The Damnable Nonsense of the Synod on Synodality’s Final Document

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Posted on 10/27/2024 12:09:21 PM PDT by ebb tide

In the November 21, 1963 entry in his My Journal of the Council, Yves Congar wrote the following in all caps:

“I SEE THAT THERE IS A PROFOUND AMBIGUITY UNDERLYING THE SAME WORD “ECUMENISM,” BETWEEN THOSE WHO SEE ONLY REUNION WITH THE CHURCH (FAVORED BY CHARITY) AND THOSE WHO SEE SOMETHING QUITE NEW AHEAD OF ALL OF US, THAT CALLS FOR A PROFOUND REFORM.”

Congar counted himself among those in this latter group — he saw the need for profound reform, as he emphasized in the 1967 preface to the revised version of his True and False Reform in the Church:

“As for ecumenism, it has become or is on the way to becoming a dimension that touches the church’s entire life, even its internal concerns. This change of perspective will entail reinterpretation, opening and broadening out our thinking to a degree that we cannot at present measure. But this link between ecumenism and the spirit of renewal, which I perceived and emphasized from the beginning, is equally apparent now from the other side; renewal is not only required by ecumenism as a sort of prelude, but renewal is also nourished by ecumenism.”

Congar’s views went from being censured under Pius XII to being instrumental in the program of radical reform unleashed by John XXIII’s Council. And yet, as Congar noted in his November 21, 1963 journal entry above, many Council Fathers had no idea that ecumenism would entail “profound reform.”

As discussed in other articles, Francis’s opening address of the Synod on Synodality aimed to take the radical reform to the next level:

“Dear brothers and sisters, may this Synod be a true season of the Spirit! . . . Father Congar, of blessed memory, once said: “There is no need to create another Church, but to create a different Church” (True and False Reform in the Church). That is the challenge. “ (Francis, October 9, 2021, Address to Open the Synod)

If our Catholic hierarchy had been populated with holy and faithful bishops, these words would have been all they needed to force the end the Synod on Synodality before it started. As it is, though, we now have three years worth of blasphemous Synodal nonsense carried out (falsely) in the name of the Catholic Church.

The new “Final Document” from the Synod on Synodality — For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission — adds to the blasphemous nonsense and affords us an opportunity to survey how far the radical reform has progressed since the Council.

Synodal Roots Reach Only to Vatican II. As we have seen throughout the Synodal process, the Synodal Church truly begins with Vatican II, having no roots in pre-Conciliar Catholic history:

“Rooted in the Tradition of the Church, the entire synodal journey took place in the light of the conciliar magisterium. The Second Vatican Council was indeed like a seed thrown onto the field of the world and the Church. . . . The synodal journey is indeed putting into practice what the Council taught about the Church as Mystery and Church as People of God, called to holiness through continual conversion that comes from listening to the Gospel. In this sense, the synodal journey constitutes an authentic further act of reception of the Council, thus deepening its inspiration and reinvigorating its prophetic force for today’s world.” (Paragraph 5)

Hearkening back to Congar’s words, so many of the Council Fathers would have been mortified to see the actual fruits of their work as we see them today. Most of the faithful bishops of the Council had no idea that they were setting in motion a process that would lead to Francis and his Synod.

All Baptized Christians. As we have also seen throughout the Synodal process, the Synodal Church embodies all baptized Christians:

“'Every baptised person is called to be a protagonist of mission since we are all missionary disciples’ (ITC 53). For this reason, the synodal journey directs us towards a full and visible unity of Christians, as was witnessed by the presence of delegates of other Christian traditions. Unity ferments silently within the holy Church of God; prophetically so, for the entire world.” (Paragraph 4)

Why not say that every human being is called to be a “protagonist of the mission?” The Synodal architects clearly mean to suggest that all baptized people — including those who have abandoned Christianity altogether — are linked together in the Synodal Church, which is akin to declaring that ecumenical unity has already been achieved in the Synodal Church.

The Synodal Church involves the democratic process we have seen through the Synod, at least superficially. In reality, though, the Church’s enemies (with Satan at their head) make the decisions, while making a show of allowing the faithful to have input.

