lifesitenews--2020-02-03--German priests: ‘Synodal path’ is a ‘theological disaster full of falsehood and lies’

February 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A German group of priests called Communio Veritatis has issued on February 2 , the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord and the Purification of Our Lady , a new statement addressing the organizers of the German “ synodal path ” which just had its first synodal assembly over the weekend in Frankfurt .
The authors of the text state that the promoters of the synodal path “ want a church other than the one founded by Christ ” and they call the synodal path a “ pseudo-theological disaster full of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticizes that the different preparatory discussion forums of the synodal path already contained many wrong ideas .
The German priests reject , for example , the married priesthood and female ordination , as well as a blessing for homosexual couples , as proposed by the synodal path 's documents .
The group writes : “ Since you have obviously lost sight of the Imitation of Christ and of the perspective of eternity , you also do not understand the necessary priestly sign of total surrender to God .
As was to be expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should flow above all through Germany .
Therefore you ask : 'Is celibacy the only form of life appropriate to the nature of the priesthood ? '
” The authors also remind the organizers of the synodal path of the fact that Pope John Paul II has already , in a definitive manner , ruled out the priestly ordination of women .
The priestly group also addresses the organizer ’ s attempt at weakening the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church and at strengthening the influence and power of lay people .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Catechism teaches on the fact that the ordained ministers of the Church are the ones called to teach , sanctify , and govern .
The Catechism states : “ The ministerial priesthood is intrinsically different from the common priesthood , since it confers a sacred authority to minister to the faithful .
Consecrated ministers exercise their service to the People of God through teaching [ munus docendi ] , worship [ munus liturgicum ] and pastoral direction [ munus regendi ] ” ( CCC 1592 ) .
Discussing the claims of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the German priestly group writes that “ these desolate demands are in blatant contradiction ” to Holy Scripture and the Catechism .
“ Based on clear Biblical testimony , the Magisterium of the Catholic Church calls homosexual acts ' a grave depravity ' ( CCC 2357 ) .
Such practices belong to the grave sins that seriously offend chastity ( cf .
CCC 2396 ) and are vehemently rejected by Holy Scripture ( cf .
Gen 19:1-29 ; Rom 1:24-27 ; 1 Cor 6:9-10 ; 1 Tim 1:10 ) .
” After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the organizers of the synodal path , these priests tell the initiators of the synodal path : “ You are not servants of truth , but moderators of division !
Your agenda is not determined by the light of Christ and His Church , but by the altar of the spirit of the times !
Your aspiration is not to devote yourselves to the Kingdom of God , but to build a horizontal man-church !
” The priests conclude their statement with their own commitment to the Church 's teaching and with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying : “ All the more we want to be faithful to Christ the Lord , serve the Permanent Magisterium of the Catholic Church and entrust ourselves to the guidance of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God Mary.
” The priestly group Communio Veritatis was founded in 2018 in light of the Church 's crisis , and they expressed , in the same year , their resistance against the Archbishop of Paderborn and his decision to permit Protestant spouses of Catholics to receive Holy Communion .
They continue to issue statements against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , in January of 2019 , they called upon Cardinal Reinhard Marx to resign , accusing him of “ abusing your spiritual office by obviously considering the Church 's Sacraments as your personal property which you sacrifice at your own whims on the altar of the Zeitgeist.
” Father Frank Unterhalt , the speaker of the group , wrote for LifeSiteNews an essay about the important role of Our Lady in this crisis , pointing out that in his experience as pastor , a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a resilience in these times of disorder .
Full text of the statement of the priestly group Communio veritatis : The Synodal Path Downwards : A Monitum to the Initiators and Participants The so-called synodal path is a pseudo-theological disaster full of falsehood and lies .
The initiators obviously want a church other than the one founded by Christ .
In the working paper of the preparatory forum on “ Power and Separation of Powers in the Church ” ( status of 20 Jan. 2020 ) it says : “ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power of leadership and decision-making exclusively to consecration and to isolate it from the community of the faithful ( communio fidelium ) , but to situate it well in the whole of the Church , which in all its members is the priestly People of God ” ( p. 17 ) .
These words show the pernicious hubris with which you regard the Church of the Lord as your own property .
Your arrogance expresses the exact opposite of what the Permanent Magisterium of the Catholic Church says : “ Christ established the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God in His name .
For this purpose he has given it authority .
The hierarchy is composed of the ordained ministers : bishops , priests and deacons .
By virtue of the Sacrament of Orders , bishops and priests , in exercising their ministry , act in the name and person of Christ the Head ” ( CCCC 179 ) .
“ The ministerial priesthood is intrinsically different from the common priesthood , since it confers a sacred authority to minister to the faithful .
Consecrated ministers exercise their service to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ docendi ] , worship [ munus liturgicum ] and pastoral direction [ munus regendi ] ” ( CCC 1592 ) .
You put up for negotiation God 's Commandments and want to decide for yourself which morality you consider to be acceptable to the majority , up to date and reasonable .
In doing so , you even invoke a “ liturgical appreciation ” of same-sex relationships ( see working paper of the preparatory forum on “ Life in Succesful Relationships ” , status of 7 Jan. 2020 , p. 19 ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ occasions spoken up in favor of the blessing of homosexual partnerships , receive media-effective support from the left-liberal Politburo of the ZdK-Functionaries [ Central Committe of German Catholics , the lay organization which co-hosts the German “ synodal path ” ] .
These desolate demands are in blatant contradiction to Holy Scripture and the Catechism : Based on the clear biblical testimony the Magisterium of the Catholic Church calls homosexual acts “ a grave depravity ” ( CCC 2357 ) .
Such practices belong to the grave sins that seriously offend chastity ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehemently rejected by Holy Scripture ( cf .
Gen 19:1-29 ; Rom 1:24-27 ; 1 Cor 6:9-10 ; 1 Tim 1:10 ) .
On your website synodalerweg.de you can also read the hypocritical assertion that the personal significance of sexuality has not been given sufficient attention so far .
If one had adopted the Theology of the Body and the doctrine of the Communio personarum of Pope St. John Paul II , one would have to admit the opposite .
It is precisely from your ranks that in particular the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against .
For the Church of the Lord , the nature and meaning of marriage and sexuality do not derive from the spirit of the world , but from God 's Revelation : “ Created as man and woman , he has called them in marriage to an intimate communion of life and of mutual love ” ( CCCC 337 ) .
“ The conjugal union of husband and wife , founded by the Creator and endowed with its own laws , is by nature directed to the communion and good of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of children ” ( CCCC 338 ) .
Since you have obviously lost sight of the Imitation of Christ and of the perspective of eternity , you also do not understand the necessary priestly sign of total surrender to God .
As was to be expected , according to your will the Amazon should flow above all through Germany .
Therefore you ask : “ Is celibacy the only form of life appropriate to the nature of the priesthood ?
” ( working paper of the preparatory forum “ Priestly Existence Today ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p. 3 ) .
You sometimes feign a fundamental appreciation of celibacy , only to then actually overturn it by introducing the so-called viri probati [ morally proven married men ] .
In this way you deprive the Church of the precious gift of grace , which the Lord Himself exemplified and entrusted to her , as Pope Benedict XVI confirmed in an impressive manner for our time : “ In union with the great ecclesial Tradition , with the Second Vatican Council and my Predecessors in the Petrine Ministry , I affirm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priestly life lived in celibacy as an expressive sign of total and exclusive dedication to Christ , to the Church and to the Kingdom of God , and consequently confirm its obligatory character for the Latin tradition ” ( Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis , 24 ) .
The divisive intentions of the initiators are also clearly evident in the area of the ordination of women .
In the working paper of the preparatory forum “ Women in Ministries and in Offices in the Church ” ( status of 23 October 2019 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question of the ordination of women to priests and bishops the theological arguments are to be reflected upon which are presented in the already existing documents of the Magisterium .
Here [ ... ] must be certainly taken into account also the binding character of these doctrinal documents ” ( p. 12 ) .
With this you suggest that the question of ordination has not yet been finally decided and is , as it were , the subject of a possible negotiation .
It is correct , however , that the answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irrevocably : “ Wherefore , in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance , a matter which pertains to the Church 's divine constitution itself , in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren ( cf .
Lk 22:32 ) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church 's faithful.
” ( Pope John Paul II , Apostolic Exhortation Ordinatio sacerdotalis , 4 ) .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ binding nature of this doctrinal statement have already been emphatically dispelled : “ In view of the Pope 's clear teaching act , which is expressly addressed to the whole Catholic Church , all the faithful must give their consent to the teaching contained therein .
