Preaching Another Christ: Synod Against the Family 2015

A tip of the hat to the Dyspeptic Mutterings blog, for the scriptural citation relevant to the upcoming Synod:2 Corinthians 11: 3-43 But I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve by his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted, and fall from the simplicity that is in Christ.4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Christ, whom we have not preached; or if you receive another Spirit, whom you have not received; or another gospel which you have not received; you might well bear with him.Dear readers, with the issues on the table at the Synod against on the Family, kept at bay last year through the resistance of some good Bishops and laity, now coming back with a vengeance, we come close to bedrock principles of just what the Church is, just Who Christ is, and whether the Church will turn her back on her own Divine Spouse.  If the Dogmas and settled doctrines of the faith (and in this case these include those spoken by Our Lord's own mouth) are open to "development" and "interpretation" such that they mean the opposite of how they have always been held, than what in this world is worthy of any belief?The Church is seemingly headed by a man who urges Catholics not to evangelize-- er, I mean, "proselytize", a man who faults Catholics who seek to maintain the faith as always held and worship as Catholics have always worshipped, and who claims a God of "surprises" wants the Church to forego any attempt to convert and save souls.  Will the Church lose confidence in her mission for the sake of mob popularity? Will she lay down her divinely-given mission, and refuse her divinely-given guarantee of truth?Oh, that's right, I'm being too dramatic.  Pope Francis is always just misunderstood and misquoted.  He is a second Benedict XVI, or better. Got it.  I wonder, though, whether the men he himself has appointed in positions of leadership are all misquoted.  Or they all have gone rogue and now spout a line of belief different from their boss?  With impunity?  Without even a comment from the Holy See?As you can read here, here, here, here and here, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, the man the Pope appointed Secretary General of the Synod, scolded a group of faithful lay Catholics this week for presuming that doctrine cannot change.  He put Catholics on notice: why call a synod if all we are going to do is to restate what we already believe? I'll quote from some of the linked stories above in a moment, but know this:  If Cardinal Baldisseri has his way, the 2000-year teaching on marriage, divorce, adultery, and communion is up for grabs:--from Lifesite:An international conference, organised by the Pontifical Council for the Family from 22-24 January, was addressed by Cardinal Baldisseri, organiser of the upcoming Synod on the Family. The expressed purpose of the conference was to provide opportunity for around 80 lay groups to assist the PCF provide input into the synod to be held in October 2015.Baldisseri defended the right of Walter Cardinal Kasper to assert that divorced persons living in unions not recognised by the Church should be permitted to receive Holy Communion. Baldisseri, in response to a concerned pro-family advocate, told delegates that we should not be “shocked” by theologians contradicting Church teaching.  The Cardinal said that dogmas can evolve and that there would be no point holding a Synod if we were simply to repeat what had always been said. He also suggested that just because a particular understanding was held 2,000 years ago does not mean that it cannot be challenged.Hearkening back to the modernist playbook from Vatican II, the Cardinal reminded the lay groups involved to mind their own business; the experts will weigh in, it shouldn't disturb them:-- from Aleteia:Cardinal Baldisseri responded by saying, “We shouldn’t be shocked that there is a different position from the ‘common doctrine.’”He cited the example of the many contrasting positions that were in evidence at Vatican II.  “Therefore, there’s no reason to be scandalized that there is a cardinal or a theologian saying something that’s different than the so-called ‘common doctrine.’ This doesn’t imply a going against. It means reflecting. Because dogma has its own evolution; that is a development, not a change.” The cardinal added that it is “right that there is a reaction” and that “this is exactly what we want today. We want to discuss things, but not in order to call things into doubt, but rather to view it in a new context, and with a new awareness. Otherwise, what’s theology doing but repeating what was said in the last century, or 20 centuries ago?” Theology, he said, “is meant to be investigated” and therefore “we shouldn’t be concerned.”We need to wake up.  This isn't just some guy saying these things.  This is the Pope's handpicked choice to lead the Synod, and furthermore one he kept in that position after last year's near disaster. Ask Cardinal Burke if the Pope knows how to remove a person from his position if he disagrees with the approved agenda.We need to remain vigilant and prayerful, and hold these prelates of whatever rank to the Faith of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.  We must remain Catholic, even if they don't want to be Catholic themselves.I leave you with this fine reflection from Monsignor Charles Pope in D.C., who I can't believe still has a diocesan platform from which to speak.  God bless him.  God have mercy on us.