier details how the archbishop firmly stood up to the pagans who refused to give up polygamy, refusing them baptism until they did so. Ultimately, it worked — the leaders may not have been baptized, but their children went to the Catholic schools and were baptized.
If Rome actually cared about spreading the Catholic Faith, they would at least consider this model. Since they aren’t doing that, it is easy to conclude the syncretism is the goal, not the salvation of souls. Lord, have mercy!
Bee here:
Marc at October 22, 2019 at 1:38 PM said,
"If Rome actually cared about spreading the Catholic Faith..."
more importantly, "If Rome actually cared about these indigenous people..."
God bless,
Bee
These indigenous people are simply cannon fodder for the heretic German bishops
Bee here:
If Fr. McD experienced this full-on drive teaching Liberation Theology in the seminaries of the 1970's, because almost every parish has experienced this, we can presume this was being taught across the U.S. in maybe almost every seminary.
So we should ask, who decided that??? How did that happen? Why was THAT incorporated and spread? From that time on it seems to have pretty much infected every Catholic Church in the U.S., and I expect throughout the world. And more importantly, given the results of attendance at Mass in Catholic Churches over the last 50 or 60 years, can't anyone else see a "cause and effect" here besides those of us who vomit this garbage out of our minds and hearts whenever we hear it?
Can't the guys in Rome see how miserably this theology fails?
Or wait...maybe they can. Because on the other hand, maybe only those trying to destroy Catholicism, and more importantly, faith in Jesus Christ, would continue to promote this obviously invalid theology that leads to apostasy, not Faith in God.
Many are saying the enemy is already within the Church, and has been for a long time. No one wants to believe that about cardinals and bishops, but what else can you conclude? When someone is stabbing you, don't you have to conclude they are trying to kill you?
God bless.
Bee
Bee, in the 1970's and into the 80's theologians saw themselves as a parallel magisterium. They infiltrated a goodly number of seminaries and indoctrinated would-be priests with their ideologies and we brought it to the parish.
I really thought these theologians knew what they were talking about and were preparing us not for the Church of the day (1970's at the time) but for the future and we needed to prepare our laity for what was coming.
Now that I see a resurgence in the 1970's from the current papal magisterium, maybe my seminary wasn't wrong? Or maybe it is the last gasp of a dying ideology? Time will tell.
I would not fret over this because Catholicism in Latin America will be extinct within 100 years so what they are doing at the Amazonian synod is a waste of time. It is in a free fall now being replaced by Protestant Evangelicalism. Can you really blame the people for abandoning a religion that preaches social justice instead of the Sun of Justice?
Bee here:
Victor at October 22, 2019 at 6:11 PM said, "I would not fret over this because Catholicism in Latin America will be extinct within 100 years so what they are doing at the Amazonian synod is a waste of time. It is in a free fall now being replaced by Protestant Evangelicalism. Can you really blame the people for abandoning a religion that preaches social justice instead of the Sun of Justice?"
I was listening to Catholic radio today and a priest commenting on the Amazon Synod said that he believes the Amazon is probably lost to Catholicism now, because all the Evangelical Protestants have to do is show those who they are trying to convert a picture of the Pope and Cardinals standing around the Pachamama idol in St. Peter's, and some Cardinals carrying the idol in the little boat on their shoulders in procession to the Synod hall, and that will be that.
So Victor, it may not even take 100 years...
God bless.
Bee
Bee,
Is that priest planning on going into a witness protection program? I recall the viciousness of the Archbishop of Chicago in dealing with two traditional priests in Chicago that were defending the Catholic Faith there. Thank God I am no longer a member of the Chicago Archdiocese
Post a Comment