"I never imagined this ecclesial movement would undermine *my* authority!" Says the Bishop who helped create the ecclesial movement devoted to undermining the authority of the Church.
It certainly reads that way. I'll fully admit I've not delved into the details of this organization's proceedings and associated documents, but it's unclear--to me, at least--precisely how proposals regarding "...women deacons, a re-examination of priestly celibacy, lay preaching at Masses, a larger lay role in selecting bishops, and a revision of the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding homosexuality" map to solutions for preventing future abuse.
Certainly, one can make inferences about intent and objective, for example, in situations where bishops had concealed acts of abuse and protected abusers (suspected or otherwise). But in the absence of clearly articulated logic demonstrating how the proposed ways & means (such as an increased role & authority of laity or changes in Church disciplines and doctrines) will achieve the desired ends (preventing future abuse), current reporting seems to corroborate the perception the abuse scandal is merely convenient cover for an attempted end-run around the Vatican and, in some cases, the German bishops themselves.
Thank you for making that quiet but incisive point. The ZDK is not representative of people in the pew in Germany (though I have friends over there who do support them). They are pretty much self appointed, which is heavily ironic given that they claim to want some sort of ecclesiastical democracy.
I'm disappointed, though, that this seems to be the first mention of the bishop of Mainz. I would think that someone whose surname means 'Captain Cabbage' should get more profile.
It is a hallmark of liberal democracies that people duck debates over substance by instead debating procedure. The facts recounted in this article are an almost humorous caricature of that dynamic.
I am not surprised. In ROTC (for non-Americans, military officer training at civilian universities) there was an old saying when it came to college-aged kids doing typical stupid stuff: "It is all fun and games until someone loses his pilot slot."
The Synodal Way is all fun and games until it means that they are going to force me to do what they say.
Isn't this what Anglicans, Methodists, other protestants do? And it always ends up going down a rabbit hole of chaos and further schism. With the constant attacks that the Church receives from multiple fronts, this seems to be self-inflicted and unnecessary. Why is the German church or the Vatican still trying to pretend that any good will come out of this exercise in destabilization?
Forgive me for not having much sympathy for Cardinal Marx. When you unleash something like this sometimes you lose control of the outcome.
"all who take the sword will perish by the sword" Matthew 26:52
I was thinking more Old Testament, viz.:
“When they sow the wind,
they will reap the whirlwind[.]”
Hosea 8:7a
"I never imagined this ecclesial movement would undermine *my* authority!" Says the Bishop who helped create the ecclesial movement devoted to undermining the authority of the Church.
There are many chickens in Westphalia (coming home to roost)
"And another thing....he'd better be this and he'd better be that, because...abuse!"
It certainly reads that way. I'll fully admit I've not delved into the details of this organization's proceedings and associated documents, but it's unclear--to me, at least--precisely how proposals regarding "...women deacons, a re-examination of priestly celibacy, lay preaching at Masses, a larger lay role in selecting bishops, and a revision of the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding homosexuality" map to solutions for preventing future abuse.
Certainly, one can make inferences about intent and objective, for example, in situations where bishops had concealed acts of abuse and protected abusers (suspected or otherwise). But in the absence of clearly articulated logic demonstrating how the proposed ways & means (such as an increased role & authority of laity or changes in Church disciplines and doctrines) will achieve the desired ends (preventing future abuse), current reporting seems to corroborate the perception the abuse scandal is merely convenient cover for an attempted end-run around the Vatican and, in some cases, the German bishops themselves.
Ah yes wheeling out the old Trojan Synodal horse
'select lay people'
Thank you for making that quiet but incisive point. The ZDK is not representative of people in the pew in Germany (though I have friends over there who do support them). They are pretty much self appointed, which is heavily ironic given that they claim to want some sort of ecclesiastical democracy.
I'm disappointed, though, that this seems to be the first mention of the bishop of Mainz. I would think that someone whose surname means 'Captain Cabbage' should get more profile.
Waaall, ‘Cabbage Count’ more literally … (just as Wurstherzog would be Sausage Duke).
There is this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Kohlgraf
[I would have replied earlier, but Cap’n Cabbage made me laugh too much to hit the keyboard on my phone accurately. I’m calmer now.]
It is a hallmark of liberal democracies that people duck debates over substance by instead debating procedure. The facts recounted in this article are an almost humorous caricature of that dynamic.
Sigh.....more prayers for the faithful in Germany.
I am not surprised. In ROTC (for non-Americans, military officer training at civilian universities) there was an old saying when it came to college-aged kids doing typical stupid stuff: "It is all fun and games until someone loses his pilot slot."
The Synodal Way is all fun and games until it means that they are going to force me to do what they say.
Isn't this what Anglicans, Methodists, other protestants do? And it always ends up going down a rabbit hole of chaos and further schism. With the constant attacks that the Church receives from multiple fronts, this seems to be self-inflicted and unnecessary. Why is the German church or the Vatican still trying to pretend that any good will come out of this exercise in destabilization?
serious Church discipline is sorely needed. what a scandal that this thing is being allowed to fester for this long!
The parable of the wheat and the weeds is instructive I suppose. I also like to think I know when the weeds need to be pulled.
I hope Pope Leo can hear the prayers of the millions of faithful Catholics across the world who want him to end this synodal madness in Germany.
Following the playbook of Mao’s Cultural Revolution to a tee.
The photo tells all🧐