This week the USCCB released a report with the bureaucratically self-important title, “National Synthesis of the People of God in the United States of America for the Diocesan Phase of the 2021-2023 Synod.” Essentially, it’s a report from the bishops summarizing the results of the past year’s synodal “listening sessions” held in dioceses throughout the country.
It’s as bad as you’d expect.
Most of the input gathered consists of commonly-repeated canards that seem to come straight from diocesan chanceries, not actual people in the pews. For example, one synodal consultation reported:
People noted that the Church seems to prioritize doctrine over people, rules, and regulations over lived reality. People want the Church to be a home for the wounded and broken, not an institution for the perfect. They want the Church to meet people where they are, wherever they are, and walk with them rather than judging them; to build real relationships through care and authenticity, not superiority.
This cliche-ridden passage would only find a home in a corporate marketing or diocesan communications department. It’s full of straw-men (whoever claimed they wanted an “institution for the perfect” or to build relationships based on superiority?) and mushy language that pushes an agenda that’s soft on sin and squishy on doctrine.
There were also the typical complaints revolving around power politics. In a section titled “Co-Responsibility,” the report states, “Many want to see Church leadership take more seriously the talents and knowledge of the laity. Some expressed the need to use more effective Parish Councils and Diocesan Pastoral Councils.”
Yes, just what the Church needs: better committees!
The concept of everyone sitting around and sharing their feelings about what they want out of the Church is a modern conceit that is wholly alien to Catholicism and the proclamation of the Gospel. The Church’s mission isn’t to make us feel happy or even feel welcome. The Church’s mission is to save us, and the only way that happens is if we change our lives, not change the Church.
Full story at Crisis Magazine.
First thing that jumped out at me in the report: only 1 out of every 10,000 Catholics participated.
I participated to the online survey of the diocese. Unfortunately, the questions were often skewed to present unacceptable positions (e.g., the LGBT etc.) as part of the debate. We cannot entertain a dialogue with the promoters of sins that cry vengeance from Heaven even to refute them lest, we give them credibility as interlocutors.
Thank you for participating in it.
I assure that it was not that way in every diocese.
I would like to see the report from your diocese, if you would share which diocese you are from.
If you are not comfortable with that could you tell me your archdiocese?
Read somewhere else that more than half were women over 60
This is such a skewed analysis of the report. If you are interested, please click the link.
In other words, “We don’t want to change our lives to meet the teachings of the Church, we want the Church to change to what we want.” People for the most part do not want to worship God, the want to be become their own God.
I believe the text was written before the input was given. There has been an agenda stewing for years which now has enough bishops to establish it publicly. The language is neither theological nor biblical, rather corporate memes, euphemisms, and slogans promoting worldly desires over God’s redemptive promises. The text does not call me as a sinner to repentance, rather confirms me in whatever plight in which I might find myself without the hope of Jesus’ redemption. All are welcome in Jesus’ church: to repent, to adore Him, to live in the grace He gives, not in whatever lifestyle I choose or iniquity which afflicts me.
“I believe the text was written before the input was given.”
That is a very grave accusation.
I don’t believe it.
I think a lot of people went to a lot of work to do this.
I thought the San Diego survey was a good one. Apparently, it is still ongoing til October 6?
I still think the opportunity was not understood by most and definitely is not understood by people who think it is an attempt to change church teaching.
I think you are looking at this from the lens of someone who is suspicious of the hierarchy.
Someone with an agenda at any part of the process could manipulate, ignore, skew information. Most of the information is at the diocesan level.
People who were motivated to change the church and people who were motivated to enforce doctrine were some of the primary respondents.
I saw no report where one was praised and the other criticized. It was simply reported.
Most Catholics didn’t care enough to take a survey or show up at a listening session. That is no surprise but it is also a huge takeaway from this.
Probably true. For those who haven’t seen it, recommend “A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” about Saul Alynski and his strategies to steer an organization (including parts of the Church) towards a predetermined, Leftist path. Many suspected the upcoming Synod to do just that, as Fr. P. suggests. Movie and its sequel shown periodically on EWTN (and maybe through their website).
You find what you seek.
Seek the Lord.
I think you just proved his first guideline “Power isn’t just what you have it is what your enemy thinks you have.”
Alinsky has been dead for 50 years.
I’m watching it. This Alinsky quote resonated: “Treat opponents not as persons but as symbols representing interests which he believes to be inimical to the welfare of the individual.” This is one example of why I do not like Alinsky.
This is an example of a power play that a lot of people do. It is being done to the Synod process.
It is done a lot to the hierarchy and those members (Cupich, McElroy) which have for some reason inspired the ire of certain Internet personalities.
Some even do it to Pope Francis.