In this regard , the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , with papal approval , has presented an official response on the nature of this consent .
It is a completely definitive , that is , irrevocable , consent to a doctrine infallibly presented by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the doctrine presented in the Apostolic Letter Ordinatio sacerdotalis ) .
On this Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord , on which Christ our God is carried into the Temple in the arms of his Immaculate Mother Mary , we say to the initiators of the synodal path : You are not servants of truth , but moderators of division !
Your agenda is not determined by the light of Christ and His Church , but by the altar of the spirit of the times !
Your aspiration is not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but to build a horizontal man- church !
All the more we want to be faithful to Christ the Lord , serve the Permanent Magisterium of the Catholic Church and entrust ourselves to the guidance of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God Mary .
Paderborn , on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord 2020

The priests state that the promoters of the synodal path 'want a church other than the one founded by Christ.'
February 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A German group of priests called Communio Veritatis has issued on February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord and the Purification of Our Lady, a new statement addressing the organizers of the German “synodal path” which just had its first synodal assembly over the weekend in Frankfurt. The authors of the text state that the promoters of the synodal path “want a church other than the one founded by Christ” and they call the synodal path a “pseudo-theological disaster full of falsehood and lies.”
The priestly group criticizes that the different preparatory discussion forums of the synodal path already contained many wrong ideas. The German priests reject, for example, the married priesthood and female ordination, as well as a blessing for homosexual couples, as proposed by the synodal path's documents.
The group writes: “Since you have obviously lost sight of the Imitation of Christ and of the perspective of eternity, you also do not understand the necessary priestly sign of total surrender to God. As was to be expected, according to your will the Amazon should flow above all through Germany. Therefore you ask: 'Is celibacy the only form of life appropriate to the nature of the priesthood?'”
The authors also remind the organizers of the synodal path of the fact that Pope John Paul II has already, in a definitive manner, ruled out the priestly ordination of women.
The priestly group also addresses the organizer’s attempt at weakening the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church and at strengthening the influence and power of lay people. Here, the group reminds us of what the Catechism teaches on the fact that the ordained ministers of the Church are the ones called to teach, sanctify, and govern.
The Catechism states: “The ministerial priesthood is intrinsically different from the common priesthood, since it confers a sacred authority to minister to the faithful. Consecrated ministers exercise their service to the People of God through teaching [munus docendi], worship [munus liturgicum] and pastoral direction [munus regendi]” (CCC 1592).
Discussing the claims of the organizers of the synodal path about homosexuality, the German priestly group writes that “these desolate demands are in blatant contradiction” to Holy Scripture and the Catechism.
“Based on clear Biblical testimony, the Magisterium of the Catholic Church calls homosexual acts 'a grave depravity' (CCC 2357). Such practices belong to the grave sins that seriously offend chastity (cf. CCC 2396) and are vehemently rejected by Holy Scripture (cf. Gen 19:1-29; Rom 1:24-27; 1 Cor 6:9-10; 1 Tim 1:10).”
After their forceful analysis of the grave errors of the organizers of the synodal path, these priests tell the initiators of the synodal path: “You are not servants of truth, but moderators of division! Your agenda is not determined by the light of Christ and His Church, but by the altar of the spirit of the times! Your aspiration is not to devote yourselves to the Kingdom of God, but to build a horizontal man-church!”
The priests conclude their statement with their own commitment to the Church's teaching and with their firm devotion to Our Lady, saying: “All the more we want to be faithful to Christ the Lord, serve the Permanent Magisterium of the Catholic Church and entrust ourselves to the guidance of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God Mary.”
The priestly group Communio Veritatis was founded in 2018 in light of the Church's crisis, and they expressed, in the same year, their resistance against the Archbishop of Paderborn and his decision to permit Protestant spouses of Catholics to receive Holy Communion. They continue to issue statements against the dilution of the Catholic Faith. For example, in January of 2019, they called upon Cardinal Reinhard Marx to resign, accusing him of “abusing your spiritual office by obviously considering the Church's Sacraments as your personal property which you sacrifice at your own whims on the altar of the Zeitgeist.” Father Frank Unterhalt, the speaker of the group, wrote for LifeSiteNews an essay about the important role of Our Lady in this crisis, pointing out that in his experience as pastor, a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother always fosters a strong faith, frequent confession, and a resilience in these times of disorder.
***
Full text of the statement of the priestly group Communio veritatis:
The Synodal Path Downwards: A Monitum to the Initiators and Participants
The so-called synodal path is a pseudo-theological disaster full of falsehood and lies. The initiators obviously want a church other than the one founded by Christ.
In the working paper of the preparatory forum on “Power and Separation of Powers in the Church” (status of 20 Jan. 2020) it says: “A decisive task is not to bind the power of leadership and decision-making exclusively to consecration and to isolate it from the community of the faithful (communio fidelium), but to situate it well in the whole of the Church, which in all its members is the priestly People of God” (p. 17).
These words show the pernicious hubris with which you regard the Church of the Lord as your own property. Your arrogance expresses the exact opposite of what the Permanent Magisterium of the Catholic Church says:
“Christ established the ecclesiastical hierarchy to feed the people of God in His name. For this purpose he has given it authority. The hierarchy is composed of the ordained ministers: bishops, priests and deacons. By virtue of the Sacrament of Orders, bishops and priests, in exercising their ministry, act in the name and person of Christ the Head” (CCCC 179). “The ministerial priesthood is intrinsically different from the common priesthood, since it confers a sacred authority to minister to the faithful. Consecrated ministers exercise their service to the People of God through teaching [munus docendi], worship [munus liturgicum] and pastoral direction [munus regendi]” (CCC 1592).
You put up for negotiation God's Commandments and want to decide for yourself which morality you consider to be acceptable to the majority, up to date and reasonable.
In doing so, you even invoke a “liturgical appreciation” of same-sex relationships (see working paper of the preparatory forum on “Life in Succesful Relationships”, status of 7 Jan. 2020, p. 19). The bishops, who have on several occasions spoken up in favor of the blessing of homosexual partnerships, receive media-effective support from the left-liberal Politburo of the ZdK-Functionaries [Central Committe of German Catholics, the lay organization which co-hosts the German “synodal path”]. These desolate demands are in blatant contradiction to Holy Scripture and the Catechism:
Based on the clear biblical testimony the Magisterium of the Catholic Church calls homosexual acts “a grave depravity” (CCC 2357). Such practices belong to the grave sins that seriously offend chastity (cf. CCC 2396) and are vehemently rejected by Holy Scripture (cf. Gen 19:1-29; Rom 1:24-27; 1 Cor 6:9-10; 1 Tim 1:10).
On your website synodalerweg.de you can also read the hypocritical assertion that the personal significance of sexuality has not been given sufficient attention so far. If one had adopted the Theology of the Body and the doctrine of the Communio personarum of Pope St. John Paul II, one would have to admit the opposite. It is precisely from your ranks that in particular the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio has been deliberately ignored and fought against.
For the Church of the Lord, the nature and meaning of marriage and sexuality do not derive from the spirit of the world, but from God's Revelation:
“Created as man and woman, he has called them in marriage to an intimate communion of life and of mutual love” (CCCC 337). “The conjugal union of husband and wife, founded by the Creator and endowed with its own laws, is by nature directed to the communion and good of the spouses and to the procreation and education of children” (CCCC 338).
Since you have obviously lost sight of the Imitation of Christ and of the perspective of eternity, you also do not understand the necessary priestly sign of total surrender to God. As was to be expected, according to your will the Amazon should flow above all through Germany. Therefore you ask: “Is celibacy the only form of life appropriate to the nature of the priesthood?” (working paper of the preparatory forum “Priestly Existence Today”, status of 12 Sep. 2019, p. 3). You sometimes feign a fundamental appreciation of celibacy, only to then actually overturn it by introducing the so-called viri probati [morally proven married men].
In this way you deprive the Church of the precious gift of grace, which the Lord Himself exemplified and entrusted to her, as Pope Benedict XVI confirmed in an impressive manner for our time:
“In union with the great ecclesial Tradition, with the Second Vatican Council and my Predecessors in the Petrine Ministry, I affirm the beauty and the importance of a priestly life lived in celibacy as an expressive sign of total and exclusive dedication to Christ, to the Church and to the Kingdom of God, and consequently confirm its obligatory character for the Latin tradition” (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, 24).
