Battle Cry for the Ordinary Synod: Defend the Family

The latest issue of The Truth, the newsletter of Les Femmes, is not online at our website yet, but I thought I would post the lead article with footnotes for those concerned about the upcoming Ordinary Synod on the Family. Catholics need to prepare to fight the attempts to attack the indissolubility of marriage. It's clear that many of the enemies of marriage are inside the Church. And so, Church Militant, you need to prepare to fight.  

A Battle Cry for the Ordinary Synod: Defend the Family

By Mary Ann Kreitzer

The Ordianary Synod on the Family is scheduled next October 4th – 25th in Rome. It continues the efforts begun at the Extraordinary Synod last Fall. The original meeting revealed a sharp divide between “progressives” and “traditionalists;”[1] among the bishops and, since the close of the synod, battle lines are drawn and grenades flying. On one side progressives like Cardinals Walter Kasper, Reinhold Marx, Donald Wuerl, Archbishop Bruno Forte, and Fr. Thomas Rosica (English language spokesman for the Vatican) insist that development of doctrine permits pastoral changes that can allow divorced and remarried Catholics in individual circumstances (without annulment) to return to the sacraments. The other major issue progressives are pushing is a pastoral approach affirming the good of homosexuality. 

Out of Africa: The Youngest Dioceses in the World at the Synod!

Cardinal Napier criticized the "Eurocentric"
nature of youth synod documents, a particular
oversight since the youngest Church in the
 world is on the continent of Africa --
vibrant and growing! "Go Catholic Africa!"

I haven't written much about the youth synod up to now -- well -- except about the pope accepting the stang from the girl wearing the red string bracelet at the opening Mass.

Why is that, I wonder?

It certainly isn't because I'm not interested. But
I've pretty much avoided the news reports up to now and closed my eyes to all the journalists and bloggers and Facebook comments reporting on the synod.

Perhaps it's just too depressing.

After all, the youth are the future of the world...and the Church. And my heart drops into my shoes when I consider how the culture and evil men in roman collars gobble up the bodies and souls of our children. They pay lip service to the abortion holocaust as the bruised and battered bodies of Christ's little ones pile up to heavens screaming for justice. The angst and mourning of these men is reserved for the abuse of the rain forest and those invading our country. Say another Mass at the border; name another sanctuary city. Ignore the babies "buried" in America's landfills.

It's insane!

So...After the Extraordinary Synod, What's Next?

This is the lead article from the latest issue of the Les Femmes newsletter which isn't posted at the website yet. I'd be happy to have your comments. What impact do you think the Pope's visit to the U.S. next September will have on the Synod, if any?

After the Synod, What's Next?

The Extraordinary Synod on the Family is over and its participants home from the wars. Some orthodox bishops are reportedly shell-shocked seeing how deeply their brothers dissent from Church teaching on the indissolubility of marriage. Despite secrecy surrounding activities in the synod hall, controversy and contentious disagreement among the bishops spilled over, especially after the interim report, Relatio Post Disceptationem,[i] was released which the media saw before the bishops did.

It Begins: Synod on the Family Opens in Rome

Today is a big day. First of all, my husband and I celebrate our 46th wedding anniversary. What an adventure rearing five children in a world of confusion (in the "spirit" of Vatican II and the dissent over Humanae Vitae)  and a growing culture of death. When Roe v. Wade came down in 1973, we had two little ones and I hugged them tighter as I mourned the untimely deaths of their spiritual brothers and sisters murdered silently amidst the cheers of the raging feminists. And then, with the support of my husband, I put on the armor of God and began fighting against abortion for the sake of our family and all the little endangered ones. The faithful Catholic family is the greatest bulwark against the relentless culture of death.

October 4, 1969

Ostensibly, the Synod is supposed to strengthen, renew, sanctify, and increase the number of faithful Catholic families. That, at least, should be its goal. But we all know from last year's Extraordinary Synod and machinations of the "progressive bishops" that many do not share that vision. Rather than build up the nuclear family, they want to transform the definition of "faithful Catholic family" to include adulterous unions and same-sex partnerships.

Was it an accident that the Synod opens on the day we hear readings from Genesis and St. Mark that affirm the family? Certainly not in God's providence. Genesis reminds us that "a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh." One man and one woman -- not a series of men or women like musical chairs and not two men or two women playing house together. It is the sacred union of Adam and Eve that God blesses when he gives them dominion over all creation, tells them to multiply and fill the earth, and looks at all he has made and finds it "very good."

What's Wrong with the Synod on the Family?

