lifesitenews--2020-02-11--How Egyptian Christians murdered for their faith can revitalize the corrupted West

February 11 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Martin Mosebach , a German novelist who has won major prizes for his literature , is also a penetrating , witty , and sensitive essayist about issues facing the Catholic Church today .
One of his books has gained considerable fame : The Heresy of Formlessness , first published in English by Ignatius Press and now published in a second , expanded edition by Angelico Press .
Another fine collection of essays is his Subversive Catholicism .
Mosebach surprised the world with his most recent work of nonfiction , The 21 : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martyrs , which he researched during a lengthy stay in Egypt .
The English translation was released by Plough Press one year ago , in February 2019 .
As its title makes clear , it centers on the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians by the forces of ISIS sometime between February 12 and February 15 , 2015 .
Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria ( “ pope ” here is an ancient honorific title for the head of the regional church ) canonized them and appointed February 15 as their feast day .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and at times riveting book discusses the political dimensions of the act recorded on the video released by ISIS on February 15 , 2015 .
Mosebach brings his keen powers of observation and description to bear on the different people he meets and their different ways of thinking about the Christian faith in the midst of a predominantly Muslim society .
In a dialogue about martyrdom with a young agnostic entrepreneur ( ch .
4 ) , the contrast between modernity and Christianity is starkly drawn : For the entrepreneur , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which I totally get .
It sounds like your peasants from those dumps in Upper Egypt might be the very last Christians ” ( 37 ) .
Mosebach imagines Nietzsche “ squaring off ” and losing against the murdered Copts ’ bishop , the metropolitan of Samalut , who radiates confidence , strength , determination , intelligence , compassion , and devotion to Christ the King ( 41–51 ) .
The bishop says at one point : When Mosebach reaches the village , “ to meet these people , ” he finds it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost sons to the Islamic terrorists laud and celebrate their memories , with photographs to which crowns have been added .
A Copt had composed a hymn to them : Mosebach is startled to discover no desire for recrimination : I noticed a review of this book at Amazon in which the reader said he was disappointed that Mosebach wasn ’ t able to find a lot of personal information on these men : they were inconsequential , average young men .
What this reviewer failed to see is Mosebach ’ s frequently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secondary to the main message : the victory of ordinary people through Christ .
As the metropolitan had said , nearly any randomly selected group of twenty-one Copts could have been marched on to the beach and executed for their faith .
Why should Catholics take seriously the witness of these twenty-one , who belong to an ancient ecclesial body that is no longer in communion with the pope of Rome ?
The great English Catholic liturgist Fr .
Adrian Fortescue gives us the answer : There are at least four lessons we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Coptic Christians .
First , the big picture — the cosmic , eschatological picture — is clearer to them than it is to us in the West ; they truly see the world with “ Christian eyes.
” Western believers have allowed their vision to become clouded ; we are distracted , caught up in minutiae , lulled to sleep by comforts , narrowed by the narrowness of modernity .
Our notions of progress are laughably naïve .
Second , for all the talk about a “ new evangelization , ” Catholics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we don ’ t stand up well to persecution , which is the most basic form of evangelical witness .
The Copts ’ marginalized status in Islamic Egypt has only intensified their adherence to Christ and His Gospel and show us what it will look like , and what it will take , to thrive as a minority : The western Church must ask itself whether it is as well prepared to spread the faith in an increasingly secularized world as the Coptic Church is .
The Copts have clearly had a head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withstand oppression by a hostile majority , and have an intimate collective knowledge of martyrdom .
Due to this history , they have endured countless setbacks for more than a millenium .
And yet they have not disappeared and they have not grown numb ; on the contrary , they have kept the apostolic heritage of early Christianity alive .
...
The Copts have relevant experience when it comes to the future of Christianity too .
How might Christianity look , and continue on , once societal majorities and governments are no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 212–13 ) Persecution is not going away .
How are we going to deal with it ?
Another recent book by a Coptic Christian , Putting Joy into Practice by Phoebe Farag Mikhail , tells us about another group of courageous Christians from Egypt .
