These two Vatican News articles could have been written about any civic organization or club, especially those who want to spread their vision and mission to the world and get more people to become members of that club or civic organization.
If the Vatican doesn’t wake up and realize that about 99% of Catholics, practicing or not, could care less about this, then there isn’t much hope for any kind of recovery of the true mission of the Church, to save souls and to go out to the whole world, baptizing in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven, whose sins you hold bound, will be bounded.
It would be better for the synod on synods to listen to to clergy, religious and laity on how Jesus Christ has changed them by His Grace and saved them and that this has motivated them in specific and concrete ways to know, love and serve Jesus Christ and to know, love and serve God’s people.(Love of God and love of neighbor).
As I listen, I don’t hear any of that and I certainly don’t read it in these two Vatican News articles or anything that anyone is saying or writing about the synod!
26 comments:
Father McDonald,
These are not words, but the following may explain what is going on:
"Has another institution in human history been so plagued with self-doubt, hatred of its past (including its numerous glorious chapters), a wanton desire to self-destruct, and an infantile love affair with the new and novel? Has the world seen wicked betrayal on this global scale before? The post-conciliar Catholic Church excels in all of these perversions and self-hatred---so one must wonder why those most committed to its shaming and discrediting do not just pick up and start their own new religion or join the thousands already founded by heretics and schismatics of all stripes to contribute to their breath-taking current self-destruction. But, of course, we know the tragic answer to that almost rhetorical question."
The current papacy must end
"Synod on synodality: Harnessing 'sensus fidei fidelium'"
"Synod for a Synodal Church: dialogue, listening and discernment continue"
"If the Vatican doesn’t wake up and realize that about 99% of Catholics, practicing or not, could care less about this, . . . "
Yet, you seem to be spending an inordinate amount of time and blog space to caring aout it, so...
I propose a drinking game where someone reads one of these articles aloud and everyone has to take a shot of Jack Daniel’s (Black Label) every time the word “synod”, or one of its derivatives, is used. This crap sounds like an essay from an intern at Pravda. Narcissistic misdirection.
FRMJK, I spend so much time harping on this ridiculous stuff, because those at the Vatican who read my blog, and yes some do, from what I am told, need to hear from me over and over and over again. Listening to me really is quite simple for them and they want to listen from what they tell us.
Fr. ALLAN McDonald - Uh-huh. Yeah, that's the ticket.....
"The Vatican", by which we really mean The Pope, is an out of touch monolith, staffed and led by people who sit in an outdated, 1970's echo chamber. This is why they don't hear. They hear themselves and fervently believe that if we have just one more synod, one more listening session, one more woman in a position of decision making, one more fringe Cardinal from Mongolia, one more.....Then the "lost shall be found", the prodigal children who left long ago will somehow come back. Not happening Francis. The jig is up and you and your crowd are not on the right side of this discussion. It's over. You just haven't gotten the message yet. I live in the northeast. The Catholic faith has been on the wane for decades BUT where I see hope is in the young families who travel long distances to attend mass at my parish. We are NOT TLM BUT our version of the Novus Ordo is reverent, not filled with a lot of foolish kumbaya, and the young are drawn to it. There is hope but the foolishness from Rome is the barrier. Young people crave direction, not Jesuitical hemming and hawing over fine points. Right, wrong, good, evil, do this, don't do that....that is what they want. I've seen it everywhere and in every parish I have belonged to over the past 30 years. The handwriting is on the wall for Rome to see.
More feel-good blather promising to build the kingdom of God on earth while ignoring God totally in daily lives. When you have a vacuum inside, you stay really busy trying to ignore the emptiness. Fixing others is always easier than fixing self, a Church to whom God is a stranger, filled with empty people with empty lives staying busy busy busy trying to justify their support/jobs and lives. And all while living better than 99% of the people they claim to serve.
And Father Kavanaugh has Father McDonald beat six ways from Sunday in picking important issues on which to take a stand, such as sucking cold ones at a BLM protest to virtue signal while making sure personal abode and auto stay locked at all times, and preferably both those items well away from bad neighborhoods. Just the man to jump into someone else's blog and sow derision.