Plenty! I have high regard for Phil Lawler and he is no knee jerk critic. So when he points out problems, orthodox Catholics would do well to listen. I've highlighted a few particularly important passages in red. Pray for the Synod Fathers. If they "squander this opportunity" or, even worse, follow a liberalizing agenda that further confuses the faithful like so many clergy did after Vatican II and Humanae Vitae, God help them on Judgment Day. Check out the complete articles by clicking on Part I and Part II.

Part I -- Shuffling the Deck Chairs:

If what we hear from the Synod Hall is an accurate representation of the actual discussion, the bishops are missing the big picture. Worse, they are squandering an opportunity to deliver the one message that our society most desperately needs to hear....

[A]s we have lost our theoretical understanding of what constitutes real marriage, we have also lost our practical ability to hold marriages together. The widespread acceptance of divorce...was the first sign of that failure. But the problem grew exponentially with the acceptance of “no-fault” divorce laws, which made it possible for one party to sever a marriage contract. As Stephen Baskerville observed for Crisis magazine: “Today it is not possible to form a binding agreement to create a family.”...

Real marriage has three essential characteristics:

Pope Francis Papacy Timeline 2015

Mercy and compassion are used to
justify undermining God's truth and justice.

To see previous years go here.

The beat goes on in 2015 as Pope Francis continues undermining the faith. This will be an important year particularly because of the document Laudato Si on the environment and the second synod on the family which will be used as references to support heterodox interpretations later, particularly in preparation for the Amazon Synod.

January 12 - 19: Apostolic Visit to Sri Lanka and the Philippines. The press conference on the way home from this papal visit was, to say the least, interesting. It gave the pope one more opportunity to put his foot in his mouth when he said Christians didn't need to act like rabbits. He talked about "responsible parenthood" in a way that implied small families. He also said some good things. Unfortunately, we're used to him saying some good things while he acts in a way that undermines his words. See more here.

Put First Things First: Do You Know What a Synod Is?

THE BUCK STOPS HERE!

There's been a lot of concern over the synod as well there should be. It is putting the Church and the faith front and center before the world. No matter what comes out of the synod, many will use the confusion and heresy promoted by some of the bishops to spin a dissenting version of the faith, scandalize the weak, and lead many into sin. Sometimes the perception about a thing has more power than the reality as we learned from the "spirit" of Vatican II and the dissent from Humanae Vitae which have had such a devastating impact on the faith.

Today, I decided to take a look at what Canon Law says about a synod. It's covered in Canons 342-348. Lest people misunderstand what's going on in Rome, here is the definition of a synod and what it can and cannot do:

CANCEL THE YOUTH SYNOD! BISHOPS "HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CREDIBILITY!"

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia,
a bishop with some common sense!

Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia has called for cancellation of the Youth Synod scheduled for October. Thank God for a voice of reason! At a recent conference he said, “I have written the Holy Father and called on him to cancel the upcoming synod on young people. Right now, the bishops would have absolutely no credibility in addressing this topic!"

What an understatement! Not only that, but it's become clearer and clearer that the agenda for these events is to undermine Church's teaching on a whole panoply of issues. Journalist Edward Pentin who reported on the two synods on the family in 2014-2015 pointed that out at the alternative meeting in Dublin last week during the World Meeting on the Family. (What sad times we live in when orthodox Catholics have to stage alternative meetings to address the dissent and error of the "official" events.) Here's part of what he said in his talk:

The Shadow Magisterium Goes Mainstream: Part 1

The revolution has
been going on for a long
time. This book is well
worth reading!

Editor's Note: This article appeared in the Fall issue of the Les Femmes newsletter. Due to some computer problems, the last few issues are not yet online, but if you are interested in checking out the newsletter archives visit www.lesfemmes-thetruth.org.

Back in 2000 I wrote a two-part series for the Les Femmes newsletter entitled Shadow Magisterium Foments Revolution in the Church pointing out the “grim reality” Catholics faced:

...a shadow magisterium competes...with the authentic shepherds to shape, or rather misshape, the minds and hearts of Catholics.... The revolutionaries are found amongst theologians, professors on university campuses, liturgical design consultants, seminary teachers, and employees in diocesan chanceries and parish offices. They develop curricula, organize seminars, run national organizations, work for the USCCB (U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops) and teach in Catholic schools. Some are deliberate and malicious; others are useful dupes and fellow travelers. All work to replace the Catholic faith with modernism, ... the "synthesis of all heresies."

Rereading those articles recently was sobering.