Shortly after the slaying of the twenty-one , twenty-five parishioners in Tanta were killed when a bomb exploded during services on Palm Sunday .
Fr .
Daniel Maher , whose son was killed during this explosion , prayed this prayer of thanksgiving at the funeral — wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the day of the attack : Attacks on Christians in Sri Lanka and in Texas — and the more subtle but no less real persecution of Christians in the workplace or in politics — force us to consider whether we are willing to stand up for the Lord when the time of confrontation comes .
Third , we need to ask ourselves if we are not too insulated , cocooned in comfort , in our technologized world .
Can Christianity endure where comfort reigns , where money is plentiful , where pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systematically shunned ?
The Copts radically challenge our “ prosperity gospel ” and our usual metrics , giving us all the more reason to separate ourselves in some ways from the norms of our decadent society .
At one point Mosebach finds himself at a mall in New Cairo and sees it as a mirage : Fourth , in the chapter most intriguing to me ( ch .
13 , “ The Martyrs ’ Liturgy ” ) , Mosebach says of the Copts ’ extremely ancient Eucharistic liturgy , which takes hours to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true servants and witnesses , we must also be true worshipers who celebrate the mystery of God “ in all its fullness , even in the poorest , most primitive places , ” hymning His majesty and miracles , and not renouncing our inheritance of faith .
The traditional liturgical rites of the Catholic Church are permeated with “ conversion or death , the smell of blood , violence , proud zealotry , loyalty , truth , and tears.
” We must recover and renew ourselves with these rites , living and dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have the strength to be Christ ’ s witnesses in the times ahead .

February 11, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Martin Mosebach, a German novelist who has won major prizes for his literature, is also a penetrating, witty, and sensitive essayist about issues facing the Catholic Church today. One of his books has gained considerable fame: The Heresy of Formlessness, first published in English by Ignatius Press and now published in a second, expanded edition by Angelico Press. Another fine collection of essays is his Subversive Catholicism.
Mosebach surprised the world with his most recent work of nonfiction, The 21: A Journey into the Land of Coptic Martyrs, which he researched during a lengthy stay in Egypt. The English translation was released by Plough Press one year ago, in February 2019. As its title makes clear, it centers on the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians by the forces of ISIS sometime between February 12 and February 15, 2015. Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria (“pope” here is an ancient honorific title for the head of the regional church) canonized them and appointed February 15 as their feast day.
The first part of Mosebach’s fascinating and at times riveting book discusses the political dimensions of the act recorded on the video released by ISIS on February 15, 2015. Mosebach brings his keen powers of observation and description to bear on the different people he meets and their different ways of thinking about the Christian faith in the midst of a predominantly Muslim society. In a dialogue about martyrdom with a young agnostic entrepreneur (ch. 4), the contrast between modernity and Christianity is starkly drawn:
The Christians’ concept of truth is neither formula nor doctrine — it is a person, Jesus Christ, who said that he himself is truth. Those to whom he has revealed himself must not, and cannot, ever betray him; they must bear witness to his simultaneous divinity and humanity[.] … [The] Christians’ truth … is proved by their readiness to die for it. (36)
For the entrepreneur, however, “business is the ultimate truth, which I totally get. It sounds like your peasants from those dumps in Upper Egypt might be the very last Christians” (37).
