By DEXTER DUGGAN
The sorts of pressures being exerted by U.S. “progressives” for the upcoming Synod on the Family in October were illustrated in an April 21 media release presenting the results of 51 of their “listening sessions” in 18 dioceses, with possibly 781 participants, conducted in February and March.
The Our Catholic Family report said a total of 71 percent of its participants were between 50 and 79 years old — 45 percent from ages 50 to 69, and 26 percent from 70 to 79. Seventeen percent were between ages 30 and 49.
This age distribution might be seen as verifying the profile of Church “progressives” as people aging through the decades whose long-ago dreams of an illusory “Spirit of Vatican II” persist without comprehension.
Participants weren’t classified only as male or female. Females were 68 percent of the participants, males were 31.8 percent, while those who “self-identified in another category” were 0.2 percent, the report said.
While the figure of 781 participants is repeated, at one point the report says that “743 people participated in 51 listening sessions.” Whichever figure is correct, this would amount to only a fraction of the members in a single large parish, but the 781, or 743, participants in 51 listening sessions are presented as having weighty recommendations for the Church worldwide.
Although religiously orthodox churchgoers sometimes are criticized for overemphasizing sexual ethics, these progressives made sexual topics a major part of their comments, stressing that LGBT orientations be considered only positively, while the Church must change its stand on issues like same-sex unions and “reproductive health.”
The report also indicated the participants’ serious unfamiliarity with Scripture. They viewed Jesus only as someone who welcomes all people and loves them without distinction. In fact, the Bible records that while Jesus taught powerfully about love, mercy, and forgiveness, He repeatedly spoke grave warnings about terrifying punishments awaiting the unrepentant.
Apparently promoting their idea that none can be rejected, regardless of conduct, the media release began by saying: “Catholics to Bishops: ‘Either all are in the center of the heart of God, or none of us are’.”
It quoted Sheila Peiffer, of the American Catholic Council (americancatholiccouncil.org): “While those who engaged in these discussions raised a great diversity of concerns about the intersection of family life and the Church, on whole, the responses focused on the Church’s need to be a model of unconditional love by being more accepting, inclusive, and welcoming.”
The American Catholic Council’s website demonstrates typical progressivist positions.
Other progressivist groups sponsoring the report were listed as Call to Action, Catholics Speak Out, CORPUS, DignityUSA, FCM/Roman Catholic Faith Community Council, FutureChurch, National Coalition of American Nuns, New Ways Ministry, RAPPORT, Roman Catholic Womenpriests, Southeastern Pennsylvania Women’s Ordination Conference, Voice of the Faithful, and Women’s Ordination Conference.
The release described Call to Action as “the largest church reform organization in the U.S. working for equality and justice in the Catholic Church. With over 25,000 members and supporters and 50 chapters nationally, Call to Action educates, inspires, and activates Catholics to act for justice and build inclusive communities through a lens of anti-racism and anti-oppression principles.”
The listening-sessions report said it was sent to Lorenzo Cardinal Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops in Rome; Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., and all U.S. bishops.
In addition, “This report will be sent and used in our visits to all the delegates who will be voting in Rome,” it said.
The 53-page report gave the responses to five questions presented to the listening sessions. Drawing to its conclusion, the report said to note well, “The most frequently occurring comments throughout the survey, as well as afterwards, more casually, were overwhelmingly the need for married clergy and woman [sic] priests, as well as the importance of acceptance of contraception and in vitro fertilization. . . . PLEASE do not let all our efforts to be in vain!!!”
A number of observations were given in the report to promote the progressive agenda. Some quotations follow.
“Church not driven to serve, but driven to preserve its power, control. Respect the primacy of conscience. The annulment process has been overly slowed up, families are kept awaiting a decision. Doctrine seems to trump family concerns; the clerical world does not accept the concept of church as the people of God.
“Widows and widowers who live together for financial support must receive the support of the Church rather than hold onto archaic doctrine.
“Non-acceptance of family members in the Church community of LGBT community. Acceptance of all. Adult children are leaving due to hypocrisy, the treatment of women; the cover-ups of sexual abuse; the lack of discipline of bishops who were responsible for supervision; the need for more public apologies.
“The need for scientific rationale in regards to same-sex attraction based on evidence based on theory. A need for a large change in the process of marriage, divorce, remarriage, and annulment. Too much judgment, too little compassion.”
“Some priests will take in children of parents are LGBT [sic] but others will not, even if the children are baptized and confirmed. The negative impact of hearing that their parents are sinners and going to hell. Dogma and doctrine compromises the ability of pastors to minister to LGBT people and their families, although not as much for single or divorced.
“Hurtful when visitors when Catholic services [sic] and are refused Communion — they have come to worship and break bread with us — Jesus would not refuse them.
“Church teaching on LGBT appears to be based on understanding of human nature and natural law that has been transcended to [sic] medical knowledge in areas of psychology and psychiatry. LGBT persons are being denied the comfort of a communal and private relationship with God. LGBT — equal rights, not celibacy option.”
“Recognize divorced and remarried Catholics as full members that should be treated no differently than any other member of the Church.”
“Remove barriers for full Communion and welcoming; invite all to Eucharistic table.”
“Do away with the annulment process. It is not fairly or equally applied. The Church should work with couples in crisis closely and compassionately and should accept that some marriages will fail, and should not punish those who chose not to continue a bad relationship. Couples awaiting a decision so they can marry and take care of children are unjustly withheld from marriage due to questionable teachings.”
“The Church is supposed to be a place of welcome to ALL people, not many. Jesus would not turn them away. If cohabiting couples truly love one another, that is all that is necessary. The Church should be open to cohabiting couples and also encourage them to join in matrimony.”
“Cohabiting Catholics are equal to all Catholics and should be fully included in all aspects of Church life. People living in this situation should be treated no differently in any way whatsoever from those living under all the Catholic ‘rules.’ Everyone should be welcomed with love and respect. Be inclusive by intent, and do not shun or judge.”
“Invite a lot more lay people of different outlooks and sexual identity to participate in your deliberations. Consider that married and female and gay priests will greatly expand the pool of priests who experience and understand the practical challenges of marriage and human relationships and dealing with our sexuality.”
“How can there be a Synod on the Family with no reference whatsoever to contraception, in vitro fertilization, stem-cell research, etc. When discussing contraception realize, among other things, that the world is already overpopulated.
“And how is giving birth to unwanted children helpful to anyone? In vitro fertilization should be permitted; some couples cannot conceive otherwise. The Church does not understand science re: sexuality — sexual identity is not determined solely by the XY chromosomes. Consult psychiatrists/psychologists who specialize in sexual-identity issues.”
And on it goes. A half-century of progressives hammering away, and they seem to think they’ve only just begun. This is what bishops will be pressured to bow to, for the further impairment of the faith.
You can look up the report at ourcatholicfamily.org/listening, which proclaims online, “Calling our bishops to dialogue and to widen the circle of invitees at the 2015 Family Synod.”
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