ACI Prensa interviewed Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, archbishop emeritus of Philadelphia, about the confusion and controversies that have arisen around the German bishops’ Synodal Way. The North American archbishop, who has participated in numerous synods during three pontificates, including as one of the representatives of America at the 2015 Synod of Bishops on the Family, is a widely recognized authority on the matter.
What’s your reaction to recent pronouncements of the synod organizers who told continental assemblies not to “impose an agenda” on discussions?
The only worthy agenda for the synod is the one given to us by Jesus in the Gospels. The Church right now is a divided house, both the ecclesial left and right have agendas. Church gatherings should be about proclaiming the Gospel and not about advancing a particular ideology or sociological analysis.
The president of the German bishops’ conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing, has said that his task is to bring “a worldwide process that is meant to renew the Church” and that “We [the Church] need convincing answers about how we can rediscover and proclaim the Gospel.” This has been combined with a majority of German bishops and a German synodal path that advocate for the blessing of same-sex unions, reshaping the priesthood and diaconate, including the ordination of women, allowing open Communion with Protestants and those in irregular marriages, and other doctrinal changes. What is your reaction to these proposals as “convincing answers and proclamations of the Gospel?”
The Church has always given convincing answers. They’re convincing because they’re true; not always easy or welcome, but life-giving and true. That’s what explains the success of Christianity through time. Getting back to fundamentals is what will renew the Church — not answers that are convenient for the times, but violate Catholic belief.
Recently, U.S. Cardinal Robert McElroy echoed many of the same [German] ideas in the media, prompting a response from American Archbishop Samuel Aquila and African Cardinal Wilfred Napier, both of whom believed Cardinal McElroy missed Jesus’ call to “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” What’s your reaction to the global criticism of these views?
Cardinal McElroy clearly and courageously wrote about his convictions. Unfortunately, many of his convictions are wrong and contrary to the faith of the Church. I’m surprised — and what’s worse, many good people are confused and scandalized — that he hasn’t been publicly corrected by the Holy See.
Latin America is currently 40% of the world’s Catholic population, but has said very little on the topic of synodality. What do you make of the relative silence from Latin America regarding the Synod on Synodality?
It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment; they know their pastoral circumstances much better than I do.
What encouragement would you give to your Latin American brother bishops during this synodal process?
I’d remind all bishops, not just my brothers in Latin America, that our one unique responsibility as bishops is to proclaim and protect the apostolic tradition of the Church. We may or may not need to do that in new and creative ways; but on a foundational level, we need to protect the faith from distortion and pass it on to others, fully and effectively, as we received it….
Full interview at the National Catholic Register.
We are indeed scandalized and confused that Cardinal McElroy’s convictions are contrary to the Faith. No one could ever describe McElroy’s statements as being other than purposely sly and ambiguous, and certainly not “courageous”. I think Archbishop Chaput’s lead sentence was an attempt to damn him with faint praise before letting him have it with both barrels.
I am not scandalized. I know the faith.
I am not confused. I know the faith.
There was nothing sly or ambiguous in what McElroy wrote.
I do not consider them courageous, either.
I think he should not have written it because as a Cardinal in the Catholic Church, he should have abandoned any opinions like this and only spoken with the mind of the Church.
I do not agree with his view or vision of the Church.
I am sorry if I misgendered Cardinal McElroy. I think the “them” I used was referring to his ideas, but it could be taken differently.
Dear Shepherd,
Humble thanks for much needed guidance.
Without faith, nothing about the Catholic Church makes any sense.
Faith is a gift from God that we need to beseech God to bestow.
Go through Mary.
There is an interesting– but tragic– news story, in the “National Catholic Register,” all about one of the posthumously-published essays of Pope Benedict, decrying the “Protestantization of the Eucharist” — making it easy for many to assume that intercommunion with Protestants is theologically possible and “natural,” since Vatican II. He also laments the dwindling of interest in the Sacrament of Confession, in the post-Conciliar era– and much more! Sorry for poor Pope Benedict– but a great many of us lamented all of this, right after the Council! But I also wondered if our Pope and clerical Council leaders, with attempts to foster a spirit of goodwill in ecumenism, were trying to do some good for Christianity– and for the world. Anyway– I am sorry for poor Pope Benedict. But I must say, that our top Church clerical leaders, naively and cowardly allowing so much confusion, dissension and outright heresy, as well as scandalously immoral, false teachings, in the post-Conciliar era– with little or no Church discipline– have nearly destroyed our poor Church! They did tremendous damage to the Church, while we were all forced to watch, upset and powerless! Millions of souls have been misled, confused and lost! Pope Benedict would have slept much better at night, with very little of his insomnia, as an elderly, sick Pope– if stability and order in the Catholic Church had continued, after the Council– no teaching nor practice of heresies, immorality, etc. etc.– kindness, yes– but order, respect for God, and good discipline, always. No disorder, “psychobabble,” “hippie luv,” and ridiculous “babying” of wayward clerics and laymen. That is not Christian Love! A Pope should have no worries, of waking up each day, to ridiculous things like “an angry LGBT revolution of the clergy.” No way! You have Canon Law procedures to follow, you excommunicate if needed. And you tell all the world, clearly, “This is the Catholic Church, established 2,000+ years ago, by Jesus Christ. Here are Christ’s True Teachings. Respect it!” And you tell all Catholic clergy, “you either uphold Catholic teachings– or we will start procedures, by Canon Law– and you may be excommunicated. We always give you the chance to repent. Tomorrow, the Canon Law procedures begin.” With loving obedience to Christ, and obedience to Canon Law– there would be no such thing, as a “Cardinal McElroy,” a “Cardinal Hollerich,” an Archbishop Paglia,” the gang of “bad German bishops,” etc. etc. They would all be gone, fast. If the Catholic Church would return to operating correctly, by Church discipline and order, with Canon Law– then, I bet all popes would sleep peacefully, at night. And all of us would sleep peacefully at night, too.