Mosebach imagines Nietzsche “squaring off” and losing against the murdered Copts’ bishop, the metropolitan of Samalut, who radiates confidence, strength, determination, intelligence, compassion, and devotion to Christ the King (41–51). The bishop says at one point:
Why do you want to meet these people [the victims’ families]? Do not expect too much. They are all the same. You can visit any Coptic family, and you will find the same attitude toward the church everywhere — the same strong faith, and the same readiness for martyrdom. This is not a Western church in a Western society. We are the Church of Martyrs. I take no special risk when I say that not a single Copt in Upper Egypt would betray the faith. (46)
When Mosebach reaches the village, “to meet these people,” he finds it poor and ordinary. The families that lost sons to the Islamic terrorists laud and celebrate their memories, with photographs to which crowns have been added. A Copt had composed a hymn to them:
… a simple verse that, like a litany, recited all their names and sang their praises. … Relatives both young and old, as well as my ever-increasing entourage, stood before the reliquary and sang the hymn, their hands raised in prayer. … To my ears, this type of singing didn’t sound particularly sacred, but rather cheery and playful, like a children’s counting rhyme. … By opening one’s mouth in song, loss became reverence, grief became gratitude, despair became joy, and the tune carried everyone away. (95)
Mosebach is startled to discover no desire for recrimination:
In the many conversations I had, never once did anyone call for retribution or revenge, not even for the murderers to be punished. It was as if the families wanted nothing whatsoever to do with them, because the martyrs’ sheer splendor outshone them[.] (93)
I noticed a review of this book at Amazon in which the reader said he was disappointed that Mosebach wasn’t able to find a lot of personal information on these men: they were inconsequential, average young men. What this reviewer failed to see is Mosebach’s frequently reiterated point: the particular persons are secondary to the main message: the victory of ordinary people through Christ. As the metropolitan had said, nearly any randomly selected group of twenty-one Copts could have been marched on to the beach and executed for their faith.
They now wore crowns, even though they had only done what was expected of them, and what all their brothers were equally prepared to do. Unexpectedly, this natural fulfillment of duty, which would otherwise be taken for granted, was surrounded by the greatest splendor — but this served only to prove that little more than the thinnest veil separates earthly life from the heavenly sphere. (82)
Why should Catholics take seriously the witness of these twenty-one, who belong to an ancient ecclesial body that is no longer in communion with the pope of Rome? The great English Catholic liturgist Fr. Adrian Fortescue gives us the answer:
For the sake of these glorious memories [Antony of the desert, Paul the first hermit, Athanasius, et al.], for the sake too, of the long line of their martyrs under Islam, we can feel nothing but respect, wish nothing but good for the people of Christ in Egypt. They have stood for his name so faithfully during the long, dark centuries now past. May they stand for it in happier ages to come. May they confess it (honoring the all-holy Lady Theotokos) no longer, please God, in unhappy isolation, but joined again to the Church which acknowledges him throughout all the world[.] (Aidan Nichols, The Latin Clerk [Cambridge: Lutterworth Press, 2011], 121)
There are at least four lessons we should have the humility to learn from the Coptic Christians.
First, the big picture — the cosmic, eschatological picture — is clearer to them than it is to us in the West; they truly see the world with “Christian eyes.” Western believers have allowed their vision to become clouded; we are distracted, caught up in minutiae, lulled to sleep by comforts, narrowed by the narrowness of modernity. Our notions of progress are laughably naïve.
From their [the Copts’] point of view, the ups and downs of history are merely temporary conditions: no victory or defeat of life’s good cause is permanent. Right up until the last judgement, the entire earth will remain a battlefield, but it only mirrors the simultaneous, invisible battle being waged between angels and demons. Again and again, it is angels who help believers overcome evil. (192)
Second, for all the talk about a “new evangelization,” Catholics are not very good at it; we don’t stand up well to persecution, which is the most basic form of evangelical witness. The Copts’ marginalized status in Islamic Egypt has only intensified their adherence to Christ and His Gospel and show us what it will look like, and what it will take, to thrive as a minority:
The western Church must ask itself whether it is as well prepared to spread the faith in an increasingly secularized world as the Coptic Church is. The Copts have clearly had a head start: they have long had to withstand oppression by a hostile majority, and have an intimate collective knowledge of martyrdom. Due to this history, they have endured countless setbacks for more than a millenium. And yet they have not disappeared and they have not grown numb; on the contrary, they have kept the apostolic heritage of early Christianity alive. … The Copts have relevant experience when it comes to the future of Christianity too. How might Christianity look, and continue on, once societal majorities and governments are no longer tolerant and benevolent, but hostile? (212–13)
Persecution is not going away. How are we going to deal with it?
