In another instance of the Pope being Catholic, Papa Francis has smacked down the schismatic Synodal Path.
The Vatican on Thursday slammed the brakes on a German progressive movement that aims to give lay Catholics a say in doctrinal matters such as homosexuality and women priests, saying this risked causing a schism in the universal Church.
A short but stern statement said the so-called “Synodal Path” could not assume it had the authority to instruct bishops on doctrine or morality. The movement’s co-chairs responded that they made no such claim and expressed surprise.
Synodal witches mad.
The movement, a regular gathering of equal numbers of bishops and ordinary German Catholics, has been outspoken in its demands for the Vatican to let priests marry, let women become priests and for the Church to bless same-sex relationships.
Also witches: “Why so uptight, bro? We’re not infringing on your supreme moral teaching authority. We’re just agitating against infallibly defined doctrines like the sinfulness of sodomy and the male-only priesthood!”
That level of delusion or duplicity – take your pick – is only possible when a group is altogether insulated from reality.
And wads of government cash are the best insulator.
Germany’s Church, though far from the world’s largest, has an outsized influence because of the enormous wealth it derives from publicly collected church taxes. Its largest diocese, Cologne, is wealthier than the Vatican.
For those who are wondering why much of the Catholic hierarchy in the US remains frustratingly out of touch, consider that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops gets 40% of its funding from the government.
A great deal of speculation in dissident circles revolves around why so many people cooperate with a racket as evil as the Death Cult. The best estimates place the number of outright Cultists at 20% of the population. But that 20% gets another 70% to go along by controlling the cultural, governmental, and financial institutions.
And that 70% admits of varying degrees of and motives for cooperation. To be sure, one contingent acts from pure greed, making cynical alliances with the Cult because of its close proximity to the money printer.
But most of the Conservative pundits, corporate leaders, bishops who play the Generals to the Cult’s Globetrotters make what they think are rational compromises.
I’m still owning the libs by telling 90% of the truth …
My fiduciary duty trumps my responsibility to society …
If we lose our tax-exempt status, how can we keep our hospitals open?
The latter is the jam the Church in the West now finds herself in. Our ruling mobocracy is in effect saying, “Nice schools, charities, and hospitals you got there. Be a shame if something happened to them because you talked out of turn.”
Now, the bishops’ fear of offending the cultic cabal that runs everything is understandable. But they should remember that negotiating with terrorists never ends well. Paying the blackmailers just means they’ll soon be back asking for more.
Closing the hospitals would plunge the US healthcare system into crisis. Shuttering the charities would deal a massive blow to the poor. But if uncompromising adherence to Christ’s teachings would provoke those outcomes, better to follow Christ and let the Death Cult own the disaster.
Parochial schools are now just public schools with crosses on the walls, so getting rid of them will be no great loss.
The lesson: Don’t take money from people who hate Jesus.
And don’t give it to people who hate you.