Sensus Fidei of All Baptized. As has been the case with previous documents, the Final Document takes this even further by asserting that all the baptized participate in the sensus fidei:

“Through Baptism ‘the holy People of God has a share, too, in the prophetic role of Christ, when it renders Him a living witness, especially through a life of faith and charity” (LG 12). The anointing by the Holy Spirit received at Baptism (cf. 1 Jn 2.20. 27) enables all believers to possess an instinct for the truth of the Gospel. We refer to this as the sensus fidei. This consists in a certain connaturality with divine realities, based on the fact that, in the Holy Spirit, the baptised become ‘sharers in the divine nature’ (DV 2). This participation enables the capacity for the faithful to grasp intuitively that which is in conformity with the truth of Revelation in the communion of the whole Church. This is the reason why the Church is certain that the holy People of God cannot err in matters of belief. . . .The sensus fidei aims at reaching a consensus of the faithful (consensus fidelium), which constitutes ‘a sure criterion for determining whether a particular doctrine or practice belongs to the apostolic faith’ (ITC, Sensus fidei in the life of the Church, 2014, 3).” (Paragraph 22)

“All Christians participate in the sensus fidei through baptism. Therefore, as well as constituting the basis of synodality baptism is also the foundation of ecumenism.” (Paragraph 23)

The Catholic teaching on the sensus fidei must necessarily be limited to include only those who actually profess the Catholic Faith — otherwise the entire concept becomes preposterous. But preposterous concepts pose no obstacle to the Synodal participants as the Final Document asserts that every baptized person essentially has an equal vote in determining what the religion is.

Involving All Christians in Decisions. As a general matter, many Protestant denominations take issue with the hierarchical nature of the Catholic Church. For this reason, a significant aspect of the ecumenical agenda involves increasing the role of laity in the decision-making process, which we see in the Final Document:

“In the synodal Church ‘the whole community, in the free and rich diversity of its members, is called together to pray, listen, analyse, dialogue, discern and offer advice on taking pastoral decisions’ (ITC n. 68) for mission. The way to promote a synodal Church is to foster greater participation of all the People of God in decision-making processes. If it is indeed true that the Church’s very way of living and operating is synodal, then this practice is essential to the Church’s mission, requiring discernment, the reaching of consensus, and decision-making through the use of the various structures and institutions of synodality.” (Paragraph 87)

“In a synodal Church, the authority of the Bishop, of the Episcopal College and of the Bishop of Rome in regard to decision-taking is inviolable as it is grounded in the hierarchical structure of the Church established by Christ; it both serves unity and legitimate diversity (cf. 13). Such an exercise of authority, however, is not without limits: it may not ignore a direction which emerges through proper discernment within a consultative process, especially if this is done by participatory bodies. . . . It, therefore, seems appropriate to carry out a revision of Canon Law from a synodal perspective, clarifying the distinction and relation between consultation and deliberation and shedding light on the responsibilities of those who play different roles in the decision-making process.” (Paragraph 92)

Whereas the Holy Ghost guides all critical decisions in the Catholic Church, the Synodal Church involves the democratic process we have seen through the Synod, at least superficially. In reality, though, the Church’s enemies (with Satan at their head) make the decisions, while making a show of allowing the faithful to have input.

Eucharistic Union. The ecumenical agenda also involves removing the barriers to non-Catholics (as well as Catholics in mortal sin) receiving Holy Communion:

“The celebration of the Eucharist, especially on Sundays, is the first and fundamental way the holy People of God gather and meet. . . In the ‘full, conscious and active’ (SC 14) participation of all the faithful, in the presence of different ministries and in the presidency of the Bishop or Priest, the Christian community is made visible, whereby a differentiated co-responsibility of all for mission is fulfilled. For this reason, the Church, the Body of Christ, learns from the Eucharist how to join together unity and plurality: the unity of the Church and the multiplicity of Eucharistic assemblies; unity of the sacramental mystery and variety of liturgical traditions; unity of celebration and plurality of vocations, charisms and ministries. The Eucharist, above all else, demonstrates that the harmony created by the Spirit is not uniformity, and that every ecclesial gift is destined for the common good of all. Every celebration of the Eucharist is also an expression of the desire and call to a unity of all the Baptised not yet fully visible. Should celebrating the Sunday Eucharist not be possible despite the desire to do so, the community gathers around the celebration of the Word, where Christ is, in any case, present.” (Paragraph 26)

Although the meaning here is somewhat vague, the evident implication is that non-Catholics ought to be receiving Communion.

Though many Catholics may view the push to ordain women as an effort to placate feminists, the ecumenical rationale appears to be more important — female Protestant ministers need to have at least some hope of having similar roles in the Synodal Church.