Another recent book by a Coptic Christian, Putting Joy into Practice by Phoebe Farag Mikhail, tells us about another group of courageous Christians from Egypt. Shortly after the slaying of the twenty-one, twenty-five parishioners in Tanta were killed when a bomb exploded during services on Palm Sunday. Fr. Daniel Maher, whose son was killed during this explosion, prayed this prayer of thanksgiving at the funeral — wearing the same blood-spattered tunic he had worn on the day of the attack:
Let us give thanks unto the beneficent and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. For He has shielded us, rescued us, and accepted us unto Him, had compassion on us, supported us, and brought us unto this hour[.] … O Master, Lord God Almighty, Father of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, we thank You upon every condition, for any condition, in whatever condition. (85)
Attacks on Christians in Sri Lanka and in Texas — and the more subtle but no less real persecution of Christians in the workplace or in politics — force us to consider whether we are willing to stand up for the Lord when the time of confrontation comes.
Third, we need to ask ourselves if we are not too insulated, cocooned in comfort, in our technologized world. Can Christianity endure where comfort reigns, where money is plentiful, where pain is avoided, and where commitment is systematically shunned? The Copts radically challenge our “prosperity gospel” and our usual metrics, giving us all the more reason to separate ourselves in some ways from the norms of our decadent society.
At one point Mosebach finds himself at a mall in New Cairo and sees it as a mirage:
The intolerance of the past, the fateful choice between conversion or death, the smell of blood, violence, proud zealotry, loyalty, truth, and tears — it all sounded strange and unlikely in this shopping mall where no such articles could be bought. And because absolutely everything else imaginable actually was in stock, there was no room to feel like something was missing. Wasn’t this the solution to all those unsolvable issues, all the baggage that history sought to drag along into the present and the future? (222)
Fourth, in the chapter most intriguing to me (ch. 13, “The Martyrs’ Liturgy”), Mosebach says of the Copts’ extremely ancient Eucharistic liturgy, which takes hours to sing:
They have preserved the rite, because it can be celebrated in all its fullness even in the poorest, most primitive places. It has been preserved in isolation, perhaps precisely so that it can be present at a time like ours, in which Western Christianity appears ready to renounce all ties to its roots in the ancient church. Western critics of the traditional [Roman] rite often accuse “liturgical men” [homines liturgi] of exaggerating the liturgy’s importance, holding it up as aestheticism while at the same time neglecting the other pillars of the church: diakonia, serving the poor; and martyria, bearing witness to one’s faith. The Copts don’t need their liturgy to be held up as such an example — indeed, for them, the opposite is true: liturgia and martyria are obviously and inseparably connected. (152–53)
If we expect to be true servants and witnesses, we must also be true worshipers who celebrate the mystery of God “in all its fullness, even in the poorest, most primitive places,” hymning His majesty and miracles, and not renouncing our inheritance of faith. The traditional liturgical rites of the Catholic Church are permeated with “conversion or death, the smell of blood, violence, proud zealotry, loyalty, truth, and tears.” We must recover and renew ourselves with these rites, living and dying by their power, if we expect to have the strength to be Christ’s witnesses in the times ahead.
Peter Kwasniewski, Thomistic theologian, liturgical scholar, and choral composer, is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in California (B.A. Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy). He taught at the International Theological Institute in Austria and the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Austria Program, then helped establish Wyoming Catholic College in 2006. There he taught theology, philosophy, music, and art history and directed the choirs until leaving in 2018 to devote himself full-time to writing and lecturing. Today he contributes regularly to many websites and publications, including New Liturgical Movement, OnePeterFive, LifeSiteNews, Rorate Caeli, The Remnant, and Catholic Family News, and has published thirteen books, including four on traditional Catholicism: Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis (Angelico, 2014, also available in Czech, Polish, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Belarusian), Noble Beauty, Transcendent Holiness (Angelico, 2017), Tradition and Sanity (Angelico, 2018), and Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright: The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass (Angelico, 2020). His work has been translated into at least eighteen languages. Kwasniewski is a scholar of The Aquinas Institute in Green Bay, which is publishing the Opera Omnia of the Angelic Doctor, a Fellow of the Albertus Magnus Center for Scholastic Studies, and a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center. He has published over a thousand articles on Thomistic thought, sacramental and liturgical theology, the history and aesthetics of music, and the social doctrine of the Church. For news, information, article links, sacred music, and the home of Os Justi Press, visit his personal website, www.peterkwasniewski.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-11--Cardinal Marx will not seek second term as head of German bishops

BONN , Germany , February 11 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — In a surprise move , Cardinal Reinhard Marx has announced he will not be available for a second term as president of the German bishops ’ conference .
