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Thursday, December 21, 2023

CREATING A DIFFERENT CHURCH? WILL IT BACKFIRE AND HAS IT ALREADY?


When Martin Luther was still an acting Augustinian Priest, he had no dream or intent of creating a new Church, just a different type of Catholic Church, Modestly reformed. His proposed reforms were minor at the beginning and fully sustainable if not for one thing. What he was proposing began a cascade effect that led him and then his followers to break communion not only with the pope, but with apostolic succession and the sacramental life of the Church. They were so bold as to say that there are only two sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion. The major problem, though, is that for Holy Communion to be validly consecrated you need apostolic succession and valid Holy Orders, which Luther’s followers negated. 

Fast forward to the reforming pope, Pope Francis and the Holy Father creating a different Church. To a certain extent some of his pastoral initiatives are sustainable, but others, like blessing same sex and other illicit sexual unions will have a cascade effect, either intended or unintended, leading to a break with the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

It could happen in two ways. The next pope cancels the pastoral initiatives of Pope Francis, like Pope Francis has canceled so much of Benedict XVI and John Paul II’s papacies. But in this case, those yearning for a different Church will create it without the pope and the cascade effect will be similar to what Martin Luther began. There will be all kinds of new neo-Protestant denominations coming from Pope Francis’ initial reforms and not resembling in any way the Catholic Church as she is on December 21, 2023.

Or, the next Pope will take Pope Francis’ pastoral initiatives to their logical conclusion and there will be a major break with the Pope in another Great Schism, but Apostolic Succession and the truths of the Catholic Church’s moral teachings and Sacramental life will be preserved but in Schism like the Eastern Orthodox Churches. These new groupings may well be national as is the Eastern Orthodox Schism. 

No telling what the Catholic Church under a Pope that takes Pope Francis’ initiatives to their logical conclusion will look like, but it will be headed by the Bishop of Rome, whoever he, she, it, they, them is. 

And just as the Eastern Orthodox Church say that Rome is in schism, not them, so too will the new Schism have those who don’t accept the Bishop of Rome as the Head of the Universal Church will say about that different Church the Bishop of Rome heads. History repeats itself. 

14 comments:

Mark Thomas said...

Father McDonald said..."To a certain extent some of his pastoral initiatives are sustainable, but others, like blessing same sex and other illicit sexual unions will have a cascade effect, either intended or unintended, leading to a break with the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church."

Father McDonald, you said the other day that you are sticking with Pope Francis. At each Mass that you offer, you proclaim that Pope Francis is orthodox. You are in communion with Pope Francis.

Therefore, Father McDonald, you believe that Pope Francis, our teacher, governor, and sanctifier, is orthodox. Correct?

Thank you.

Pax.

Mark Thomas

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Some of the pope’s pastoral initiatives are wrong headed and certainly fallible.

Anonymous said...

"Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Francis-skeptic party?"

Nick

Mark Thomas said...

Father McDonald said..."Some of the pope’s pastoral initiatives are wrong headed and certainly fallible."

In your opinion they are wrong-headed.

But Father McDonald, is Pope Francis orthodox? Teachings accompany initiatives. Are Pope Francis' teachings orthodox?

For example, is the Papal-approved Declaration in regard to blessings orthodox?

Thank you.

Pax.

Mark Thomas

Anonymous said...

"I repeat, are you now, or have you ever been, a doubter of the pope's orthodoxy?"

Ah, to see 1950s McCarthyism reborn in the modern Church really takes one back...

Nick

Mark Thomas said...

Father McDonald said..."Some of the pope’s pastoral initiatives are wrong headed and certainly fallible."

There are folks who have insisted that Summorum Pontificum was "wrong headed and certainly fallible." But did that render SP unorthodox?

Pax.

Mark Thomas

Mark Thomas said...

The question posed to those who obey the Church's teaching that we are to submit to the Pope's awesome authority to teach, govern, and sanctify us:

"Are you now, or, have you ever been, a member of a cult who 'worships' the Pope."

McCarthyism is alive and well among those who attack Catholics who have taken seriously Pope Benedict XVI's example of the "unconditional reverence and obedience" that he rendered to Pope Francis.

Pax.

Mark Thomas

rcg said...

If any pastor was making a mistake and I knew it and not said nothing but went along with it I wouldn’t be worth crap as a Catholic. Paul called out Peter, for crying out loud.

DJR said...

Polish bishops reject Fiducia Supplicans: Same sex couples may not be blessed.

Dutch bishop rejects Fiducia Supplicans: "I will give my blessing to anyone who asks for it. But under no circumstances will I give my blessing to a sinful situation. And that has nothing to do with discrimination. The same goes for a male/female relationship where adultery is involved." Further: "You are not helping anyone with this! No one at all!"

Ukrainian hierarchs, both Latin and Greek, reject Fiducia Supplicans possibility of blessing same sex couples.

DJR said...

Bishops' conference of Rwanda issues statement rejecting Fiducia Supplicans and blessings for "same-sex couples."

TJM said...

Village Idiot hardest hit! African Church rejects Francis’ lunacy!

Anonymous said...

"If any pastor was making a mistake and I knew it and not said nothing but went along with it I wouldn’t be worth crap as a Catholic."

You would also be violating canon law.

Nick

rcg said...

@Nick 💪👍

Jerome Merwick said...

I keep seeing these three words in a lot of articles and comments:

"The next pope..."


All well and good, except I wouldn't be so sure that there is even going to BE a "next pope".

We'll see.