The following comes from an Aug. 26 release from Christian News Service.
Communion for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics, the indissolubility of marriage, cohabitation and contraception are just a few of the many controversial topics to be discussed when Catholic bishops from across the globe meet with Pope Francis at the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops Oct. 5-19 at the Vatican.
Ignatius Press, one of the largest religious publishers in the world, is publishing four books in the fall that will address issues of the upcoming synod. The Catholic publisher will also have a number of authors available to comment on the topics before and during the Synod.
THE HOPE OF THE FAMILY: A Dialogue With Cardinal Gerhard Muller, written by Gerhardt Ludwig Muller, addresses some of the main problems with the family in the Church today — the large number of Catholics who live together before marriage, who marry civilly, or who do not even bother with marriage, as if these choices were sound options for Catholic living. In this engaging conversation, Cardinal Müller, one of Pope Francis’ top advisers in the Vatican, discusses the challenges facing marriage and family life today.
The loss of faith in many traditionally Christian societies has led to a crisis. In turn, cohabitation, civil marriage, and divorce and civil remarriage, further undermine faith because they harm the family as the “domestic Church” and the place of initial evangelization. The solution, according to Cardinal Muller, is that the Church must undertake a robust new evangelization of the family- sharing the fullness of truth about marriage and family in Christ, encouraging families to worship and pray together, and helping them witness by their lives to the joy of the gospel.
Cardinal Müller stresses mercy and compassion in pastoral ministry with struggling Catholics, without contradicting the teaching of Jesus about divorce and remarriage and minimizing the power of grace to transform lives. He proclaims hope for the family rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
THE GOSPEL OF THE FAMILY: Going Beyond Cardinal Kasper’s Proposal in the Debate on Marriage, Re-Marriage and Communion in the Church, written by theologians Stephan Kampowski and J.J. Perez-Soba, critiques Cardinal Kasper’s proposal for a different approach to the issue of divorce and civil remarriage in the Catholic Church. The authors appreciate certain elements of Kasper’s proposal while criticizing some of its doctrinale, pastoral, and pastorals elements. The book is a positive contribution providing an alternative merciful pastoral approach inspired by the Magisterium and by the testimony of Saint John Paul II, whom Pope Francis has held up to the whole Church as “the Pope of the Family.”
REMAINING IN THE TRUTH OF CHRIST: Marriage and Communion in the Catholic Church, written by Robert Dorado, O.S.A, is an in-depth response by five well-known Cardinals — Walter Brandmülle, Raymond Leo Burke, Carlo Caffarra, Velasio De Paolis, C.S., and Gerhard Ludwig Müller — and four other scholars — Dodaro, Paul Mankowski, S.J., John M. Rist and Archbishop Cyril Vasil, S.J. — to Cardinal Kasper’s proposal regarding marriage, civil re-marriage and reception of the Eucharist. The book draws on both biblical texts and early Christian writings on marriage, and shows how the Church’s longstanding fidelity to the truth of marriage is the irrevocable foundation of its mercy in its pastoral practice with civilly remarried, divorced people.
ON HUMAN LIFE: Humane Vitae, written by Pope Paul VI and rereleased featuring a new foreword from Mary Eberstadt and a new afterword from James Hitchcock, is Pope Paul VI’s explanation of why the Catholic Church rejects contraception. Paul VI referred to two aspects, or “meanings,” of human sexuality — the unitive and procreative aspects. Paul VI also warned of the consequences if contraception became widely practiced — greater infidelity in marriage, confusion regarding the nature of human sexuality and its role in society, the objectification of women for sexual pleasure, compulsive “family planning” and contraceptive policies by government, and the reduction of the human body as an instrument of human manipulation, all of which have come to pass. Other dangers such as genetic engineering and human cloning are on the horizon.
St. John Paul II’s popular “theology of the body” drew deeply on the insights of Paul VI. Pope Benedict and now Pope Francis have upheld the long-standing teaching. Indeed, a new generation of Catholics is embracing ON HUMAN LIFE: Humane Vitae.