The archbishop of Munich declared , “ I think it should be the younger generation ’ s turn.
” Marx has been , and still is , one of the most powerful bishops in Europe , if not the world .
He was named archbishop of Munich and Freising , one of the two most prestigious dioceses in Germany , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him a cardinal in 2010 .
He became president of the German bishops ’ conference in 2014 .
From 2012 until 2018 , Marx was also president of the Commission of the Bishops ’ Conferences of the European Community .
The German cardinal is one of six members of Pope Francis ’ s exclusive Council of Cardinal Advisers , preparing for a reform of the Roman Curia .
In a press release , the German bishops ’ conference quotes from a letter Cardinal Marx had written to the other bishops , explaining his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as president of the organization .
“ The year 2020 is progressing , and with it we glance at the agenda and the schedule for this and the coming year .
This also applies to the commitments of the president of the German bishops ’ conference .
I therefore think it is right to make it clear even now , before the election of the president at the general assembly this spring , that I am not available for a possible second term of office.
” The German bishops ’ conference meets twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the meeting in the fall always takes place in Fulda , where Saint Boniface , the apostle to the Germans , is buried , the spring assembly meets at various locations .
This year , the German bishops will meet in Mainz for four days , starting March 2 .
The new president will be elected on March 3 .
The bishops are set to talk about the post-synodal apostolic exhortation “ Querida Amazonia , ” following the Amazon Synod .
The document is scheduled to be published tomorrow , February 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the synodal path in Germany .
In his letter , Cardinal Marx said his decision had been made some time ago .
“ My consideration is that I would be 72 years old at the end of a possible second term of office , and then the end of my task as archbishop of Munich and Freising will also be near .
I think it should be the younger generation ’ s turn.
” The cardinal also speculated that “ perhaps it would be good if there were more frequent changes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg headed the German bishops ’ conference for only one term .
Zollitsch ’ s predecessor , Cardinal Karl Lehmann of Mainz , was its president for more than 20 years .
“ I was very happy to serve as president of the German bishops ’ conference , but ‘ everything has its time , ’ ” said Cardinal Marx .
He emphasized his continuing active involvement within the bishops ’ conference and said he will be “ particularly committed to the synodal path , which in my view has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the same time , Marx admitted , “ I would like to have a stronger presence again in the archdiocese of Munich and Freising , especially in the comprehensive strategy process which we want to begin this year.
” In 2019 , Marx had met with 50 representatives from all the important panels of the archdiocese .
During a conversation that lasted more than three hours , those present dealt with “ the development of a personnel strategy for the year 2030 , pastoral care concepts , leadership models for parish associations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other things .
Out of this grew what Marx called a “ comprehensive strategy process.
” LifeSiteNews has reported on Cardinal Marx ’ s many controversial actions and positions .
In 2019 , LifeSiteNews reported that Cardinal Marx “ fired back at the Vatican after it informed him the German bishops ’ plans for a ‘ binding synodal path ’ are ‘ not ecclesiologically valid.
’ ” Last December , the head of the German bishops ’ conference stated in an interview that homosexuals belong to the Church ’ s “ sacramental community.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for homosexual couples .
Last month , John-Henry Westen of LifeSiteNews joined other Catholic leaders in a prayerful protest outside the offices of Cardinal Marx in Munich .
A coalition of lay Catholics , called Acies Ordinata , prayed in firm protest against the German bishops ’ conference and its president , as LifeSiteNews wrote at the time .
On this occasion , Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò came out into the public for the first time after publishing his testimony implicating Pope Francis in the cover-up of the sexual abuse perpetrated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed from the clerical state .
The unwillingness of Cardinal Marx to be available for a second term as president of the German bishops ’ conference has caught everybody by surprise .
The Catholic news website run by the German bishops spoke of a bombshell .
