In my 35 year teaching career I have been through enough new initiatives to be able to spot bluff and drivel in any document. The synod on synodality fits the bill as an initiative that will pass into history as the biggest waste of paper in the world. For any initiative to work you need to have a clear vision of what you hope to achieve. The synod path is flawed from the beginning because no one has defined exactly what synodality means. There is no coherent definition. I doubt Pope Francis cares for he is in record as saying he likes to create a mess. And a mess is what we are going to get.
You are right about initiatives and what I call waffle words. In my 30 years of teaching I lived through so many of these. No good came ftom them! I pray this horror show will be stopped in its tracks but I suspect it will roll forward .
This is something I am fully convinced of in my heart. I remember thinking in similar fashion at the time of the Amazonian Synod. However, the fact that this is a universal synod in the truest sense of the word, carries more weight. May the Lord's Mercy prevail throughout the world! O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse in thee!
The logo for this synod looks like fire falling from the sky, sheesh. It also reminds me of a Dilbert comic about a meeting regarding a pre-meeting meeting.
I think Francis is trying to use the clamor of lay people in the Church (even non-practicing Catholics) to legitimize the reforms he himself intends.
What if we all showed up and said the most needful thing is for all of us to heed the messages of our Lady of Fatima according to our state in life to give peace to the world and Triumph of her heart. For us the daily rosary and daily offering. For the Pope and bishops consecration of Russia. Or what if we all demanded the 5th Marian Dogma proclaiming our dear mother as Mediatrix of all Graces. Aren’t we the Voice of the faithful?
The scope of the agenda is so broad and vague that its outcome can be pre-determined. Consider the results of the German Synod, or even more to the point, the behind-the-scenes preparation for Traditionis Custodes. This has been the nature of things during the Francis pontificate. Luan has it correct: if you have virtually everyone giving input, the outcome is up in the air. So far under Francis, we've had the synods on the family and then the Amazonian Synod. I have very little confidence in such undertakings, even less in this one. Though I tremble at the thought of my personal Warning, I pray that such a universal gift will clear the murky air and eliminate fence-sitters; that is something these synods never accomplish. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
If we can make such convictions public, each of us should take advantage of the opportunity- by all means! If they are swept under the rug, so be it, but we must be willing to stand up and do so. If each deacon is given an opportunity to do so, I will take advantage of it. As you've noticed I don't have a difficulty in expressing my opinion.
Please forgive me if this was posted earlier. I just finished this in it’s entirety and it really hit home with me….emotionally….in a way it didn’t before. I can’t help but think that God will not continue to allow this much longer….
No, the pope refuses to meet with those who are not in league with him or his agenda. Apparently Baby killer Pelosi is worthy of a photo op and gift exchange for the world to witness shortly after this vile, evil person demanded the worse, horrific pro abortion agenda in the USA ever. But no, folks like us are too “ ridged”… we would choose to not allow a mother to kill her baby. And please, don’t anyone tell me the pope has made prolife statements of late….words, words, words,….. PF and Pelosi….that picture is worth a thousand words to the world!
The decisions of the synod are already predetermined because the term dialogue in this sense means having selective hearing and only paying attention to those perspectives that fit the liberal agenda.
I’m not sure of what you mean exactly…. The entirety of the video and all of its content re the synod, Pelosi etc. was what I was referring too…not necessarily the thumbnail….but, who knows!
I was referring to the so called 'mason' handshake when the Pope and Pelosi shook hands. I don't think the Pope is a mason but the handshake is just so obviously a wind-up to get people talking.
Well regardless of the “ handshake “, there is plenty in this video that is worthy….and it doesn’t make me happy to say that….but the truth is the truth.
I think the handshake is more a spiritual thing, like neither the pope or Pelosi have any idea what it indicates but the awkwardness caused by both of their behaviors spontaneously resulted in something resembling freemasonry. I think this is actually worse than if it were intentional because it indicates that they're controlled by bad spirits and that the handshake was developed in anticipation of moments like this.
The context of the preparatory document is concerning - not one mention of human SIN! The Preparatory Document reminds us of the context in which this Synod is taking place – a global pandemic, local and international conflicts, growing impact of climate change, migration, various forms of injustice, racism, violence, persecution, and increasing inequalities across humanity, to name a few. In the Church, the context is also marked by the suffering experienced by minors and vulnerable people “due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power, and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons.”2 With all this being said, we find ourselves at a crucial moment in the life of the Church and the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has made existing inequalities explode. At the same time, this global crisis has revived our sense that we are all in the same boat, and that “one person’s problems are the problems of all” (FT, 32). The context of the COVID-19 pandemic will surely affect the unfolding of the Synodal Process. This global pandemic creates real logistical challenges, but also offers an opportunity to promote the revitalization of the Church at a critical time in human history, when many local Churches are facing various questions about the path forward.