THE HOPE OF THE FAMILY: A Dialogue With Cardinal Gerhard Muller–I’ve got my copy ordered. Dear Lord, keep your holy Bishops strong and give your confused Bishops the grace to change.
And I have ordered “Remaining in the Truth of Christ”.
Sure nice to see Catholics in unity. Thanks I will order them too.
Sandra,
You are being over polite in calling them “confused Bishops”. Apostate “Bishops” would be more truthful!
What a SCANDAL to have the head of the USCCB, Cardinal Dolan be the Grand Marshall of the first New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade in which Sodomites will be openly participating!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksepNZO7xy0&list=UUX17igkZ9JhU64JoTBVSWeQ
Watch this and see the Bishop line-up on both sides of Holy Mother Church. God Bless Mother Angelica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS7DjPv-0kc&list=UUX17igkZ9JhU64JoTBVSWeQ&index=1
round 2
SandraD,
Thank you for posting both of those links. They were both very informative regarding the new programming. Yes….God Bless Mother Angelica!
Creepy feelings are rising — the Synod has all the trappings of a theological disaster. Well, the Vatican bureaucrats, liberal to the core, did their number on Benedict, and are gearing up to “complete Vatican II”. Too bad Francis is not the man to stand up to this, particularly as he really seems to like “his theologian” Cardinal Kasper. What a tragedy! Cardinal Burke and others that are fighting the good fight will need to be organized now, as there is no going back. So little remains of the true Church now. Yes, prays and blessing for Mother Angelica who fought the good fight and was beaten down only by the sheer force of numbers of the apostates, like Cardinal Mahony. There are still many of them around and they run things, but that can and will change. Rise up, Catholics, and take back the Church. Stop giving your hard earned money to bishops that do not deserve it (and tell them so, as well as the Pope).
I wish Raymond Cardinal Burke could be our Pope!
Amen. Pray Linda Maria about it. The Lord is merciful and hears our requests.
Since more Cardinals/Bishops (such as Kasper) are teaching HERSEY, and SACRILEGE against the Body and Blood of our Lord,
it is all the more important for all literate Catholics to own and READ – – – – a Catholic “BIBLE” and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” (dark green cover in the USA).
Both are also available through Ignatius Press, EWTN catalogue, and many other Catholic catalogue web sites.
Confusion and Relativism toward mortal sin is perpetrated by CARDINAL Kasper and others.
CCC: ” 2285 Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized.
It prompted our Lord to utter this curse: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others.
Jesus reproaches the scribes and Pharisees on this account: he likens them to wolves in sheep’s clothing. ”
Here is a recent sample of the heresy of one US Cardinal: https://www.churchmilitant.tv/fullpreview/?vidID=ciax-2014-09-03
He even purposely twists the meaning of ‘judgment’ to justify his heresy and scandal.
Re: judgment – Jn 7:24; Lk 6:42; Mt 7:5.
MIKE I guess I am naive. Refresh my memory on Kasper? What has he done and where is he dissenting? I just need some refreshing up on things. Maybe he was brought up here before. I am trying to assemble all this stuff. I don’t even get what is wrong with this Synog? I appreciate your comments, you are one source in which I trust because I know that you are in full communion with the church.
I completely agree with your comments. You express them well. The truth is what sets us free and helps us distinguish who is for or against Christ. Dissent comes in many shapes and sizes, from within and out. I get nightmares when I reflect on our Lord’s passion. How thy beat Him, ridiculed Him. Its a pity how humans continue to fight our Lord, they are rebellious children Let us not take for granted that if it wasn’t for our Lord’s passion, how many of us would be damned. It is His mercy, His passion that gives us “time” to repent and seek Him. Its a tragedy to be spiritually blind. That is why our prayers done in love, in union with Christ, only in Him, for others and for ourselves, pleading with God to forgive us our sins, to help us make right by Him.