The divisive intentions of the initiators are also clearly evident in the area of the ordination of women. In the working paper of the preparatory forum “Women in Ministries and in Offices in the Church” (status of 23 October 2019) it says:
“In view of the question of the ordination of women to priests and bishops the theological arguments are to be reflected upon which are presented in the already existing documents of the Magisterium. Here […] must be certainly taken into account also the binding character of these doctrinal documents” (p. 12).
With this you suggest that the question of ordination has not yet been finally decided and is, as it were, the subject of a possible negotiation.
It is correct, however, that the answer to this question has already been given irrevocably:
“Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.” (Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Ordinatio sacerdotalis, 4).
Even the doubts you deliberately spread about the binding nature of this doctrinal statement have already been emphatically dispelled:
“In view of the Pope's clear teaching act, which is expressly addressed to the whole Catholic Church, all the faithful must give their consent to the teaching contained therein. In this regard, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, with papal approval, has presented an official response on the nature of this consent. It is a completely definitive, that is, irrevocable, consent to a doctrine infallibly presented by the Church” (CDF, Response on the doctrine presented in the Apostolic Letter Ordinatio sacerdotalis).
On this Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord, on which Christ our God is carried into the Temple in the arms of his Immaculate Mother Mary, we say to the initiators of the synodal path:
You are not servants of truth, but moderators of division!
Your agenda is not determined by the light of Christ and His Church, but by the altar of the spirit of the times!
Your aspiration is not to devote yourselves to the Kingdom of God, but to build a horizontal man- church!
All the more we want to be faithful to Christ the Lord, serve the Permanent Magisterium of the Catholic Church and entrust ourselves to the guidance of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God Mary.
Paderborn, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord 2020
Priestly group Communio veritatis
Follow Maike Dr. Maike Hickson was born and raised in Germany. She holds a PhD from the University of Hannover, Germany, after having written in Switzerland her doctoral dissertation on the history of Swiss intellectuals before and during World War II. She now lives in the U.S. and is married to Dr. Robert Hickson, and they have been blessed with two beautiful children. She is a happy housewife who likes to write articles when time permits. Dr. Hickson published in 2014 a Festschrift, a collection of some thirty essays written by thoughtful authors in honor of her husband upon his 70th birthday, which is entitled A Catholic Witness in Our Time. Hickson has closely followed the papacy of Pope Francis and the developments in the Catholic Church in Germany, and she has been writing articles on religion and politics for U.S. and European publications and websites such as LifeSiteNews, OnePeterFive, The Wanderer, Rorate Caeli, Catholicism.org, Catholic Family News, Christian Order, Notizie Pro-Vita, Corrispondenza Romana, Katholisches.info, Der Dreizehnte, Zeit-Fragen, and Westfalen-Blatt.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-03--Pro-abortion Argentina president receives Holy Communion along with mistress at Vatican

February 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Last Friday , January 31st , the divorced pro-abortion president of Argentina , Alberto Fernandez , and his concubine both received Holy Communion from Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo during a Mass in Saint Peter ’ s Basilica , shortly before meeting with another compatriot , Pope Francis , for a 44-minute talk during which the issue of abortion was avoided .
It was a blatant scandal : Communion was given to a self-affirmed adulterer who is on the point of pushing through legislation to make abortion legal , and who has made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moreover , the sacrilege took place in the very heart of Christendom , with all the publicity associated with such a celebration during a State visit .
For those who still have doubts as to the tangible effects of the message conveyed by Amoris laetitia , the recent official visit of the new peronist Argentinean President Alberto Fernandez will have provided a striking clarification .
The audience with Pope Francis was long and cordial .
The Apostolic Exhortation that opens the door to Holy Communion for divorced people engaged in a new “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential couple by the Pope together with all the major documents signed by him during his pontificate , as is the custom .
While the Pope insisted on his exhortation Exultate et gaudete about “ the call to holiness in today ’ s world , ” the gift of Amoris laetitia , which in a footnote suggests that divorced and “ remarried ” couples can receive the sacraments under certain circumstances , was particularly apt for the occasion .
Alberto Fernandez , 61 , has been living with the Argentine actress Fabiola Yañez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his election last December , she has moved in together with him at the Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires and plays the role of First Lady despite the informal character of their arrangement .
The Argentinean president married Marcela Luchetti in 1993 and divorced her in 2005 , “ leaving ” a son .
Estanislao Fernandez , 24 , is now a well-known professional drag queen in Argentina .
From 2005 to 2014 , Alberto Fernandez lived with Vilma Ibarra , who has three children of her own .
The meeting of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pope Francis followed a special Mass celebrated by another compatriot , Archbishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo , Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences .
Videos are available of both moving up to the altar and receiving communion .
Ironically , Pope Francis preached that morning in Santa Marta about those Catholics who go to Mass on Sundays and call themselves Christians but who have “ lost their awareness of sin.
” He added that these Christians would need someone to tell them the truth , wishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ prophet ” who would “ give them a little slap ” when they let themselves slip “ into this atmosphere where everything seems to be allowed.
” Incidentally , he referred not to abortionists or adulterers , but to those who pay their servants or agricultural workers badly , according to a well-worn political pattern .
As if that wasn ’ t enough , the first reading of the day ( in the Novus Ordo ) of the mass attended by Alberto and Fabiola was the account of the murder of Uriah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who coveted his wife , Bathsheba .
Did the Vatican authorities “ discern ” about giving communion before inviting the Argentinean presidential couple to a mass specially celebrated for them ?
One wonders at the role played by what could be called the “ Argentinian connection : ” the incident included prominent Argentinians – the Pope , the President and his concubine , Sanchez Sorondo – and in the background , the letter of Pope Francis to the bishops of Greater Buenos Aires congratulating them on their interpretation of Amoris laetitia as opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There is no other interpretation , ” he wrote in September 2016 .
A diplomatic imbroglio also occurred .
Shortly after his meeting with Pope Francis , Alberto Fernandez sent his host an angry e-mail asking why the Vatican communiqué about the visit had announced that the subject of abortion had been raised during their meeting .
He himself had just expressly stated that this had not been the case during the press conference given at the Argentinean embassy upon his return from the Vatican .
“ I ’ ll have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replied a few minutes later , according to the Argentinean delegation .
Fernandez , for his part , specified that the topic of abortion had only been discussed during his meeting with the Secretary of State , Cardinal Parolin , who “ expressed his concern about this topic , ( him ) reminding him that the position of the Church is always the defense of life from the moment of conception , ” according to the words of the Argentinean president to La Nación .
A new Vatican communiqué was issued , specifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the press release on the audience ” with Fernandez “ had been raised in all the conversations.
” The message is clear : Pope Francis did not address the subject .
This seems to have been agreed upon even before the interview : according to Archbishop Hector Aguer , former archbishop of La Plata , Fernandez told the press on the eve of his meeting with Francis that the issue of abortion would not be raised .
This would seem to suggest that there was an agreement on this point prior to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the press at the embassy , just back from Santa Marta and having taken Communion that same morning , Alberto Fernandez confirmed that he will not back down on the project of legalizing abortion in Argentina ; the governmental project will be sent to Parliament on March 1st .
According to the Argentinian media , Fernandez mentioned St. Thomas Aquinas during his meeting with Parolin , telling the Cardinal that the Angelic Doctor was not against abortion “ before animation ” fetus .
He also suggested that if the Catholic Church is losing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is because the evangelicals are against abortion but allow “ methods of pregnancy prevention.
” The president ’ s pro-abortion conviction led him , in a letter of 2018 , to maintain that Saint Thomas Aquinas admitted the elimination of the embryo before it receives the definitive animation of the rational soul .
Since he was obviously unaware of the work of the common Doctor of the Church , he could not realize that even if the latter accepted a progressive animation , and the successive animation with the vegetative , sensitive and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and continuity of this process , which is why he affirmed that it was immoral to interrupt it in any of its stages .
He taught this in acceptance of the data of Aristotelian biology and the opinion of the scientists of his time , which would be outdated by later discoveries .
Aguer also commented , speaking of Fernandez pro-abortion stance and acts : Our politicians are moral relativists , and they must think that the Pope is one too .
Deputy Valdéz , former ambassador to the Holy See , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” On the eve of his meeting with the Pope , the president announced that the subject of abortion would not be raised during the conversation ; the abominable crime – that is what the Second Vatican Council called abortion – is not a major problem compared to those of poverty , hunger and debt .
Could it be so ?
We have no way of knowing , but can we not think that the Pope would be very saddened if his country of origin joined those who have already included in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with impunity ?