Another Day, Another Synod, Another Opportunity to Attack the Faith of Our Fathers

Will the Pan-Amazon Synod October October  6-27 lead the Church to "a point of no return?"

I just started reading the working document for the latest synod. At 45,000 words it is not a job for
the timid. Frankly, I'd rather go to the dentist, but I think we all need to know what the pope and his minions are up to. The synods on youth and the family did not advance or defend the faith at all. Vatican correspondent Edward Pentin pointed out some "areas of concern" from the youth document including ambiguous language about homosexuality, the role of women in the Church, and the sex abuse crisis. The two synods on the family created more ambiguity and revealed, according to George Weigel:

Welcome to the Barney Church Where the Synod Spin has Already Begun

My previous post on the Barney priest in the Diocese of Orange elicited a comment that identified where he is now, Santa Clara in Yorba Linda. What's more interesting is what he's up to. Fr. Barney clearly wants the Church to change according to the recommendations of the German bishops and others like Blase Cupich of Chicago. In short, they want the Barney Church.



Many people warned that regardless of what the Synod on the Family actually said, the perception  would be what really counts. And "Fr. Barney" (Fred Bailey) is already hot to spin the synod and change the doctrines in practice if not in word. Here's some of what he said in last Sunday's bulletin message:

Fr. Gerard Murray: Puts the Claim of a Two-Thirds Approval by the Synod Fathers to the Lie

"Go your way and sin no more." John 8:11

The Pope Francis idolaters are busy as bees promoting the falsehood that two-thirds of the Synod Fathers approved of giving Communion to the divorced and invalidly remarried. Is it true? NO! The disputed paragraphs now being treated like doctrine did NOT receive the necessary two-thirds vote of the Synod but were ordered to be included by Pope Francis himself. It appears we are now seeing exactly why that happened as the Synod is distorted by the modernists. (It's deja vu! The "Spirit of Vatican II" has reincarnated as the "Spirit of the Synod.") 

Topsy and Tuptim Slog Through Part 2 of the Amazon Document with its Community Organizing Focus

Topsy and Tuptim meet at the Christmas in July 5K and Fun Run to support their children and grandchildren who are participating. They stage their chairs near the finish line then get iced coffee and muffins at the snack bar.

Fr. Tom on the Synod on Synodality

These images are praised by the Synod organizers. Note the woman priest's vestments and the pride shirt on the person (man? woman?) in yellow. The "listening Church" is promoting things that would destroy her as Cardinal Mueller warns, calling the Synod a "hostile takeover of the Church!"

Editor's Comment: The next phase of the Synod on Synodality already has its assault team lined up and ready to tear down more Church doctrine. According to LifeSiteNews the 45 page document "to guide the next stage of the Synod on Synodality...calls for more inclusion of the divorced and 're-married,' LGBT groups, and proposes a 'female diaconate.'” Are we surprised that Rome is moving forward with more Church-wrecking schemes? In view of all this, Fr. Collins' article has particular relevance. We need to pray for priests and laity to push back against these assaults on the faith. Let us all consecrate ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He is the head of the Church. The pope is only His vicar on earth. When he plays the role of Judas he cannot be obeyed! When will our bishops make a concerted effort to defend the faith and rights of the flock to receive the unadulterated truth rather than a hodgepodge of heresy and dissent?

From the Synod Road Show -- Fr. Lombardi: "I don’t have to tell you anything I don't want to."

These comments deserve emphasis:

The Goal of the Synodal Takeover of the Church Is the Corruption of Priests! Thank God for the SSPX!

Remember Good-Bye Good Men, Michael Rose's book about the attack on orthodox men aspiring to the priesthood? Corrupt seminaries welcoming homosexuals bearing nicknames like The Pink Palace (St. Mary's in Baltimore) had gatekeepers to make sure only those who supported women's ordination, homosexuality, changes in moral teaching on sexuality, etc. were accepted. Those "rigid" Catholics, men who loved the faith as taught over the millennia, were blacklisted, excluded, and expelled especially if they had the temerity to tell seminary rectors about being approached by their gay classmates. Actually, sometimes they were approached by faculty. And they often ended up being told they were unfit for the priesthood. 

Part 6: The Modernist Synodalistas are Back. Some Things Never Change!

Modernists work the problem of "updating" the Church to conform to the world with predictable strategies. They aren't particularly creative; they just repeat the same thing over and over. Sad to say, these repetitive attacks seem to do the trick more often than not -- at least in the short term. The secular world uses them as well. Perhaps that's why they succeed so often. They appeal to the worldly. "Hey! Give them another crisis and we'll scare them into submission!" The message from the Modernists is a little different. "Give them another excuse for their favorite sins and we'll have them by the nose!"