“MIKE”: Agreed, but the revolutionaries are in charge of the Church now, and will ignore protests from you and other orthodox Catholics. What must be done is a personal outreatch to each bishop, the USCCB, the Vatican and to other Catholic media sources (and non-Catholic sources). The liberals understand embarrassment and they understand having less money; these need to be pursued (and the threat of each, as well). Those in power in the Church will simply turn a deaf-ear to protests, saying that those who raise such are “hard hearted” and “like the priest that ignored the injured man, who was ultimately tended to by the Good Samaritan” — that sort of stuff. And, there are many, many “Catholics” who will agree with them; Catholics that rarely go to Mass and that support all manner of “opposition” positions on ordination, homosexual relationships, divorce/remarriage/sacraments, all of that. These are the people that the Church listens to and loves now. Just compare to how brutally the Church treats Traditionalists, people who only wish to worship Christ according to the Tradition of His own Church. You could not find bigger hypocrits than Cardinals Wuerl, Dolan and others that insist that their slap-happy version of the liturgy and the sacraments (including the giving out of communion to public supporters of abortion), and embracing of the homosexual sexual movement (have you ever seen effrontery such as is being displayed by Cardinal Dolan, who then says Mass?). Very important to advise all bishops that we are mad and are not going to take it any more. Your post was excellent.
You are right.
Personal outreach to our Bishops and Priests is an obligation / duty,
not merely a could or should.
CCC: 907 “In accord with the knowledge, competence, and preeminence which they possess, [lay people] have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church,
and they have a right to make their opinion known to the other Christian faithful,
with due regard to the integrity of faith and morals and reverence toward their pastors, and with consideration for the common good and the dignity of persons.”
and
Code of Canon Law 212 #3.
Yes, the heretics / schismatics and even non-Catholics who fund or are involved in trying to change Catholic Church teaching to suit their political beliefs have been much more politically astute than Faithful Catholics.
I agree MIKE. You are right on!
Mike,
What do you say to those who have been writing them, visiting them (even in Rome) and talking to them, only to be rebuked by THEM?
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
Continue reporting to Diocese Bishop, the US Papal Nuncio, and the Vatican as necessary.
Remember, since 1990 we have the internet in many households, and Code of Canon Law and CCC clearly state that we also have the duty to make our opinion known to the other Christian faithful.
Remember that you are not alone, and doing God’s work. Your reward may be in Heaven. Thank you for all you do for truth and the Church.
Document the abuses. Encourage others to participate as well.
Thanks MIKE for that encouragement. God bless you.
Stop the Synod!
The Holy Father has determined that the work of Synod of Bishops is to take place in two stages, forming an single organic unity. In the III Extraordinary General Assembly in 2014, the synod fathers will thoroughly examine and analyze the information, testimonies and recommendations received from the particular Churches in order to respond to the new challenges of the family. The Ordinary General Assembly in 2015, representing a great part of the episcopate and continuing the work of the previous synod, will reflect further on the points discussed so as to formulate appropriate pastoral guidelines.
Please read Instrumentum Laboris. The Synod is about the Family and the Church’s teaching on the family. While there will be some controversial things discussed, the main point is how the Church can more effectively teach about God’s plan for the family, including the indissolubility of marriage, marriage as a union of one man and one woman, the necessity of marriage, the purpose of marriage. It is also concerned with supporting marriages in crisis and preventing divorce, instructing young people in the true meaning of marriage and the sexual morality of the church including the prohibition of contraception, helping families who are struggling with poverty, addiction, mental illness and other stresses that cause family breakdown. It is a long document, but very important. The ‘sexy” topics get press coverage. There is much more to it.
Bishops do not need to have Synod to know that their own lack of accurate teaching over the past 40 years is the major part of the problem not only with Families but all Catholics.
LOL – It’s a joke about most Bishops teaching effectively, right?
Don’t you mean they should START teaching, since most don’t teach on much at all – – –
except their PERSONAL political teachings – on illegal immigration,
gun control, completely banning the death penalty,
supporting climate change issues, continuing to ask government to spend more rather than telling Federal and State Governments to pay their debts, ignoring subsidiarity,
Bishops being involved in politics, etc., – all of which violate accurate Church teaching.