Tom Makin,
My Indiana parish has both the TLM and Novus Ordo celebrated with a TLM feel. The parish actually grew during the pandemic because many fled Catholic Lite parishes. At both the TLM and Novus Ordo we have lots of families with young children. This is in stark contrast to my old territorial parish in Illinois which, even though the parish has a grade school, the Sunday Masses were populated mainly by grey hairs. But it is VITAL and Flourishing according to the old lefty who serves as pastor
The Synodal process is far more involved than two articles from Vatican News.
One diocese after another reported the following in regard to participants in the Synodal listening sessions:
Deep, and widespread, is love for God, Holy Mother Church, the Sacraments...the desire to draw ever closer to God...the desire to help the poor...to preach to the world the Good News.
Participant upon participant expressed powerful belief in the Real Presence...the desire to live a holy life...to participate in the life of the Church.
All of the above bodes well for the holy success of the Synod.
The Holy Ghost, not a couple of news articles, is the driving force of the Synod/Synodal Process.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
So, Mark, the Holy Ghost is the driving force? He told you that personally? You are saying he called and even named the creatively named Synod On Synodality and is really running things? Even though only a relatively few are participating in single digit percentages, the Holy Ghost is putting in an appearance automatically, because that is what the Holy Ghost does?
Do you all kinda vote on this to get him to appear? Does he also run your parish coffee and donuts or parish council meetings? Anytime some Catholics get together to decide something, the Holy Ghost automatically ratifies their decision, or does this only happen when the pope calls the meetings? By all the Catholics voting to leave the Church by the millions, is this ratified also by the Holy Spirit? Since you seem to be so tight with the Holy Spirit, I have a lot of questions.
Bob said..."So, Mark, the Holy Ghost is the driving force? He told you that personally?"
Yes. The Holy Ghost is the Synod's driving force. I know that for a fact as the Holy Catholic Church has informed me/us of that reality. The Vicar of Christ, with the bishops (such as my bishop) in communion with him, have taught that.
The True Church's Magisterium has spoken in regard to the Synod.
Bob, have you not read Holy Mother Church's Magisterial pronouncements in regard to the Synod?
Bob, do you accept or reject the following?
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE OPENING OF THE SYNOD
Saturday, 9 October 2021
"Dear brothers and sisters,
Thank you for being here for the opening of the Synod. I want to say again that the Synod is not a parliament or an opinion poll; the Synod is an ecclesial event and its protagonist is the Holy Spirit."
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Sure, Mark, I'll be glad to disagree...and am free to do so. The Church has disavowed many gatherings of The People Of God, and enshrined those only found to be in strictest continuity with all which came before.
Generally this done retroactively. I should not be suprised if in the future, this very papacy is disavowed. I actually expect that will happen. And when something goes against all which came before, I have no fear of being accused of heresy by God for dismissing it and doing as the Church has always taught.
Nor will I be convicted of any sin by ignoring such obviously deficit false and wordly "shepherds" who would lead me into error.
Bob said..."Even though only a relatively few are participating in single digit percentages, the Holy Ghost is putting in an appearance automatically, because that is what the Holy Ghost does?"
The Holy Ghost's presence in discerned based upon percentages (of participants)?
Example:
The Church convokes a pro-life crusade. Said crusade lasts throughout...oh...the month of May.
Catholic participation in the pro-life event in question is, percentage-wise, in the single-digit range.
That informs us that the Holy Ghost was absent from said pro-life event?
Bob, is that correct?
===============================================================================
Example:
A diocese offers Confession during a 24-hour period. To employ your words, "a relatively few are participating in single digit percentages."
Therefore, the Holy Ghost was not present during the above event?
Bob, is that correct?
Thank you.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Bob said..."Sure, Mark, I'll be glad to disagree...and am free to do so."
Bob, you have rejected the Holy Catholic Church's teaching in regard to the Synod. You have placed yourself above the Church's Magisterium. Okay.
Anyway, I...actually, the True Church...responded to your question in regard to the Holy Ghost's relationship to the Synod.
The Holy Ghost, via Holy Mother Church's Magisterial guarantee, is the Synod's driving force.
