By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK
Reporting on the Youth Synod in Rome followed a predictable path but did not, for all that, eliminate signs of hope. There was bad news with outworn and disproven modernizing tactics pulled out of cold storage for airing once again in the somewhat free-floating search for relevance. The guitar Masses of the sixties which still exist in some holdout corners of the Church among the ever-hopeful gray set are a case in point. The parents always decide what the kids want with surprisingly little discussion on the matter. Like a new pet that everybody forgets about
I’ve been through the reliving of this scenario. The crushing fundraising required to buy a program levied by self-supporting aging millennials offered bi-weekly in the same parish where the traditional Latin Mass is offered daily. The parents don’t know and don’t care that their kids might prefer the latter because they don’t want it for themselves. So it’s on with LifeTeen or some other costly financial weight on the parish instead.
There was the trademark Vatican II lust for novelty, as in the ecumenical aspects of this sign of “progress”:
@jj_sterrz reported on Twitter “A priest (sic) in the Czechoslovak Hussite Church has been pleasantly surprised by the welcome…. A fraternal delegate, Rev. Martina Viktorie Kopeck, 32, has the distinction of being the only female cleric at the Synod of Bishops, which is taking place from October 3 to 28 in Rome.”
Yes, she was present as an observer. Of course that is the case, but it is rather beside the point. Indicator of a Vatican II approach, she was invited as were other Protestants before her to the ecumenical council which spawned these synods. Her presence is also a reminder that no women have a vote at the synod, specifically lay women and religious from orders recognized by the Catholic Church.
It’s lovely, I’m sure, to breathlessly report to positive reviews that some small-town female pastor with a shrinking elderly congregation is present at the synod. But how does that assist us with teaching the Catholic Faith to Catholic youth, which is as I understand it, the purpose of the synod? There is no answer.
Are the novelties borne of ecumania evidence of a lack of focus? Are they a bid for the approval of youth? How is someone who not only rejects the Catholic Faith but goes even further to claim an invalid ordination any help to Catholic youth? Or to Catholic adults who want to keep youth Catholic? Again, no answer. Just watch that bright shiny object over there.
The impact of the participation of Catholic lay women and religious at the synod was thought to be muted because they could not vote. It would be such an easy win for Francis to give them greater impact on the deliberations. It makes one wonder who opposed the idea. Surely not he. In the ecumenical context the rules that only Catholic bishops should vote at synods would be a guarantee of faithful teaching in a different age.
@CatholicSat, indefatigable reporter of all things synod from a more sane perspective, had the sweet honor of helping to make public the good news that context provided by Church history was made available for the benefit of delegates.
“Responding to @antoniospadaro assertion that Pope Francis wants a return to the Synodal Church of the first centuries, a journalist quips “may I remind you that the Diocesan Synods of Rome of the Patristic age were chaos, they would literally kill each other.”
The physical violence with which faithful backed up their loyalty to Christ in former ages would surely serve as a shocking spectacle in our own. The naivety of those in Rome who do not research their positions based on history simply show one more ill effect of their antipathy for all things factual, such as the Tradition.
The Thomas Pink interview with National Catholic Register’s Edward Pentin also offered context which seemed to be lacking in Pollyanna synod deliberations about accompanying and dialoging with just about anybody without any prior consideration:
“. . . .forgetfulness that we live in a fallen, unconverted world of largely unbaptized people has led many Church leaders to falsely believe the Church can peacefully dialogue with it.”
The demand to use LGBT language in the documents was properly identified as conferring legitimacy upon sinful behavior. Ed Condon of CNA tweeted the rationale on the part of some delegates as to why this should be done:
“Ribat was echoing arguments by clerics and others who say that respect for Catholics who experience same-sex attraction requires addressing them as they address themselves.”
But if the terms those with same-sex attraction are using betray a lack of understanding of the Catholic faith, then there is something the Church can correct not mimic without commentary or teaching. That a bishop of the synod cannot analyze this and properly respond to it makes us a sheep before the wolves who attack the family. The human person would not be labeled according to compulsions or even involuntary attractions. That this is not understood to be an opportunity for making clear that a truly pastoral approach would put the truth first for the sake of salvation of souls is clearly disheartening and alarming.
Hopefully we’ll hear more like we did from this bishop from Africa:
“Bishop Nkea: For us Africans it is essential to live, in the Church, the dimension of communities to combat individualism. In Africa, the community still has great value and we see this also in the great participation in the Masses.”
Tradition in Africa, the youngest and most vibrant Church, should have led the way at the Synod. @CatholicSat, indefatigable reporter on all things synod from a more sane perspective, shared:
“At #Synod2018 Presser; Bishop Andrew Fuanya of Mamfe (Cameroon) says in Africa the Churches are full ‘because our traditional values still equate with the values in the Church,’ adding ‘we hand down the Tradition to our youth undiluted and uncontaminated, in unambiguous language.’ ”
While Africa bolsters tradition, the Archdiocese of Chicago tweeted a picture of a young woman and Cardinal Cupich with the message:
“Yadira Vieyra, #Synod delegate from @archchicago, shared her takeaway from the #Synod2018: ‘I look forward to finding ways in which my parish & other churches in @archchicago can become radically available to our youth as we share a compelling, relevant, & joyful Gospel message.’ ”
I would just like to know which part of the Gospel message the Church is been preaching for the past 2000 years is not relevant to the young people of today? There is no option to make something else up in the hope that it will have a more gratifying effect the preaching “Christ and Him crucified” as St. Paul was constrained and as are we.
The joy that we have comes from knowing the Christ Who comes to us through the Church in Scripture and Tradition. Faith always hails the risen Lord, the truly new thing under the sun, with joy as did the first disciples. Will we teach this to our youth, sent as we are by Christ for this purpose? Distraction from the Truth leads away from, not toward, the Lord.
Thank you for reading and praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever. @MCITLFrAphorism
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