Most of their personal opinions have nothing to do with getting to Heaven.
#1 Bishops must start: actively campaigning/ promoting the reading of the Bible and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” for all literate Catholics over age 15 – in their homes.
EVERY topic mentioned by Anonymous is included and taught in the Bible and CCC.
#2 Defrock the heretical Cardinals/Bishops, who do not adhere 100% to the Bible and CCC.
End of Synod, nothing else needed.
I just saved the Church a lot of time and money.
Now get to work – Bishops. And start by firing everyone in your Diocese offices and schools who do not adhere 100% to the Bible and CCC.
Nothing good will come out of the Synod, if Bishops do not place 85% of the blame squarely where it belongs – on them.
I read INSTRUMENTUM LABORIS from the Vatican web site.
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20050707_instrlabor-xi-assembly_en.html
We all need to pray for the Church. There are many topics that can lead us away from God by heretical / evil Bishops.
I guess I will have to leave the Latin rite and go to the Byzantine rite if the majority condone mortal sins, and Sacrilege against the Body and Blood of our Lord. I will not allow my Soul to be lost due to known participation in Sacrilege.
1 Cor 11:27-29.
“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. et a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. “
Sorry, “Anonymous,” virtually all Catholic “communal” efforts, of recent vintage, have been disasters, and the Synod makes no pretense of being any else. There is simply no need to re-discuss, re-analyze, re-plan anything: Church doctrines on marriage, divorce, remarriage, the sacraments are clear. The sole — and only — reason to hold the Synod is to set a “theological” basis to change things. There is no other possible reason for the Church to have such a high level meeting. No Synod should be held and none is needed; that should be the message, loud and clear. But, it will not be heeded, because the Vatican, and apparently Pope Francis, want to change things. And what they start to change will lead to changes in virtually everything, as there are no longer any true “Deposit of Faith” to block material reworking of Catholic beliefs. Just look at what Francis has done recently, in several ways, to “free” the people (living and dead) involved with “Liberation Theology,” a movement that St. JPII wisely saw as threatening to the entire Church. Too bad that Latin America is largely lost as Catholic anyway, but now Francis wants to import this same craziness to the entire Catholic world to finish the job. No, this lunacy has nothing to do with the “direction of the Holy Ghost”. Or, if it does, then we, and our Fathers in Faith, have been fools for centuries. There is simply no way to further split the hair; the Church will survive, as promised by Christ, but, to many, it will not thrive. Possibly there will be two, or more, Catholic Churches (at least in name), who knows. Impossibly sad and depressing.
Has anyone read this? https://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/santa-marta-36148/
I’m very thankful that we have this site to share our hopes and fears. Things are looking pretty grim right now. I signed a petition to stop the synod…like putting a finger in the dike or spitting in the ocean.
Have you read Instumentum Laboris?
St. Christopher, nothing to discuss? The family is in crisis. People don’t even understand why marriage is between a man and a woman only. Most young people live in sin or commit sin without thinking. Older people as well. People divorce, people abort their children, people turn to drugs, alcohol, serial relationships, kidnapping, even murder and suicide, because the basic cell of society, the basic support system for the individual has suffered such destruction. The Church is not being heard over the noise of the world. The Church is being seen as an enemy of the individual. This is a crisis of epic proportions.
We lost the Church 50 years ago with the Council, in its place we now have clowns, lesbian nuns, dancing girls, guitars, drums, lay lectors, altar girls, felt banners, social justice, dinner talbles instead of the Altar of Sacrifice, ripped out communion rails, torn out high altars, statues destroyed, ripped out kneelers, Mass in the vulgar tounge, Protestant hymns, priests, bishops and cardinals who are weak and effeminate, yes in an odd way Luther and the other heretics got want they wanted and the Catholic Church and Vatican II completed it, how ironic is that???????? If only Cardinal Burke or Ranjinth were elected Pope maybe just maybe they could have returned Holy Church to sanity. Remember what happend to the Franciscans of The Immaculate, now the sisters are under visitation, and remember the words that were said by Bergoglio on that flight back to Rome “WHO AM I TO JUDGE”? When will this nightmare end?