And that being the case , did he remind Dr. Fernandez – who identified himself as a Catholic for the occasion – that he would incur a very grave responsibility before God by encouraging such a measure ?
It is said that the matter was discussed in the Secretariat of State .
Will it have any effect ?
Because it is not the same thing .
It is striking that the president has declared himself a son of the Church , that he attended Mass with his girlfriend , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an Argentinean archbishop .
It ’ s incredible , but between fellow countrymen of the same rank everything is possible after all !
One more scandal , among many others…

'It was a blatant scandal: Communion was given to a self-affirmed adulterer who is on the point of pushing through legislation to make abortion legal'
February 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Last Friday, January 31st, the divorced pro-abortion president of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez, and his concubine both received Holy Communion from Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo during a Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica, shortly before meeting with another compatriot, Pope Francis, for a 44-minute talk during which the issue of abortion was avoided.
It was a blatant scandal: Communion was given to a self-affirmed adulterer who is on the point of pushing through legislation to make abortion legal, and who has made this one of his political priorities. Moreover, the sacrilege took place in the very heart of Christendom, with all the publicity associated with such a celebration during a State visit.
For those who still have doubts as to the tangible effects of the message conveyed by Amoris laetitia, the recent official visit of the new peronist Argentinean President Alberto Fernandez will have provided a striking clarification.
The audience with Pope Francis was long and cordial. The Apostolic Exhortation that opens the door to Holy Communion for divorced people engaged in a new “marital” union was given to the presidential couple by the Pope together with all the major documents signed by him during his pontificate, as is the custom. While the Pope insisted on his exhortation Exultate et gaudete about “the call to holiness in today’s world,” the gift of Amoris laetitia, which in a footnote suggests that divorced and “remarried” couples can receive the sacraments under certain circumstances, was particularly apt for the occasion.
Alberto Fernandez, 61, has been living with the Argentine actress Fabiola Yañez (38) since 2014. Since his election last December, she has moved in together with him at the Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires and plays the role of First Lady despite the informal character of their arrangement.
The Argentinean president married Marcela Luchetti in 1993 and divorced her in 2005, “leaving” a son. Estanislao Fernandez, 24, is now a well-known professional drag queen in Argentina.
From 2005 to 2014, Alberto Fernandez lived with Vilma Ibarra, who has three children of her own.
The meeting of the President and his “girlfriend” with Pope Francis followed a special Mass celebrated by another compatriot, Archbishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Videos are available of both moving up to the altar and receiving communion.
Ironically, Pope Francis preached that morning in Santa Marta about those Catholics who go to Mass on Sundays and call themselves Christians but who have “lost their awareness of sin.” He added that these Christians would need someone to tell them the truth, wishing that the Lord would send them a “prophet” who would “give them a little slap” when they let themselves slip “into this atmosphere where everything seems to be allowed.” Incidentally, he referred not to abortionists or adulterers, but to those who pay their servants or agricultural workers badly, according to a well-worn political pattern.
As if that wasn’t enough, the first reading of the day (in the Novus Ordo) of the mass attended by Alberto and Fabiola was the account of the murder of Uriah at the instigation of King David, who coveted his wife, Bathsheba.
Did the Vatican authorities “discern” about giving communion before inviting the Argentinean presidential couple to a mass specially celebrated for them? One wonders at the role played by what could be called the “Argentinian connection:” the incident included prominent Argentinians – the Pope, the President and his concubine, Sanchez Sorondo – and in the background, the letter of Pope Francis to the bishops of Greater Buenos Aires congratulating them on their interpretation of Amoris laetitia as opening the door to communion for habitual adulterers. “There is no other interpretation,” he wrote in September 2016.
A diplomatic imbroglio also occurred. Shortly after his meeting with Pope Francis, Alberto Fernandez sent his host an angry e-mail asking why the Vatican communiqué about the visit had announced that the subject of abortion had been raised during their meeting. He himself had just expressly stated that this had not been the case during the press conference given at the Argentinean embassy upon his return from the Vatican.
“I’ll have it corrected immediately,” the Pope replied a few minutes later, according to the Argentinean delegation. Fernandez, for his part, specified that the topic of abortion had only been discussed during his meeting with the Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, who “expressed his concern about this topic, (him) reminding him that the position of the Church is always the defense of life from the moment of conception,” according to the words of the Argentinean president to La Nación.
A new Vatican communiqué was issued, specifying that “not all the themes mentioned in the press release on the audience” with Fernandez “had been raised in all the conversations.”
The message is clear: Pope Francis did not address the subject. This seems to have been agreed upon even before the interview: according to Archbishop Hector Aguer, former archbishop of La Plata, Fernandez told the press on the eve of his meeting with Francis that the issue of abortion would not be raised. This would seem to suggest that there was an agreement on this point prior to the audience.
During his meeting with the press at the embassy, just back from Santa Marta and having taken Communion that same morning, Alberto Fernandez confirmed that he will not back down on the project of legalizing abortion in Argentina; the governmental project will be sent to Parliament on March 1st.
According to the Argentinian media, Fernandez mentioned St. Thomas Aquinas during his meeting with Parolin, telling the Cardinal that the Angelic Doctor was not against abortion “before animation” fetus. He also suggested that if the Catholic Church is losing faithful in Argentina to the evangelicals it is because the evangelicals are against abortion but allow “methods of pregnancy prevention.”
Archbishop Aguer responded on Infocatolica:
The president’s pro-abortion conviction led him, in a letter of 2018, to maintain that Saint Thomas Aquinas admitted the elimination of the embryo before it receives the definitive animation of the rational soul. Since he was obviously unaware of the work of the common Doctor of the Church, he could not realize that even if the latter accepted a progressive animation, and the successive animation with the vegetative, sensitive and rational souls, Thomas recognized the unity and continuity of this process, which is why he affirmed that it was immoral to interrupt it in any of its stages. He taught this in acceptance of the data of Aristotelian biology and the opinion of the scientists of his time, which would be outdated by later discoveries.
Aguer also commented, speaking of Fernandez pro-abortion stance and acts:
Our politicians are moral relativists, and they must think that the Pope is one too. Deputy Valdéz, former ambassador to the Holy See, had already declared that François “would understand.” On the eve of his meeting with the Pope, the president announced that the subject of abortion would not be raised during the conversation; the abominable crime – that is what the Second Vatican Council called abortion – is not a major problem compared to those of poverty, hunger and debt. Could it be so? We have no way of knowing, but can we not think that the Pope would be very saddened if his country of origin joined those who have already included in their legislation the permission to kill unborn children with impunity? And that being the case, did he remind Dr. Fernandez – who identified himself as a Catholic for the occasion – that he would incur a very grave responsibility before God by encouraging such a measure? It is said that the matter was discussed in the Secretariat of State. Will it have any effect? Because it is not the same thing. It is striking that the president has declared himself a son of the Church, that he attended Mass with his girlfriend, that he received Holy Communion from the hands of an Argentinean archbishop. It’s incredible, but between fellow countrymen of the same rank everything is possible after all! One more scandal, among many others…
Archbishop Aguer added:
The crime of abortion has been used by totalitarian regimes and imperialism to prevent population growth in poor countries; it is also a typical aspiration of the bourgeoisie. It’s too bad for the left-wing parties which, in their ideological blindness, do not understand that poor women, in general, do not want to abandon their little child, even if it was conceived against their will. They have a sense of life, of the natural order, that is despised by the comfortable societies of a dehumanized West. Among many Argentine politicians, ideological prejudices have taken precedence over thinking that discovers the truth of being; they ignore or repudiate the metaphysical concept of nature, and therefore cannot grasp the reality that it designates, and the natural order that flows from it.
Follow Jeanne Jeanne Smits has worked as a journalist in France since 1987 after obtaining a Master of Arts in Law. She formerly directed the French daily Présent and was editor-in-chief of an all-internet French-speaking news site called reinformation.tv. She writes regularly for a number of Catholic journals (Monde & vie, L’Homme nouveau, Reconquête…) and runs a personal pro-life blog. In addition, she is often invited to radio and TV shows on alternative media. She is vice-president of the Christian and French defense association “AGRIF.” She is the French translator of The Dictator Pope by Henry Sire and Christus Vincit by Bishop Schneider, and recently contributed to the Bref examen critique de la communion dans la main about Communion in the hand. She is married and has three children, and lives near Paris.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-03--Frontlines 2020: Your chance to win the battle for Life, Family, and Faith.

February 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Struck down , wounded , gasping for breath .
The clank and clash of discordant truths resound as swords on the battlefield .