They show Pope John Paul II talking about how solidarity in a community depends an everyone being treated as a person to contrast Catholic thought with Alinskys.
I have seen “A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” several times, on EWTN. It is excellent. Everyone should see it. Chilling– and true!
It is a fact that Pope Paul VI had a peculiar interest in Alinsky, and vice-versa, as Alinsky visited the pope in Vatican City more than a few times. God only knows what they discussed.
Given the disastrous decisions Paul VI made — e.g. promulgating the Novus Ordo Missae, surrenduring the Papal Tiara, etc. — makes it much more likely that Alinsky influenced the Pope — rather than the other way around.
Come Lord Jesus, save your Holy Church from the wolves in sheep clothing.
What is wrong with practicing the Catholic dogma that has been around over 1,500 years? Example: The Traditional Latin Mass. Why change/ban it now? Abortion, gay marriage, they’re either a sin or they aren’t. Which is it Catholic leaders?
DOGMA Catholic Dictionary
Doctrine taught by the Church to be believed by all the faithful as part of divine revelation. All dogmas, therefore, are formally revealed truths and promulgated as such by the Church. they are revealed either in Scripture or tradition, either explicitly (as the Incarnation) or implicitly (as the Assumption). Moreover, their acceptance by the faithful must be proposed as necessary for salvation. They may be taught by the Church in a solemn manner, as with the definition of the Immaculate Conception, or in an ordinary way, as with the constant teaching on the malice of taking innocent human life. (Etym. Latin dogma; from Greek dogma, declaration, decree.)
Doctrine- Catholic Dictionary
Any truth taught by the Church as necessary for acceptance by the faithful. The truth may be either formally revealed (as the Real Presence), or a theological conclusion (as the canonization of a saint), or part of the natural law (as the sinfulness of contraception). In any case, what makes it doctrine is that the Church authority teaches that it is to be believed. this teaching may be done either solemnly in ex cathedra pronouncements or ordinarily in the perennial exercise of the Church’s magisterium or teaching authority. Dogmas are those doctrines which the Church proposes for belief as formally revealed by God. (Etym. Latin doctrina, teaching.)
There are two things I want from the Church.Truth and obedience to our Lord,Jesus Christ.
The Synod has many untrustworthy, heretical clerical leaders (especially Cdl. Hollerich) who believe that the Church’s teaching on gay sex acts and gay “marriage” is all wrong, and some even do gay “marriage” blessings in their own churches and cathedrals. They want to change the Catechism to reflect their fraudulent beliefs. Also, they believe in women priests, married priests, and gay “married” men in the priesthood. The Synod is corrupt. And it is unnecessary.
The Synod is a fraud. It is rigged. Many Church leaders, especially Cdl. Hollerich, one of the Synod’s chief leaders, are immoral and heretical, stating that the Catechism must be changed to accept gay sex and gay “marriage.” Many of them are already holding formal ceremonies to bless gay couples, in their churches and cathedrals. Many also believe in gay “married” priests, as well as regular married priests, and women priests. The Synod is a fraud– and is unnecessary. It is severely undermining the Catholic Church, worldwide. Many of the leaders are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Waste of time. Waiting for this era to pass into history…
As ab over-60 woman convert, I participated. I converted to the CATHOLIC church. I have no desire to be bulldozed into Protestantism again. Otherwise, I could have remained Episcopalian. The live sessions, given the time constraints they apparently operated under, could have been worse. Our comments were taken down. Knowing our priest, I am certain that they made their way to the Diocese. Based on that shallow bit of fluff, the online questionnaire, it would seem that the comments from my group were circular-filed as soon as they were received. I participated because, in all conscience, I could not. Do I trust the published outcome? Nope. No way. Uh-uh. But I am not surprised.
People do not understand the synod.
Your particular ideas are synthesized with others into a diocesan report. Your diocese synthesis is combined with other dioceses into a regional synthesis. Your regional synthesis is combine with other regions into a national report. Your national synthesis is combined with other nations into a continental synthesis. These will be combined into a working report for the Synod in October 2023.
We have already learned that most Catholic don’t participate and even people who did participate, don’t trust the Synod or the hierarchy to be honest.
Memo to synthesis:
“synthesis” You use that word a lot.
As in: Thesis – Antithesis – Synthesis
Hegelian dialectic, much ???
Just what the Church needs – NOT
It is the word the Church is using to refer to the various reports being combined.
i have realized that you cannot make anybody take seriously anything they do not want to take seriously.
Many people have criticized the synod process without really giving more than 2 minutes of thought.
“Many people have criticized the synod process …”
Starting with Jesus Christ at Caesarea Philippi
Luke 9, 18-20
That is an outrageous misuse and misapplication of that Scripture.
Acts 15:1-35