Bob, I reject your rebellion against Holy Mother Church. I reject your rebellion against Pope Francis' Magisterium.
He who hears Pope Francis, as well as the bishops in communion with our Holy Father, hears the voice of Jesus Christ.
Above all, Jesus Christ has blessed Pope Francis with the Supernatural gifts of knowledge, understanding and wisdom, to defend, and promote, the Catholic Religion.
Pope Venerable Pius XII, Encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi. #50:
It is Jesus Christ "who enriches pastors and teachers *******and above all His Vicar on earth******* with the supernatural gifts of knowledge, understanding and wisdom, so that they may loyally preserve the treasury of faith, defend it vigorously, and explain it and confirm it with reverence and devotion."
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Mark Thomas,
The synods are a crock and a waste of the Faithful’s money. I grew up in the pre-Vatican Church and it was superior in every way to the present situation: strong and unambiguous teaching of the true faith, flourishing parishes with packed TLM Masses and devotions, tremendous charitable outreach to the poor and marginalized and respected even by Hollywood. You are quite typical of the modern Catholic: proudly ignorant of the Catholic Faith who likes to throw around meaningless buzzwords to mask your deficiencies. Sorry, no sale. You are boring
Bob said..."The Church has disavowed many gatherings of The People Of God, and enshrined those only found to be in strictest continuity with all which came before.
"I should not be suprised if in the future, this very papacy is disavowed. I actually expect that will happen. And when something goes against all which came before, I have no fear of being accused of heresy by God for dismissing it and doing as the Church has always taught."
Bob, your attempt to justify your rebellion against Holy Mother Church — you have placed yourself above the Magisterium — is lame, as well as dangerous to the Faith.
You have defied Church teaching in that you have claimed the right to judge the Pope. You have pretended that your are above Pope Francis' God-given authority to teach, govern, and sanctify the Holy People of God.
In addition, if you believe that you have the authority to reject Pope Francis, then Person "X" is free to reject any Pope he, or she, pleases.
Example:
In 2007 A.D., Person "X" had the authority to reject Summorum Pontificum. In line with your anti-Catholic thinking, Person "X" could have said:
"I expect Pope Benedict XVI's Pontificate to be disavowed. In turn, I have the right to reject his authority to teach, govern, and sanctify me. Therefore, I have the right to reject Summorum Pontificum."
Bob, if your manner of thought is valid, then each of us is free to reject any Pope we please.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Mark Thomas,
Your Golden Calf rejected Pope Benedict’s liturgical peace through a wanton act of war but you lack the intellectual honesty to acknowledge that. You are beyond boring at this point. I will ignore the excrement you post in the future
Mark, The Church was established as an aid to lead people to union with God, and to preserve God's teachings undiluted so that we might have a chance of finding that union.
He did not establish the Church and bishops or even popes to be worshipped instead of God, especially when those same people seek to warp and dilute his teachings as believed and practiced for millenia, which is the true meaning of magisterium.
Magisterium is ALL which came before in totallity, and not some mysterious power of the moment which these gods of yours have to set those beliefs aside in some moment of weak modern faddishness.
There have been many times in history when bishops erred and the only thing which kept the Church true were the practices and faith of the laity.
When we have those in power in the Church seeking to explain away and even bless activities prohibited in both Christian and Jewish religion and scripture for all of prior history, we obviously have those false shepherds of which we were warned in Jewish and Christian scripture and even in Church teachings until this modern day. And I am OBLIGATED to reject those false shepherds.
You run right along and worship your Church and pope even when they try to set aside all of prior Church teaching and holy scripture and all of history, and squawk REBELLION all you want.
God gave me a mind and expects and demands I use it, and even I can see these false shepherds are p***ing on my shoes and telling me it is raining, while you are busy praising the end to a dry spell. Then you will wonder why your garden is not coming in as planned.
By the way, Mark, you could not have chosen a worse example than Benedict pointing out that Vatican II specifically gave primacy to Latin, that Latin was to be preserved, and that Vatican II specifically refused to abrogate the Latin Mass, and that bishops of own mistaken authority were the ones who later tried to quash it, that the Latin along with ancient doctrines must be preserved in continuity with all which came before....and that to the degree they differed, they erred.