The whir of verbal ammunition and the dust of confusion distort sight of the oncoming resistance .
The opposition kicks up dust from past hurts and succeeds in yet more wounds – this is the narrative of the battle .
The enemy advances quickly and shrewdly , using its conniving force .
From every angle they seem to have won – the colossal clout of sheer numbers masks a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all ?
Despite receiving some of the worst attacks in our history , 2019 was a record breaking year for LifeSite .
Though the battle has sometimes felt insurmountable , we rely on God and fight on with as much grace , patience , and courage as possible .
Standing for Truth requires that .
As darkness closes in all around , there must be light somewhere .
A ray of hope .
A spark of faith .
A glimmer of the Truth we know deep down .
This .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we know to be true , what our posterity depends on .
We must press on .
We must brush off our armor and fight like never before .
We do not fight for violence .
Our battle is for that which is sharper than swords , mightier than enemies , and yet as quiet as a whispering wind on the edge of the trees .
We need people like you on this battlefield .
It is n't for everyone , but those who join will make a lasting impact on what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Frontlines in 2020 ?
We are preparing for an even bigger year in 2020 , and we need reinforcements more than ever in our fight against the forces of evil .
The enemy only advances as much as we fail to stand up to him .
Join us to build our army and conquer the culture of death .
In late 2019 , a generous family realized the potential power of LifeSite 's SustainLife army of monthly donors .
They vowed to fuel the growth of this army with a matching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to DOUBLE our number of reinforcements on the Frontlines of the Culture War .
This year we are calling on you , our readers , supporters , and prayer warriors , to join the ranks as a Sustaining donor in our army !
This family has offered to double every monthly gift pledge to LifeSite for the entire year .
That means your $ 25 monthly gift becomes $ 50 ; $ 50 becomes $ 100 – every month for the entire year , up to $ 120,000 .
Anyone who is already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their monthly gift doubled as well !
Please support our mission , subscribe to our newsletter , and download our community app .
Continue sharing LifeSite articles , petitions , and videos .
The time to stand up for life , family , and faith is now .
We will see you on the battlefield .

Will you join us in defending life and family on the battlefield?
February 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Struck down, wounded, gasping for breath. The clank and clash of discordant truths resound as swords on the battlefield. The whir of verbal ammunition and the dust of confusion distort sight of the oncoming resistance. The opposition kicks up dust from past hurts and succeeds in yet more wounds – this is the narrative of the battle.
The enemy advances quickly and shrewdly, using its conniving force. From every angle they seem to have won – the colossal clout of sheer numbers masks a false reality.
Is there any hope at all?
Despite receiving some of the worst attacks in our history, 2019 was a record breaking year for LifeSite. Though the battle has sometimes felt insurmountable, we rely on God and fight on with as much grace, patience, and courage as possible. Standing for Truth requires that.
As darkness closes in all around, there must be light somewhere. A ray of hope. A spark of faith. A glimmer of the Truth we know deep down.
This. This is what we’re fighting for: what we know to be true, what our posterity depends on.
We must press on. We must brush off our armor and fight like never before. We do not fight for violence. Our battle is for that which is sharper than swords, mightier than enemies, and yet as quiet as a whispering wind on the edge of the trees.
We need people like you on this battlefield. It isn't for everyone, but those who join will make a lasting impact on what matters most. Will you join us on the Frontlines in 2020?
We are preparing for an even bigger year in 2020, and we need reinforcements more than ever in our fight against the forces of evil. The enemy only advances as much as we fail to stand up to him. Join us to build our army and conquer the culture of death.
In late 2019, a generous family realized the potential power of LifeSite's SustainLife army of monthly donors. They vowed to fuel the growth of this army with a matching gift of $120,000 with a challenge to DOUBLE our number of reinforcements on the Frontlines of the Culture War.
This year we are calling on you, our readers, supporters, and prayer warriors, to join the ranks as a Sustaining donor in our army! This family has offered to double every monthly gift pledge to LifeSite for the entire year. That means your $25 monthly gift becomes $50; $50 becomes $100 – every month for the entire year, up to $120,000. Anyone who is already a Sustainer will have any increase to their monthly gift doubled as well!
Please support our mission, subscribe to our newsletter, and download our community app. Continue sharing LifeSite articles, petitions, and videos. The time to stand up for life, family, and faith is now.
We will see you on the battlefield.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-02-03--Bishop Schneider: ‘The Pope cannot be silent as he watches the wolves devour the flock’

ROME , February 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Pope Francis has the duty to prevent bishops in Germany from leading clergy and faithful down the “ synodal path ” over the precipice of heresy , Bishop Athanasius Schneider has said .
In a new statement published today on the German-language outlet Kath.net ( see official English text below ) , the auxiliary of Astana , Kazakhstan , argued that the “ synodal path ” is “ an attempt ” to officially sanction the “ heretical doctrine and practices ” that have been corrupting the Church in Germany for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this tragic event , ” he said , “ is the fact that Pope Francis , by his silence , seems to tolerate those German bishops — first and foremost Cardinal Reinhard Marx [ president of the German bishops ’ conference ] — who openly profess heretical doctrines and practices.
” Bishop Schneider , himself of German ethnicity , acknowledged that Pope Francis ’ June 2019 “ Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Germany ” was a “ good ” first step .
But he argued that “ it was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set limits ” to ensure that the “ synodal path ” is truly Catholic .
He also insisted that , as “ supreme teacher ” and “ protector ” of the Catholic Faith , Pope Francis “ has the grave duty to protect the ‘ little ones , ’ i.e .
the simple faithful and those priests and bishops in Germany who have been put on the periphery and whose voice has been stifled ” by worldly prelates who are charged instead with protecting Christ ’ s flock .
“ The Pope can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he watches the ‘ wolves ’ devour the flock or the ‘ arsonists ’ set fire to the house , ” he said .
Bishop Schneider , who last year obtained a clarification ( albeit a private one ) from Pope Francis about the controversial Abu Dhabi document , said he believes the Pope ought to “ intervene and demand that participants in the ‘ synodal path ’ formally profess those truths and universal sacramental practices of the Church ” that are currently being called into question .
The German “ synodal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 to February 1 assembly in Frankfurt , Germany .
The goal of the two-year synodal process is to tackle “ key issues ” arising from the clerical sex abuse crisis .
The “ synodal path ” aims at passing resolutions in four areas pertaining to universal Church teaching and governance : “ Power and the Separation of Powers in the Church ” ; “ Priestly Life Today ” ; “ Women in Ministries and Offices of the Church ” ; and “ Living in Successful Relationships — Living Love in Sexuality and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Katolische.de , German Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki said his worst concerns about the “ synodal path ” have already come true .
The Archbishop of Cologne told German media that “ many arguments put forward at the first synodal assembly are incompatible with the faith and teaching of the universal Church.
” Recalling the fourth-century Arian controversy as a historical precedent to the current crisis , Bishop Schneider concluded his statement by encouraging clergy and faithful to persevere in remembering the divine origin and strength of the Church .
“ The Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be overcome even by a heretical and schismatic ‘ synodal path ’ — not even if this ‘ path ’ were to have the tacit approval of the Pope.
” Here below is the official English translation of Bishop Athanasius Schneider ’ s statement : The entire Catholic Church and the Catholic faith are stronger than German ’ s “ Synodal Path ” The so-called “ synodal path ” ( Synodaler Weg ) is ultimately an attempt to give official approval to truly heretical doctrines , with their correspondent sacramental and pastoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already been corrupting the life of the Catholic Church in Germany for decades .
For the time being , therefore , the present case of the “ synodal path ” is one of heresy rather than of schism .
Heresy , as defined by the Code of Canon Law , is “ the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith.
” Schism , on the other hand , is “ the refusal of submission to the Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Church subject to him ” ( can .
751 ) .
In the case of the German bishops , they are formally still submitted to the Roman Pontiff .
Moreover , it must also be said that not all of the German bishops support the heretical content of the “ synodal path.
” There is a group of German bishops ( even though few in number ) who will not accept doctrines and practices that are clearly heretical .
The decisive problem in this tragic event is the fact that Pope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tolerate those German bishops — first and foremost Cardinal Reinhard Marx — who openly profess heretical doctrines and practices , e.g .
the blessing of homosexual unions , the admittance to Holy Communion of people living in adultery , and the advocating of the sacramental ordination of women .
The letter Pope Francis wrote to the German Catholic Church in view of the “ synodal path ” was good , but it was not concrete enough , and it failed to set limits in order to guarantee that the “ synodal path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , i.e.