Variety in Expressing the Message of Salvation. One of the Final Document’s most absurd assertions appears to aim at accomodating a wide variety of heretical beliefs about salvation:

“‘The unity of the Church is not uniformity, but the organic blending of legitimate diversities' (NMI 46). There is a variety of ways in which the message of salvation is expressed. This helps avoid reducing this message to a single understanding of the life of the Church and of the theological, liturgical, pastoral and disciplinary forms it takes.” (Paragraph 39)

While it is obviously true that “there is a variety of ways in which the message of salvation is expressed,” any expression that conflicts with Catholic teaching would be heretical. However, the Final Document suggests that all expressions of the “message of salvation” are welcome in the Synodal Church.

Role of Women. Though many Catholics may view the push to ordain women as an effort to placate feminists, the ecumenical rationale appears to be more important — female Protestant ministers need to have at least some hope of having similar roles in the Synodal Church:

“There is no reason or impediment that should prevent women from carrying out leadership roles in the Church: what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped. Additionally, the question of women's access to diaconal ministry remains open. This discernment needs to continue. The Assembly also asks that more attention be given to the language and images used in preaching, teaching, catechesis, and the drafting of official Church documents, giving more space to the contributions of female saints, theologians and mystics.” (Paragraph 60)

Most critiques of this language will likely focus on the fact that female ordination to the diaconate remains a possibility in the Synodal Church but the most egregious line here is surely the idea that the “Holy Spirit” is leading this heretical initiative: “what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped.”

Dialogue. No document on ecumenism could be complete without a strong endorsement for dialogue between Catholics and Protestants, and the Final Document even goes so far as to suggest that Protestant “saints” should be inserted into the Catholic liturgical calendar:

“The exchange of gifts is of crucial significance in the journey towards full and visible unity among all Churches and Christian communions. Moreover, it represents an effective sign of the unity in the faith and love of Christ that promotes both the credibility and the impact of the Christian mission (cf. Jn 17:21). Saint John Paul II applied the following expression to ecumenical dialogue: ‘Dialogue is not simply an exchange of ideas. In some way it is always an exchange of gifts.’ (UUS 28). . . The time has come to treasure these precious riches: with generosity, sincerity, without prejudice, with gratitude to the Lord, and with mutual openness, gifting them to one another without assuming they are our exclusive property. The example of the saints and witnesses to the faith from other Christian Churches and Communions is also a gift that we can receive, including by inserting their memorial - especially that of the martyrs - into our liturgical calendar.” (Paragraph 122)

Every pope prior to the Council would have denounced this as scandalous nonsense.

All of this is nauseating and infuriating. No Catholic can support the Synodal Church, and the Final Document simply confirms that. Now is the time to denounce the Synodal Church in no uncertain terms.

Bishop of Rome. Finally, the ecumenical agenda must somehow resolve the problem of the papacy. As the Final Document discusses, the recent Bishop of Rome document detailed the progress that has been made along those lines in the past several decades:

“One of the most significant fruits of the Synod 2021-2024 has been the intensity of ecumenical zeal. The need to find ‘a form of exercise of the Primacy that [...] opens itself up to a new situation’ (UUS 95) is a fundamental challenge both for a missionary synodal Church and for Christian unity. The Synod welcomes the recent publication of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity The Bishop of Rome: Primacy and Synodality in Ecumenical Dialogues and in the Responses to the Encyclical Ut Unum Sint, which opens avenues for further study. The document shows that the promotion of Christian unity is an essential aspect of the ministry of the Bishop of Rome and that the ecumenical journey has fostered a deeper understanding of it. The concrete proposals it contains regarding a rereading or an official commentary on the dogmatic definitions of the First Vatican Council on primacy, a clearer distinction between the different responsibilities of the Pope, the promotion of synodality within the Church and in its relationship with the world and the search for a model of unity based on an ecclesiology of communion offer promising prospects for the ecumenical journey.” (Paragraph 137)

In this light, we must recognize that when Francis looks foolish and inconsequential he is almost certainly trying to intentionally diminish the role of the papacy.

All of this is nauseating and infuriating. No Catholic can support the Synodal Church, and the Final Document simply confirms that. Now is the time to denounce the Synodal Church in no uncertain terms. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

In this light, we must recognize that when Francis looks foolish and inconsequential he is almost certainly trying to intentionally diminish the role of the papacy.

All of this is nauseating and infuriating. No Catholic can support the Synodal Church, and the Final Document simply confirms that. Now is the time to denounce the Synodal Church in no uncertain terms. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

1 posted on 10/27/2024 12:09:21 PM PDT by ebb tide

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