tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post8740209318011388644..comments2024-03-28T12:59:52.914-04:00Comments on southern orders: THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER MAKES A POWERFUL CASE THAT THE SYNOD ON SYNODS WILL BE ANOTHER FAILED “NEW SPRINGTIME FOR THE CHURCH” AS WAS THE WRONGHEADED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL WITH A PROGRESSIVE SPIRIT ALIEN TO THAT COUNCILFr. Allan J. McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16986575955114152639noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-31131684222941468752022-08-17T10:28:11.657-04:002022-08-17T10:28:11.657-04:00Bishop Parkes is not listening to the people who a...Bishop Parkes is not listening to the people who attend the TLM. Instead, he listened to his mean old boss in RomeTJMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07280218128963202431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-17746670563523966272022-08-17T10:04:14.582-04:002022-08-17T10:04:14.582-04:00Bishop Stephen D. Parkes has portrayed the Synod a...Bishop Stephen D. Parkes has portrayed the Synod as a Holy Spirit-filled, wonderful initiative that will serve well the Holy People of God.<br /><br />He has emphasized that Synod/listening process is the Holy Spirit speaking to the Church.<br /><br />"In this light, the objective of the current Synod is to listen, as the entire People of God, to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church."<br /><br />"In this sense, it is clear that the purpose of this Synod is not to produce more documents. <br /><br />"Rather, it is intended to inspire people to dream about the Church we are called to be, to make people’s hopes flourish, to stimulate trust, to bind up wounds, to weave new and deeper relationships, to learn from one another, to build bridges, to enlighten minds, warm hearts, and restore strength to our hands for our common mission. <br /><br />"Thus the objective of this Synodal Process is not only a series of exercises that start and stop, but rather a journey of growing authentically towards the communion and mission that God calls the Church to live out in the third millennium."<br /><br />"In the end, this Synodal Process seeks to move towards a Church that is more fruitfully at the service of the coming of the kingdom of heaven."<br /><br />=========================================================================================<br /><br />Bishop Stephen Parkes' upbeat assessment of the Holy Ghost-guided Synod/Synodal Process echoes that of my bishop. Beyond that, one bishop after another has spoken in similar fashion.<br /><br />Pax.<br /><br />Mark ThomasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-3352488000690024702022-08-17T07:22:23.748-04:002022-08-17T07:22:23.748-04:00Two points: the reports sent to Rome will reflect ...Two points: the reports sent to Rome will reflect whatever the bishop wants it to reflect regardless of the degree of participation; second: the Pope of surprises will do whatever he wants and point to reports no one can see to justify it.monkmcghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12198826311049534294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-15524936162373221832022-08-17T05:08:38.717-04:002022-08-17T05:08:38.717-04:00"...this is why there is a synod on synods so..."...this is why there is a synod on synods so that aging Catholics will continue to get their way."<br /><br />That summarizes this sham in its entirety. All the rest of our "conversation" here is superfluous.<br /><br />Jerome Merwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06683692768402865052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-75370316042831874382022-08-16T17:28:54.542-04:002022-08-16T17:28:54.542-04:00I attended one of these sessions at my church. Old...I attended one of these sessions at my church. Old, white women dominated. Men like me were a minority. That said, I bounced around to different tables and didn't hear a peep re: women in leadership positions as being a problem. I didn't hear one word re: LGBTQ. I heard a lot about preaching and teaching the faith, stop watering things down, bishops speak up, the desperate need for adult catechesis because what most of us got in the 70's was beyond terrible. In short, I noted a general tone of 'stiffen your spine clergy, we can take it'. <br /><br />Do I think any of this will make it's way to Rome? Not a prayer. Francis has already decided what he wants and all this is window dressing. Tom Makinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16205083082154096793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-44649915043963715382022-08-16T14:24:43.680-04:002022-08-16T14:24:43.680-04:00"Non-liturgical" might be a bit overstat..."Non-liturgical" might be a bit overstated.<br /><br />Most churches, even if they do not like to admit it, have litgugical worship. I had this conversation with the pastor of a large Baptist church in Effingham County many years ago. His Sunday morning service followed the same pattern every week. They also observed a Christmas season and an Easter season, though not as extended as ours.<br /><br />Many non-litgrgical churches also have a pretty significant draw - the Word of God, also known as the Bible. I have heard very fine preachers who do a comnpletely respectable job presenting the Word of God in their preaching, connecting it to the lives of their congregants, and challenging them to be more God-centered in the way they live.Fr. Michael J. Kavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05162547334902814362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-3210687088165959082022-08-16T13:06:53.133-04:002022-08-16T13:06:53.133-04:0099% of Catholics absent themseyfrom listening sess...99% of Catholics absent themseyfrom listening sessions and fellowship as it is not important to them. The less than 1% who do want it complain about the 99% who don’t. They whine about it. Non liturgical or sacramental churches have only three draws, fellowship, good preaching and music. None of these are sacraments.Fr. Allan J. McDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16986575955114152639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-48666921396476864382022-08-16T12:40:36.117-04:002022-08-16T12:40:36.117-04:00I consider as interesting the following from "...I consider as interesting the following from "listening sessions":<br /><br />The Faithful view "picnic-style events and coffee-and-donuts-type informal gatherings" as very important to the life of a parish.<br /><br />"Listening session" Catholic participants who are familiar with Protestant communities have insisted that as compared to Catholic parishes, Protestant communities are far more welcoming...far more helpful to community members.<br /><br />Pax.<br /><br />Mark ThomasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-48761986460679211212022-08-16T12:36:21.922-04:002022-08-16T12:36:21.922-04:00Yes, that is the 1% of 52 million, mostly female s...Yes, that is the 1% of 52 million, mostly female senior citizens with a 1969’s mentality and very neo-gnostic. A mere fraction of that 1% were men and a smaller fraction young people. But what the heck, this is why there is a synod on synods so that aging Catholics will continue to get their way.Fr. Allan J. McDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16986575955114152639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-62467119800180919392022-08-16T12:25:14.404-04:002022-08-16T12:25:14.404-04:00I have read several online reports from "list...I have read several online reports from "listening sessions" that were conducted by parishes across America.<br /><br />In that regard, I have encountered repeatedly the following themes:<br /><br />-- The Church has excluded women.<br /><br />-- The Church has excluded homosexuals.<br /><br />-- The Church has excluded divorcees.<br /><br />-- Liturgy is too rigid and formal.<br /><br />-- Parishes are often viewed as cold, unwelcoming places/<br /><br />-- The Church has made little effort to have reached out to lapsed Catholics.<br /><br />The following is typical...from what I've encountered. This is from Richmond, Virginia.<br /><br />I quote from the report:<br /><br />"Gender, marriage, and sexuality was a big topic. The Church doesn’t listen well to<br />women. Many have left the church because of women’s roles in the church; their voices aren’t heard. <br /><br />"The problem of largely-male leadership and clericalism (and lack of female<br />representation) was mentioned multiple times. <br /><br />"The Church needs better outreach/accompaniment to divorcees, and it needs to accompany LGBTQ folks better and listen more to their experience. <br /><br />"There is also a sense that “money talks” and that those who donate are listened to more than others."<br /><br />Pax.<br /><br />Mark ThomasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com