I read that article. The essay is from 2018. It was a response to questions on whether the Protestant spouses of Catholics could receive Communion in the Catholic Church.
It has nothing to do with Vatican II.
The calls for intercommunion he was discussing in the past were from Protestants and from politicians.
It has little to do with ecumenism.
I feel like you are grafting this essay onto some thoughts that you have that may not be accurate and have a whiff of heresy and dissension themselves.
Then your comment goes completely off the rails.
I honestly don’t know what to say. It appears that you have been influenced by some people online who write negatively about the Church.
No, you don’t get it. What I was referring to, is that in the post-Conciliar era, a simple obedience, by top Catholic popes and prelates, to Christ– and to the Catechism and Canon Law– would have fixed the problem. But since Vatican II, there has been too much lawlessness allowed, in the Catholic Church. The top prelates and the popes won’t admit it. Without maintaining order, and discipline, in the Faith– everything falls to pieces. This is true for any endeavor in life. You can’t run anything– even sports– without obeying the Coach, and good, correct leadership, and order, rules, discipline, game-plan… faithfulness to Christ is a must, for His Church. Don’t dumb-down the Church, follow Our Lord exactly. You can’t run a Catholic parish, a school, or have poor Catholic parents try to raise kids in a “zoo” like what we have had, in the post-Conciliar Church… it has all been worse than a wild zoo. Sure, Pope Benedict said he can’t sleep at night. Neither can devout Catholic parents. Don’t send your kids to an expensive, horrific, post-Conciliar, Gavin Newsom/Jerry Brown-style Jesuit high school or college. The Catholic Church freely let Nancy Pelosi and her pals wreck Convent School of the Sacred Heart, in San Francisco, in the 1970s. Later, Stuart Hall (for Catholic boys) was likewise wrecked. Can’t send your kids there– or anywhere. Now– what’s the problem, with Catholic devotion to the Eucharist? Everybody knows… Hey– remember when the Catholic Church made Joe DiMaggio very mad in the 1950s– because he wanted a “Catholic annulment/divorce” (or something) from his first wife, whom he married at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, in SF– so he could wed Marilyn Monroe? And the Catholic Church said “No.” Poor Joe. That’s life. Gotta grow up. But what would the Church say to him, today? Would they baby Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe– give them what they want? (Plus, he was abusive, and their civil marriage at City Hall didn’t even last a year.) Christ has always made lots of people mad. But I don’t care.
Joe DiMaggio even made an appointment and asked the famous Ven. Abp. Fulton J. Sheen for his help, in NYC, to wed Marilyn Monroe. But Sheen told him “No,” too! So, Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe went down to the SF City Hall and had a civil marriage ceremony (second marriage for both) and then went and took some wedding pictures over at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, in North Beach. But their marriage did not last…
I don’t want to sound cruel towards poor Joe DiMaggio or Marilyn Monroe– they both had some really terrible life problems. And poor Joe DiMaggio was the one they called, to come and make some arrangements to bury his poor, dead ex-wife, after she killed herself– she had no family, she really had no one. And nobody knew what to do. As for poor old Pope Benedict– he had a terrible time with many of his colleagues in the Church, after Vatican II– so many became lawless, heretical, immoral– like the bad German bishops. I still love Pope Benedict.
Pope Benedict was an adult. He was an intellectual. He did not get all emotional about stuff. He was a gentleman. He discussed things. He repented of some of his own theological beliefs from his earlier career.
He never condemned people. He disagreed with them. He did not punish. He may have been a little too lenient.
All true. Pope Benedict was a devoted follower of Christ. Many of his colleagues in the Church were not. I know it hurt him greatly, and caused him stress– bless him!
As you may recall– the year of the Joe DiMaggio/Marilyn Monroe marriage was 1954. Bishop Sheen had his fabulous TV show–“Life is Worth Living” — at that time.
Today, in the Vatican II era– there is not as much respect for the Holy Eucharist. In some churches, the Tabernacle has been removed from the center of the main altar, at the front of the church– and placed at a side altar. Many Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence– and have poor catechesis. Many priests and prelates do not correctly teach Catholics how to properly prepare for and receive Christ in Holy Communion, and give the false idea, that it makes no difference, you do not have to even lead a good life, reception of Communion is sort of dumbed- down by them, to a “human community bondedness in Christ” kind of thing– very false! The emphasis by many clerics is on “being human,” and viewing the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as a sort of “fellowship and community meal,” in Christ’s Name– like many Protestant sects. Prelates who correctly tell wayward, pro-abortion, pro-gay “marriage” Catholic politicians they cannot receive Communion, unless they go to Confession and repent of their sins– are often reprimanded by other top clerical leaders, in the post-Conciliar Church.
So this is the filter or lens through which you read the article.
Of course. Everyone has a particular background, knowledge and experience, when they read something, and think intelligently about what they are reading. That is the normal way to read and think about things in life.