, that it would correspond to what was believed always , everywhere and by all Catholics .
In fulfilling his first task as the supreme teacher of the Catholic Faith , the supreme protector of the integrity of the Catholic Faith , and the visible center of unity , Pope Francis ought necessarily to intervene and demand that the participants in the “ synodal path ” formally profess those truths and universal sacramental practices of the Church , which they are calling into question through the strategic and ideological program of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has the grave duty to protect the “ little ones , ” i.e .
the simple faithful and those priests and bishops in Germany who have been put on the periphery and whose voice has been stifled by the powerful “ nomenklatura ” of a new unbelieving and Gnostic caste of so-called “ scientific ” theologians , by ecclesiastical apparatchiks and by those bishops who have adapted themselves to the ideological dictatorship of the mass media and politics .
The Pope can not passively stand by or be silent as he watches the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ arsonists ” set fire to the house .
The “ synodal path ” that is now underway has already openly shown that there is a division between those who still have the Catholic and apostolic faith and those who reject or question some of its essential contents .
It is realistic to imagine a situation in which priests and bishops in other countries will not be able to maintain communion with those German bishops who advocate heretical teachings .
The present confusion could even increase if these heretical bishops were still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet there is precedent for such a situation ( albeit rare ) in Church history .
One of the most notable precedents was the Arian crisis in the fourth century , when the entire body of the Catholic episcopate was divided essentially into three groups : ( 1 ) the Catholic and orthodox bishops who professed unambiguously the full Catholic Faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ ; they were the minority with the Pope ; ( 2 ) the second group opted for ambiguous formulations ; they were the majority and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of political correctness , to the dominant position of the ruling political power ; ( 3 ) the third group was comprised of radical and unbelieving Arians ; they were also a minority .
The criteria and guarantee for being truly Catholic was the communion with the Apostolic See in Rome and with the unchanging and constant doctrinal Tradition .
If the “ synodal path ” in Germany approves female sacramental ordination , the legitimacy of homosexual acts , the blessing of homosexual couples , the legitimacy of heterosexual acts outside a valid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bishops as well as many priests and lay faithful , even in Germany , who will not accept this and who could therefore not be in full communion with those bishops who profess such heresies .
Were the Pope not to correct the heretical decisions of the “ synodal path , ” he would thereby consent to them by his silence .
This would lead to the bizarre situation of a Pope at the same time approving clearly heretic bishops as well as bishops who still hold and safeguard the true Catholic faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of situation in the fourth century ( although only for a brief time ) , when Pope Liberius excommunicated St. Athanasius , the champion of the Catholic Faith , and at the same time established communion with the semi-heretical bishops of the East , i.e .
the semi-Arians .
I hope that God will preserve us from such a disastrous situation .
But if that were to happen — and the Pope were not to intervene with an unambiguous profession of the Catholic Faith and the perennial sacramental practice of the Church — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice be similar to the Anglican Communion or to a Protestant Free Church , i.e .
a religious system fashioned like “ McDonald ’ s ” or an a la carte restaurant .
Even if this should happen ( and God forbid that it does ) , it will last only briefly , since the Catholic Church is divine and her nature is the clarity , immutability and firmness of the Faith .
Indeed , she is built by Christ Himself upon the rock which can not be overcome even by a heretical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not even if this “ path ” were to have the tacit approval of the Pope .
The entire Catholic Church is stronger than this , and the Catholic Faith is always victorious , for Mary , the Mother of the Church , has vanquished all heresies throughout the entire world .
February 2 , 2020 + Athanasius Schneider , Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana

ROME, February 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis has the duty to prevent bishops in Germany from leading clergy and faithful down the “synodal path” over the precipice of heresy, Bishop Athanasius Schneider has said.
In a new statement published today on the German-language outlet Kath.net (see official English text below), the auxiliary of Astana, Kazakhstan, argued that the “synodal path” is “an attempt” to officially sanction the “heretical doctrine and practices” that have been corrupting the Church in Germany for decades.
“The decisive problem in this tragic event,” he said, “is the fact that Pope Francis, by his silence, seems to tolerate those German bishops — first and foremost Cardinal Reinhard Marx [president of the German bishops’ conference] — who openly profess heretical doctrines and practices.”
Bishop Schneider, himself of German ethnicity, acknowledged that Pope Francis’ June 2019 “Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Germany” was a “good” first step. But he argued that “it was not concrete enough” and “failed to set limits” to ensure that the “synodal path” is truly Catholic.
He also insisted that, as “supreme teacher” and “protector” of the Catholic Faith, Pope Francis “has the grave duty to protect the ‘little ones,’ i.e. the simple faithful and those priests and bishops in Germany who have been put on the periphery and whose voice has been stifled” by worldly prelates who are charged instead with protecting Christ’s flock.
“The Pope cannot passively stand by or be silent as he watches the ‘wolves’ devour the flock or the ‘arsonists’ set fire to the house,” he said.
Bishop Schneider, who last year obtained a clarification (albeit a private one) from Pope Francis about the controversial Abu Dhabi document, said he believes the Pope ought to “intervene and demand that participants in the ‘synodal path’ formally profess those truths and universal sacramental practices of the Church” that are currently being called into question.
The German “synodal path” officially opened with a January 30 to February 1 assembly in Frankfurt, Germany. The goal of the two-year synodal process is to tackle “key issues” arising from the clerical sex abuse crisis.
The “synodal path” aims at passing resolutions in four areas pertaining to universal Church teaching and governance: “Power and the Separation of Powers in the Church”; “Priestly Life Today”; “Women in Ministries and Offices of the Church”; and “Living in Successful Relationships — Living Love in Sexuality and Partnership.”
In a February 2 interview with Katolische.de, German Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki said his worst concerns about the “synodal path” have already come true. The Archbishop of Cologne told German media that “many arguments put forward at the first synodal assembly are incompatible with the faith and teaching of the universal Church.”
Recalling the fourth-century Arian controversy as a historical precedent to the current crisis, Bishop Schneider concluded his statement by encouraging clergy and faithful to persevere in remembering the divine origin and strength of the Church.
“The Church,” he said, “cannot be overcome even by a heretical and schismatic ‘synodal path’ — not even if this ‘path’ were to have the tacit approval of the Pope.”
Here below is the official English translation of Bishop Athanasius Schneider’s statement:
The entire Catholic Church and the Catholic faith are stronger than German’s “Synodal Path”
The so-called “synodal path” (Synodaler Weg) is ultimately an attempt to give official approval to truly heretical doctrines, with their correspondent sacramental and pastoral practices. These doctrines and practices have already been corrupting the life of the Catholic Church in Germany for decades.
For the time being, therefore, the present case of the “synodal path” is one of heresy rather than of schism. Heresy, as defined by the Code of Canon Law, is “the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith.” Schism, on the other hand, is “the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him” (can. 751). In the case of the German bishops, they are formally still submitted to the Roman Pontiff. Moreover, it must also be said that not all of the German bishops support the heretical content of the “synodal path.” There is a group of German bishops (even though few in number) who will not accept doctrines and practices that are clearly heretical.
The decisive problem in this tragic event is the fact that Pope Francis, by his silence, seems to tolerate those German bishops — first and foremost Cardinal Reinhard Marx — who openly profess heretical doctrines and practices, e.g. the blessing of homosexual unions, the admittance to Holy Communion of people living in adultery, and the advocating of the sacramental ordination of women. The letter Pope Francis wrote to the German Catholic Church in view of the “synodal path” was good, but it was not concrete enough, and it failed to set limits in order to guarantee that the “synodal path” would have a truly Catholic character, i.e., that it would correspond to what was believed always, everywhere and by all Catholics.
In fulfilling his first task as the supreme teacher of the Catholic Faith, the supreme protector of the integrity of the Catholic Faith, and the visible center of unity, Pope Francis ought necessarily to intervene and demand that the participants in the “synodal path” formally profess those truths and universal sacramental practices of the Church, which they are calling into question through the strategic and ideological program of the “synodal path.”
The Pope has the grave duty to protect the “little ones,” i.e. the simple faithful and those priests and bishops in Germany who have been put on the periphery and whose voice has been stifled by the powerful “nomenklatura” of a new unbelieving and Gnostic caste of so-called “scientific” theologians, by ecclesiastical apparatchiks and by those bishops who have adapted themselves to the ideological dictatorship of the mass media and politics. The Pope cannot passively stand by or be silent as he watches the “wolves” devour the flock or the “arsonists” set fire to the house.