Janek don’t feed the gossip, that quote from the Pope was hyjacked and used for evil. Just like they did with Jesus own words so they can twist also His holy words. Look at the earlier saints, they too have been through adversity. Pray my friend. God loves charity. He is charity.
From Catholic New Agency: St. Polycarp was one of the immediate disciples of the Apostles, in particular St. John the Evangelist. He embraced Christianity very young and was named bishop of Smyrna. He was greatly respected by the faithful, wrote many letters and formed many holy disciples. His epistle to the Philippians – the only one to be preserved – demonstrates his apostolic spirit, his profound humility and meekness, and his great charity.
St. Polycarp fought against heresy. He also taught that Christians must walk in truth, do God’s will, keep all of His commandments, and love whatever He loved. Christians must refrain from all fraud, avarice, detraction, and rash judgment. They must repay evil with forgiveness and mercy. He taught that one must pray all the time, so as not to be led into temptation, fast, persevere and be joyful.
“Why are there quarrels and ill will and dissensions and schism and fighting among you? Do we not have one God and one Christ, and one Spirit of grace poured out upon us? And is there not one calling in Christ? Why do we wrench and tear apart the members of Christ, and revolt against our own body, and reach such folly as to forget that we are members of one another?” St. Clement Of Rome,”First Epistle To The Corinthians,” c. 96 A.D.
“He, therefore, who does not assemble with the Church, has even by this displayed his pride, and he has condemned himself.” St. Ignatius of Antioch, “Epistle to the Ephesians.” c. 105 A.D.
Pope Francis says he will be there only 2-3 more years; so start praying. I agree with you on Cardinal Burke.
God bless Cardinal Burke
Here is an EXCELLENT homily on our DUTY regarding FRATERNAL CORRECTION. (and judging).
It is so good that I have saved it as a “favorite”
https://blog.adw.org/2014/09/the-call-to-fraternal-correction-a-homily-for-the-23rd-sunday-of-the-year/
Judge with right judgment – JESUS (Jn 7:24)
Don’t be a hypocrite, take the log out of your own eye FIRST so you can see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye. And you will be judged by the same measure with which you judge. – JESUS (Lk 6:24; & Mt 7:5)
According to Malachi Martin, Cd. Kasper was one of the gang of four who have undermined the papacy and are basically running the Church. Has anyone read anything of this? This synod is no more necessary than adding another book to the Bible…which is meant to convey that it can only be construed as ‘not of God’.
It’s just a way to legitimatize something really illegitimate and is only going to cause more damage to the already fragile fabric of the Church. I put this site on another post, but it speaks of what St. Christ. just wrote.
Thanks Dana. I need more facts to help me with my research. I appreciate your comments. I am trying to put the puzzle together. God bless you.
King Solomon was gifted with a lot of wisdom from God. He too wasted away his gifts by his choices of many women wife’s and some which worshiped idols and such. How often do we hear about even today, from our church leadership they were gifted leadership in the church but yet they abuse those gifts. Humans betray God.
In God’s people we have known this imperfection, since the beginning of time. Just because King Solomon was mentioned in the bible as one who received many gifts from God, does not make him a preferred one. He loved his ladies, drinking and even followed their idolatry, sorcery etc.
I’m sure moral people in that time, did not appreciate the scandals coming out about their King. The bible does not mention anything about him making it to heaven either. So this would be a good reflection for many wondering why we have some corruption within the church. Its nothing new folks and its up to our prayers and devotions, our actions with what we can do personally that God will judge us on. We need to trust God more than put our trust in men, who change often. Only through Christ, can we trust and encourage good moral leadership, they are the ones who need our support and prayers.
Keep going lay faithful1