Topsy and Tuptim Start Part 3 of the Synod Working Document at the Opthalmologist's Office

Topsy and Tuptim sit in the opthalmologist's waiting room.

Topsy: Thanks for driving me. I have a terrible time seeing when they dilate my pupils. All this studying the document has done a number on my eyes. Last night while I was reading Part 3 everything went blurry. Thank God I was almost finished. I just needed to review a few footnotes from the last chapter. But the page looked like the Russian alphabet. I think I probably need a stronger prescription.

Tuptim: (Sarcastically...) Gosh, do you think the Russians are colluding in the synod and conspired to make your eyesight deteriorate so we couldn't finish critiquing the working doc?

Topsy: (Laughing...) No... it was the Germans in collusion with the South American liberation theology gurus.

Pope Francis Papacy Timeline -- 2014

See 2013 here.

Moving on to 2014, we see the wheels of the Francis agenda whirling along. He says many orthodox things not backed up by his actions. The media pope worship continues. "Friends of Francis" seem to be those who are most antagonistic toward orthodoxy. The pope's negative rhetoric is increasingly aimed at the orthodox who are labeled "rigid" and "Pharisaical." This harping on "rigidity" began in 2013 and is a continuous thread running through the pope's homilies and addresses. It is almost universally aimed at those who embrace orthodoxy as it's been handed down through the millennia from the Fathers of the Church and the magisterium. Francis often sounds like Obama talking about Christians who cling to their Bibles and their guns. Meanwhile he aids and abets those whose agenda includes turning the Church into one more politically correct Protestant sect in line with the Spiritus Mundi. 

• January 16, 2014: Pope Francis has personal audience with Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop emeritus of Los Angeles. Mahony will become an important "friend of Francis" acting as papal representative following his resignation in 2011. Let's take a look at Cardinal Mahony. He is notorious for wrecking the West Coast Religious Education Congress (REC) which is a hotbed of dissent and liberalism. He also was personally disgraced when diocesan personnel files, which were finally revealed after a six-year lawsuit, showed that he covered up for over 100 predator priests in Los Angeles. Mahony was stripped of all "administrative and public church duties" in the Archdiocese by his successor, Archbishop Jose Gomez, in 2013. 

Full Text of Cardinal Burke Interview on the Synod with BuzzFeedNews

The media has widely reported that Cardinal Burke accused the pope of "harming the Church." He did not actually say that. Loose-lipped reporters can cause a lot of confusion and, let's face it, the Vatican these days doesn't need any help in that department. 

The Interview

Here's the relevant portion of the interview and what Cardinal Burke actually said:

BFN: I know you don’t have a lot of time, so why don’t we just dive in. I’ve seen your comments suggesting that [the Extraordinary Synod on the Family] was being manipulated. Can you say a little bit more about that, and who is doing the manipulating? 

CB: Since the presentation of Cardinal Kasper in February to the extraordinary consistory of cardinals, there’s been a consistent repetition of [Kasper’s] position that is trying to weaken the church’s teaching and practice with regard to the indissolubility of marriage. This has just been consistent, casting the synod — which was to be on the family, directed in a positive way on family life — suggesting that the main purpose of the synod would be to permit those who are in irregular unions to receive the sacraments of penance and holy communion, which is not possible. If someone is bound to a prior marriage which has not been declared null, and is living as husband or wife with someone else. That’s a public state of sin and therefore the person cannot receive holy communion or go to the sacrament of penance until the matter is resolved. 

But that’s been — all along this keeps coming back, and I see more clearly than ever that that’s how the synod is. And certainly the media has picked up on this — very much so. 

BFN: To the question of how that’s being done, presumably the pope was the one who asked Cardinal Kasper to frame the synod. Are you saying that [the pope] is the one who is manipulating these proceedings? 

CB: The pope has never said openly what his position is on the matter and people conjecture that because of the fact that he asked Cardinal Kasper — who was well known to have these views for many, many years — to speak to the cardinals and has permitted Cardinal Kasper to publish his presentation in five different languages and to travel around advancing his position on the matter, and then even recently to publicly claim that he’s speaking for the pope and there’s no correction of this. 

I can’t speak for the pope and I can’t say what his position is on this, but the lack of clarity about the matter has certainly done a lot of harm.

"Lack of clarity!" A far cry from Jesus who attracted the masses because he "spoke with authority." Today we are bogged down in a muddled mess of confusion. Keep praying for Holy Mother Church and for all our shepherds.