The “synodal path” that is now underway has already openly shown that there is a division between those who still have the Catholic and apostolic faith and those who reject or question some of its essential contents. It is realistic to imagine a situation in which priests and bishops in other countries will not be able to maintain communion with those German bishops who advocate heretical teachings. The present confusion could even increase if these heretical bishops were still to be recognized formally by the Pope.
Yet there is precedent for such a situation (albeit rare) in Church history. One of the most notable precedents was the Arian crisis in the fourth century, when the entire body of the Catholic episcopate was divided essentially into three groups: (1)the Catholic and orthodox bishops who professed unambiguously the full Catholic Faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ; they were the minority with the Pope; (2)the second group opted for ambiguous formulations; they were the majority and usually conformed themselves, for the sake of political correctness, to the dominant position of the ruling political power; (3)the third group was comprised of radical and unbelieving Arians; they were also a minority. The criteria and guarantee for being truly Catholic was the communion with the Apostolic See in Rome and with the unchanging and constant doctrinal Tradition.
If the “synodal path” in Germany approves female sacramental ordination, the legitimacy of homosexual acts, the blessing of homosexual couples, the legitimacy of heterosexual acts outside a valid marriage, there will surely be Catholic bishops as well as many priests and lay faithful, even in Germany, who will not accept this and who could therefore not be in full communion with those bishops who profess such heresies.
Were the Pope not to correct the heretical decisions of the “synodal path,” he would thereby consent to them by his silence. This would lead to the bizarre situation of a Pope at the same time approving clearly heretic bishops as well as bishops who still hold and safeguard the true Catholic faith. The Church already experienced this kind of situation in the fourth century (although only for a brief time), when Pope Liberius excommunicated St. Athanasius, the champion of the Catholic Faith, and at the same time established communion with the semi-heretical bishops of the East, i.e. the semi-Arians. I hope that God will preserve us from such a disastrous situation.
But if that were to happen — and the Pope were not to intervene with an unambiguous profession of the Catholic Faith and the perennial sacramental practice of the Church — the Catholic Church would in appearance and practice be similar to the Anglican Communion or to a Protestant Free Church, i.e. a religious system fashioned like “McDonald’s” or an a la carte restaurant.
Even if this should happen (and God forbid that it does), it will last only briefly, since the Catholic Church is divine and her nature is the clarity, immutability and firmness of the Faith. Indeed, she is built by Christ Himself upon the rock which cannot be overcome even by a heretical and schismatic “synodal path” — not even if this “path” were to have the tacit approval of the Pope. The entire Catholic Church is stronger than this, and the Catholic Faith is always victorious, for Mary, the Mother of the Church, has vanquished all heresies throughout the entire world.
February 2, 2020
+ Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
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lifesitenews--2020-02-03--Archbishop bans Holy Communion in hand to promote reverence, stop abuses

KAMPALA , UGANDA , February 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – An African archbishop has decreed that Catholics in his diocese must only receive Holy Communion on the tongue in order to promote reverence for the Eucharist and to stop “ abuses.
” “ Henceforth , it is forbidden to distribute or to receive Holy Communion in the hands , ” stated Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga of Kampala in Uganda , East Africa in a decree ( read full text below ) issued on Saturday , February 1 .
“ Mother Church enjoins us to hold the Most Holy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
898 ) .
Due to many reported instances of dishonoring the Eucharist that have been associated with reception of the Eucharist in the hands , it is fitting to return to the more reverent method of receiving the Eucharist on the tongue , ” he added .
Catholics believe that at a Catholic Mass , bread and wine is changed into the physical body , blood , soul and divinity of Jesus Christ while retaining only the appearance of bread and wine .
In 2018 Cardinal Robert Sarah , Prefect of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholics to return to the traditional practice of receiving Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue .
He said : “ Why do not we kneel down to receive Holy Communion after the example of the saints ?
Is it really so humiliating to bow down and remain kneeling before the Lord Jesus Christ ?
” Cardinal Sarah noted that receiving Communion on the hand “ undoubtedly involves a great scattering of fragments.
” Archbishop Lwanga ’ s decree goes on to affirm the Catholic Church ’ s teaching on the norms for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that those “ living in illicit marital co-habitation ” and those “ who persist in any grave and manifest sin ” , such as publicly pro-abortion politicians , may not receive the Eucharist .
The decree reads : “ Following the clear norms of Can .
915 .
It must be reaffirmed that those living in illicit marital co-habitation and those who persist in any grave and manifest sin.
, can not be admitted to Holy Communion .
Moreover , so as to avoid scandal , the Eucharist is not to be celebrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a situation.
” The decree , which Archbishop Lwanga said was issued to “ curb the abuses that had begun cropping up in the celebration of the Mass ” also insisted on several other issues of liturgical discipline .
The Archbishop ruled that laity who have not been designated by “ the competent ecclesiastical authority ” were forbidden from administering Holy Communion .
The decree states that those who are authorized to distribute Holy Communion must themselves receive the Eucharist on the tongue before administering it to others .
Section 3 of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Eucharist is to be carried out in a sacred place ” , i.e .
in a church rather than in residential homes , “ unless grave necessity requires otherwise.
” Section 5 insists that clergy must be dressed correctly to celebrate Catholic liturgy , or otherwise remain with the laity in the main section of the church .
The decree reads : “ In celebrating and administering the Eucharist , priests and deacons are to wear the sacred Vestments prescribed by the rubrics ( Can .
929 ) ” .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear the prescribed vestments “ should neither concelebrate nor assist at the distribution of Holy Communion .
He should also not sit in the sanctuary but rather take his seat among the faithful in the congregation.
” DECREE CONCERNING THE PROPER CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST IN KAMPALA DIOCESE • None Henceforth , it is forbidden to distribute or to receive Holy Communion in the hands .
Mother Church enjoins us to hold the Most Holy Eucharist in the highest honor ( Can .
898 ) .
Due to many reported instances of dishonoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reception of the Eucharist in the hands , it is lilting to return to the more reverent method of receiving the Eucharist on the tongue .
• None According to the law of the Church , the Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion is a Bishop .
Presbyter or Deacon ( Can .
910 : 91 ) .
In light of this norm , it is forbidden for a member of the faithful who has not been designated as an extraordinary Minister of Communion ( Can .
910§2 ) by the competent ecclesiastical authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before distributing Holy Communion , the extraordinary Minister must first receive Holy Communion from the Ordinary Minister according to the norm laid out in no.1 above .
• None The celebration of the Eucharist is to be carried out in a sacred place unless grave necessity requires otherwise ( Can .
932 91 ) .
Following this canonical norm , the Eucharist is henceforth to be celebrated in designated sacred places since there is an adequate number of such designated places in the Archdiocese for that purpose .
• None Following the clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be reaffirmed that those living in illicit marital co-habitation and those who persist in any grave and manifest sin.
, can not be admitted to Holy Communion .
Moreover , so as to avoid scandal , the Eucharist is not to be celebrated in the homes of people in such a situation .
• None In celebrating and administering the Eucharist , priests and deacons are to wear the sacred vestments prescribed by the rubrics ( Can .
929 ) .
Following this canonical norm , it is strictly forbidden to admit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not properly vested in the prescribed liturgical vestments .
Such a priest should neither concelebrate nor assist at the distribution of Holy Communion .
He should also not sit in the sanctuary but rather take his seat among the faithful in the congregation .
The above norms are meant to streamline the celebration of the Holy Eucharist , and curb the abuses that had begun cropping up in the celebration of the Mass .
These norms are to be followed with immediate effect

KAMPALA, UGANDA, February 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – An African archbishop has decreed that Catholics in his diocese must only receive Holy Communion on the tongue in order to promote reverence for the Eucharist and to stop “abuses.”
“Henceforth, it is forbidden to distribute or to receive Holy Communion in the hands,” stated Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga of Kampala in Uganda, East Africa in a decree (read full text below) issued on Saturday, February 1.
“Mother Church enjoins us to hold the Most Holy Eucharist in the highest honor (Can. 898). Due to many reported instances of dishonoring the Eucharist that have been associated with reception of the Eucharist in the hands, it is fitting to return to the more reverent method of receiving the Eucharist on the tongue,” he added.
Catholics believe that at a Catholic Mass, bread and wine is changed into the physical body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ while retaining only the appearance of bread and wine.
In 2018 Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, called on Catholics to return to the traditional practice of receiving Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue. He said: “Why do not we kneel down to receive Holy Communion after the example of the saints? Is it really so humiliating to bow down and remain kneeling before the Lord Jesus Christ?”