Now along comes the next pope who stands alone of all popes and who seeks to overthrow all which came before, all popes unanimous through history in rejecting that any pope could do such a thing...
And you want me to listen to the only one who contradicts everyone else prior, as well as contradicting many current bishops and cardinals.
What kind of mindless idiot do you think I am? Is that your prerequisite for being Catholic, to be a mindless idiot incapable of seeing what is going on under very nose in broad daylight and front of cameras? That may be for you, but it is not for me and my allegiance to God and his Church.
Bob, the Church's holy Papal Magisterium cannot fail. Such a thing is impossible.
Holy Mother Church has guaranteed that thanks to the promise of Jesus Christ, the Apostolic See has always preserved the Catholic Religion immaculate.
As long as we remain in communion with Pope Francis, we are guaranteed to hold the Catholic Religion. Jesus Christ speaks through Pope Francis, as well as the bishops in communion with our holy Pope.
Bob, so be it should you wish to rebel against Pope Francis.
Conversely, I am happy and thankful to submit to Pope Francis', as well as my bishop's (he is in communion with Pope Francis), God-given authority to teach, govern, and sanctify me.
Bob, peace and good health to you and your family.
Thank you.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Mark, I thought that in the end, that you would ignore all the points I made as to what constitutes legitimate and real magisterium, that not being simply anything a particular pope said at a particular time, but only when in union with all prior solemnly declared teachings of the Church.
I see I was quite correct, and no suprise from you who initially declared in this thread that Francis making an official opening statement of the synod was some manner of magisterial statement, simply because the pope said the words.
You go right ahead and believe that teachings contradicting all which came before are somehow made holy with mistaken men by virtue of an office. I put my faith in God and his teachings, as God calls us to fidelity to all his teachings through all of history.. not fidelity only to a current office holder who errs in so obvious a manner as to beggar description. Either that, or you believe God, the Church, and all Popes prior made a mistake, and only 2000yrs later are getting around to fixing it because people change and people are really who drives everything, including God.
Francis has uttered words of favoritism to football clubs, too, so you run along and decorate your room accordingly.
Bob said..."Francis has uttered words of favoritism to football clubs, too, so you run along and decorate your room accordingly."
I will decorate my room accordingly...as long as Pope Francis is talking American "football"...and the club is the New York Giants.
Wait a minute. Hold on.
Does decorating my room accordingly entail the removal of my Tennessee Tuxedo, and Chumley the Walrus, posters?
If so, then forget it. I will have to rebel against Pope Francis. After all, Bob, we have that right...as I learned from you.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Mark, witty though you may be, you are still squirming about and ignoring the points as to proper use of the magisterium word. It MUST be in continuity with all which came before, otherwise it is an admission that all which came before is wrong, and that would make the entire religion a farce. It can be no other way and still be true.
Witness the Francis disdain of contemplative union with God, which is the entire point of the religion.
Gaudate et Exsulte-"] It is not healthy to love silence while fleeing interaction with others, to want peace and quiet while avoiding activity, to seek prayer while disdaining service."
Satan could have said it no better.
He is not holy, but only a shallow, vengeful, and wordly social activist, clueless as to what the religion is even all about. He is Marthw complaining Mary is not busy enough, while Jesus confirms Mary has chosen the best part, and the man is ignorant of even this lesson from Jesus.
Bob said..."Mark, witty though you may be, you are still squirming about and ignoring the points as to proper use of the magisterium word. It MUST be in continuity with all which came before, otherwise it is an admission that all which came before is wrong, and that would make the entire religion a farce. It can be no other way and still be true."
Bob, thank you for your reply.
Bob, the flaw in your above comment is that you wish to reserve the right to rule as to whether the Magisterium has been exercised "in continuity with all which came before..."
You are not authorized to make that determination.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Two articles.
Occurrences of Jesus: 0.
Occurrences of Christ: 0 (other than the name of one of the persons interviewed).
Occurrences of God: Only in the context of People of God.
Just saying.
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