Excellent newsletter, top to bottom! I’m so looking forward to reading the Camosy discussion about Catholic schools, a topic of keen interest to me and my family of 7. And I really appreciate your cogent and insightful comments on the March for Life and the Synod on Synodality.
I think your point about the need to make our pro-life efforts extra-political (meaning not excluding, but also not beholden to politics) is so important and such a good reminder. I personally deeply disagree with the Democrats’ platform on many issues beyond abortion, but if protecting innocent life is truly the preeminent issue of our time, I need to be willing to look for any areas of common ground that can support the pro-life position.
And as to the Synod on Synods of Synodal Synodality etc etc etc your analysis is spot on. It’s disheartening to feel that the whole thing is one big HR exercise with no discernible religious purpose, and in fact no clear objective at all. Hopefully all the “listening” going on will convince certain parties within the Church that what her faithful really long for is truth and guidance- solid food for our souls instead of insipid pabulum.
I literally don't know a single person who is taking the Synod on Synodality seriously and that involves a lot of otherwise actively engaged Catholics. It is an utter waste of time that will involve people hand picked by bishops/priests, parish staff and perhaps some loud groups who want to coopt the thing for their own purposes. I know this sounds harsh, but it's also true.
I would add, regarding the Synod- we actually are working through our own local synod in the archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis and although I heard pretty uninspiring things about the initial “listening sessions”, the parish sessions were actually marked by surprisingly good basic catechesis, then followed by forms asking for very specific types of input. (The session I attended had a questionnaire asking which things had been most helpful in our building a relationship with the Lord, and then listed options including: Mass, Adoration, spiritual retreats, personal devotions like rosary, etc. ) I was pleasantly surprised by the materials. I don’t know what the outcome of the synod process will be here, but perhaps Ed and JD could highlight some of these smaller synod processes as examples of what Synodality could mean and in what ways it could be fruitful, as a contrast to the fog of jargon we are hearing from Rome. Maybe we the faithful could see ways in which we could “highjack” the Synodal process to be the type of endeavor to build up Christ’s body. I remember JD expressing his hopes for what good could actually come from a universal synod, and maybe if we could see examples of what this could look like we could take the reigns to make that happen…
I’ve mixed feelings on the M4L and am not here to give Trump a full throated defense, but he is 100% the most pro life president we’ve ever had, judging by his presidential actions. His “ voracious use of the federal death penalty?” 13 tired and sentenced criminals were executed under Trump (at the Federal level). His pro-life executive actions, policies, and public support of the movement far outweigh his allowing the criminal justice system to function as it’s supposed to.
Also, not a single pro-life leaning Democrat will ever hear or see anything about the M4L, because the MSM gives it a complete blackout. I think in the whole it inspires the movement, and keeps pressure on many of the phony pro-life RINOS that they likely have constituents who take this issue seriously enough to show up in dumpy DC in January.
Excellent newsletter, top to bottom! I’m so looking forward to reading the Camosy discussion about Catholic schools, a topic of keen interest to me and my family of 7. And I really appreciate your cogent and insightful comments on the March for Life and the Synod on Synodality.
I think your point about the need to make our pro-life efforts extra-political (meaning not excluding, but also not beholden to politics) is so important and such a good reminder. I personally deeply disagree with the Democrats’ platform on many issues beyond abortion, but if protecting innocent life is truly the preeminent issue of our time, I need to be willing to look for any areas of common ground that can support the pro-life position.
And as to the Synod on Synods of Synodal Synodality etc etc etc your analysis is spot on. It’s disheartening to feel that the whole thing is one big HR exercise with no discernible religious purpose, and in fact no clear objective at all. Hopefully all the “listening” going on will convince certain parties within the Church that what her faithful really long for is truth and guidance- solid food for our souls instead of insipid pabulum.
I literally don't know a single person who is taking the Synod on Synodality seriously and that involves a lot of otherwise actively engaged Catholics. It is an utter waste of time that will involve people hand picked by bishops/priests, parish staff and perhaps some loud groups who want to coopt the thing for their own purposes. I know this sounds harsh, but it's also true.
I would add, regarding the Synod- we actually are working through our own local synod in the archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis and although I heard pretty uninspiring things about the initial “listening sessions”, the parish sessions were actually marked by surprisingly good basic catechesis, then followed by forms asking for very specific types of input. (The session I attended had a questionnaire asking which things had been most helpful in our building a relationship with the Lord, and then listed options including: Mass, Adoration, spiritual retreats, personal devotions like rosary, etc. ) I was pleasantly surprised by the materials. I don’t know what the outcome of the synod process will be here, but perhaps Ed and JD could highlight some of these smaller synod processes as examples of what Synodality could mean and in what ways it could be fruitful, as a contrast to the fog of jargon we are hearing from Rome. Maybe we the faithful could see ways in which we could “highjack” the Synodal process to be the type of endeavor to build up Christ’s body. I remember JD expressing his hopes for what good could actually come from a universal synod, and maybe if we could see examples of what this could look like we could take the reigns to make that happen…
I’ve mixed feelings on the M4L and am not here to give Trump a full throated defense, but he is 100% the most pro life president we’ve ever had, judging by his presidential actions. His “ voracious use of the federal death penalty?” 13 tired and sentenced criminals were executed under Trump (at the Federal level). His pro-life executive actions, policies, and public support of the movement far outweigh his allowing the criminal justice system to function as it’s supposed to.
Also, not a single pro-life leaning Democrat will ever hear or see anything about the M4L, because the MSM gives it a complete blackout. I think in the whole it inspires the movement, and keeps pressure on many of the phony pro-life RINOS that they likely have constituents who take this issue seriously enough to show up in dumpy DC in January.
“Vacuous”