Cardinal Sarah noted that receiving Communion on the hand “undoubtedly involves a great scattering of fragments.”
Archbishop Lwanga’s decree goes on to affirm the Catholic Church’s teaching on the norms for the reception of the Eucharist, explaining that those “living in illicit marital co-habitation” and those “who persist in any grave and manifest sin”, such as publicly pro-abortion politicians, may not receive the Eucharist.
The decree reads: “Following the clear norms of Can. 915. It must be reaffirmed that those living in illicit marital co-habitation and those who persist in any grave and manifest sin., cannot be admitted to Holy Communion. Moreover, so as to avoid scandal, the Eucharist is not to be celebrated in the homes of people in such a situation.”
The decree, which Archbishop Lwanga said was issued to “curb the abuses that had begun cropping up in the celebration of the Mass” also insisted on several other issues of liturgical discipline.
The Archbishop ruled that laity who have not been designated by “the competent ecclesiastical authority” were forbidden from administering Holy Communion. The decree states that those who are authorized to distribute Holy Communion must themselves receive the Eucharist on the tongue before administering it to others.
Section 3 of the decree states that the “celebration of the Eucharist is to be carried out in a sacred place”, i.e. in a church rather than in residential homes, “unless grave necessity requires otherwise.”
Section 5 insists that clergy must be dressed correctly to celebrate Catholic liturgy, or otherwise remain with the laity in the main section of the church.
The decree reads: “In celebrating and administering the Eucharist, priests and deacons are to wear the sacred Vestments prescribed by the rubrics (Can. 929)”. According to the decree, priests who fail to wear the prescribed vestments “should neither concelebrate nor assist at the distribution of Holy Communion. He should also not sit in the sanctuary but rather take his seat among the faithful in the congregation.”
***
DECREE CONCERNING THE PROPER CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST IN KAMPALA DIOCESE
February 1, 2020
Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga
Henceforth, it is forbidden to distribute or to receive Holy Communion in the hands. Mother Church enjoins us to hold the Most Holy Eucharist in the highest honor (Can. 898). Due to many reported instances of dishonoring the Eucharist that have been associated with reception of the Eucharist in the hands, it is lilting to return to the more reverent method of receiving the Eucharist on the tongue. According to the law of the Church, the Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion is a Bishop. Presbyter or Deacon (Can. 910: 91). In light of this norm, it is forbidden for a member of the faithful who has not been designated as an extraordinary Minister of Communion (Can. 910§2) by the competent ecclesiastical authority to distribute Holy Communion. Moreover, before distributing Holy Communion, the extraordinary Minister must first receive Holy Communion from the Ordinary Minister according to the norm laid out in no.1 above. The celebration of the Eucharist is to be carried out in a sacred place unless grave necessity requires otherwise (Can. 932 91). Following this canonical norm, the Eucharist is henceforth to be celebrated in designated sacred places since there is an adequate number of such designated places in the Archdiocese for that purpose. Following the clear norms of Can. 915. It must be reaffirmed that those living in illicit marital co-habitation and those who persist in any grave and manifest sin., cannot be admitted to Holy Communion. Moreover, so as to avoid scandal, the Eucharist is not to be celebrated in the homes of people in such a situation. In celebrating and administering the Eucharist, priests and deacons are to wear the sacred vestments prescribed by the rubrics (Can. 929). Following this canonical norm, it is strictly forbidden to admit as a co-celebrant, any priest who is not properly vested in the prescribed liturgical vestments. Such a priest should neither concelebrate nor assist at the distribution of Holy Communion. He should also not sit in the sanctuary but rather take his seat among the faithful in the congregation.
The above norms are meant to streamline the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, and curb the abuses that had begun cropping up in the celebration of the Mass. These norms are to be followed with immediate effect
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lifesitenews--2020-02-03--US archbishop: Pope told us gay civil unions can be ‘acceptable’

VATICAN CITY , February 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — A U.S. archbishop says Pope Francis told a group of American bishops in Rome that civil unions for homosexual couples that give them access to public benefits are “ acceptable , ” as long as it ’ s clear such arrangements can never be considered marriage .
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco told LifeSiteNews that during their January 27 ad limina visit , the pope said , in the words of the archbishop , that “ civil unions between two people of the same sex can never be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respected , civil unions that give access to government benefits can be acceptable.
” However , to regard homosexual civil unions as acceptable contradicts Catholic teaching , notably reaffirmed in the 1986 , 1992 and 2003 documents issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ( CDF ) under Cardinal Josef Ratzinger , now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI , and approved by Pope Saint John Paul II .
The 2003 letter “ Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons ” reiterates that homosexual acts go against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ t ] here are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God 's plan for marriage and family.
” “ The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons can not lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions , ” it points out .
Moreover , where “ homosexual unions have been legally recognized or have been given the legal status and rights belonging to marriage , clear and emphatic opposition is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ One must refrain from any kind of formal cooperation in the enactment or application of such gravely unjust laws and , as far as possible , from material cooperation on the level of their application .
In this area , everyone can exercise the right to conscientious objection , ” it states .
This is not the first time that the pontiff , while reaffirming the impossibility of homosexual “ marriage , ” has signaled support for “ civil unions ” for homosexual couples .
In a 2017 book-length interview with French @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pope Francis stated : “ Let us call things by their names .
Matrimony is between a man and a woman .
This is the precise term .
Let us call the same-sex union a ‘ civil union ’ .
” Moreover , it ’ s widely known that as archbishop of Buenos Aires , Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio , now Pope Francis , was publicly critical of the government ’ s push to legalize homosexual “ marriage , ” but privately argued for civil unions as a compromise measure .
In reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pope last week , Catholic News Service ( CNS ) mentioned that the Holy Father spoke about pastoral care for homosexuals .
It quoted Archbishop Cordileone regarding what Pope Francis had said about homosexuals , at one point paraphrasing the Archbishop inaccurately .
Cordileone clarified in a statement to LifeSiteNews that the pope did not talk about it being important to “ ensure ” homosexual couples have public benefits during the discussions .
Pope Francis “ did not ‘ endorse ’ this , ” said the Archbishop .

The Pope told U.S. bishops that civil unions for homosexual couples that give them access to public benefits are 'acceptable.'
VATICAN CITY, February 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A U.S. archbishop says Pope Francis told a group of American bishops in Rome that civil unions for homosexual couples that give them access to public benefits are “acceptable,” as long as it’s clear such arrangements can never be considered marriage.
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco told LifeSiteNews that during their January 27 ad limina visit, the pope said, in the words of the archbishop, that “civil unions between two people of the same sex can never be marriage. As long as this is respected, civil unions that give access to government benefits can be acceptable.”
However, to regard homosexual civil unions as acceptable contradicts Catholic teaching, notably reaffirmed in the 1986, 1992 and 2003 documents issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) under Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and approved by Pope Saint John Paul II.
The 2003 letter “Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons” reiterates that homosexual acts go against the natural moral law and that “[t]here are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family.”
“The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions,” it points out.
Moreover, where “homosexual unions have been legally recognized or have been given the legal status and rights belonging to marriage, clear and emphatic opposition is a duty,” the document asserts.
“One must refrain from any kind of formal cooperation in the enactment or application of such gravely unjust laws and, as far as possible, from material cooperation on the level of their application. In this area, everyone can exercise the right to conscientious objection,” it states.
This is not the first time that the pontiff, while reaffirming the impossibility of homosexual “marriage,” has signaled support for “civil unions” for homosexual couples.
In a 2017 book-length interview with French journalist Dominique Wolton titled Politics and Society, Pope Francis stated: “Let us call things by their names. Matrimony is between a man and a woman. This is the precise term. Let us call the same-sex union a ‘civil union’.”
Moreover, it’s widely known that as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, was publicly critical of the government’s push to legalize homosexual “marriage,” but privately argued for civil unions as a compromise measure.
In reporting on the American bishops’ meeting with the Pope last week, Catholic News Service (CNS) mentioned that the Holy Father spoke about pastoral care for homosexuals. It quoted Archbishop Cordileone regarding what Pope Francis had said about homosexuals, at one point paraphrasing the Archbishop inaccurately.
“He made important distinctions between the (sexual) orientation and the question of marriage,” for example saying it was important to ensure gay couples have access to public benefits, but insisting gay couples cannot marry, the Archbishop said.
Cordileone clarified in a statement to LifeSiteNews that the pope did not talk about it being important to “ensure” homosexual couples have public benefits during the discussions.
Pope Francis “did not ‘endorse’ this,” said the Archbishop.
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