In a first reaction , Thomas Sternberg , head of the Central Committee of German Catholics , said , “ We thank Cardinal Reinhard Marx for his convincing emphasis on an ecumenical Church that is oriented toward the world .
For him , democratic consciousness and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ synodal path in Germany has been organized by both the German bishops ’ conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics .

In a surprise announcement, the archbishop of Munich declared 'it should be the younger generation's turn.'
BONN, Germany, February 11, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — In a surprise move, Cardinal Reinhard Marx has announced he will not be available for a second term as president of the German bishops’ conference. The archbishop of Munich declared, “I think it should be the younger generation’s turn.”
Marx has been, and still is, one of the most powerful bishops in Europe, if not the world. He was named archbishop of Munich and Freising, one of the two most prestigious dioceses in Germany, in 2007. Pope Benedict XVI made him a cardinal in 2010.
He became president of the German bishops’ conference in 2014. From 2012 until 2018, Marx was also president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community. The German cardinal is one of six members of Pope Francis’s exclusive Council of Cardinal Advisers, preparing for a reform of the Roman Curia.
In a press release, the German bishops’ conference quotes from a letter Cardinal Marx had written to the other bishops, explaining his decision to not pursue a second term as president of the organization.
“The year 2020 is progressing, and with it we glance at the agenda and the schedule for this and the coming year. This also applies to the commitments of the president of the German bishops’ conference. I therefore think it is right to make it clear even now, before the election of the president at the general assembly this spring, that I am not available for a possible second term of office.”
The German bishops’ conference meets twice a year for a general assembly. While the meeting in the fall always takes place in Fulda, where Saint Boniface, the apostle to the Germans, is buried, the spring assembly meets at various locations.
This year, the German bishops will meet in Mainz for four days, starting March 2. The new president will be elected on March 3.
The bishops are set to talk about the post-synodal apostolic exhortation “Querida Amazonia,” following the Amazon Synod. The document is scheduled to be published tomorrow, February 12. The other main point of discussion is the synodal path in Germany.
In his letter, Cardinal Marx said his decision had been made some time ago. “My consideration is that I would be 72 years old at the end of a possible second term of office, and then the end of my task as archbishop of Munich and Freising will also be near. I think it should be the younger generation’s turn.”
The cardinal also speculated that “perhaps it would be good if there were more frequent changes in this task.”
Before Marx, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg headed the German bishops’ conference for only one term. Zollitsch’s predecessor, Cardinal Karl Lehmann of Mainz, was its president for more than 20 years.
“I was very happy to serve as president of the German bishops’ conference, but ‘everything has its time,’” said Cardinal Marx.
He emphasized his continuing active involvement within the bishops’ conference and said he will be “particularly committed to the synodal path, which in my view has gotten off to a good start.”
At the same time, Marx admitted, “I would like to have a stronger presence again in the archdiocese of Munich and Freising, especially in the comprehensive strategy process which we want to begin this year.”
In 2019, Marx had met with 50 representatives from all the important panels of the archdiocese. During a conversation that lasted more than three hours, those present dealt with “the development of a personnel strategy for the year 2030, pastoral care concepts, leadership models for parish associations, and structural issues,” among other things. Out of this grew what Marx called a “comprehensive strategy process.”
LifeSiteNews has reported on Cardinal Marx’s many controversial actions and positions.
In 2019, LifeSiteNews reported that Cardinal Marx “fired back at the Vatican after it informed him the German bishops’ plans for a ‘binding synodal path’ are ‘not ecclesiologically valid.’”
Last December, the head of the German bishops’ conference stated in an interview that homosexuals belong to the Church’s “sacramental community.” He also defended a “blessing” for homosexual couples.
Last month, John-Henry Westen of LifeSiteNews joined other Catholic leaders in a prayerful protest outside the offices of Cardinal Marx in Munich. A coalition of lay Catholics, called Acies Ordinata, prayed in firm protest against the German bishops’ conference and its president, as LifeSiteNews wrote at the time.
On this occasion, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò came out into the public for the first time after publishing his testimony implicating Pope Francis in the cover-up of the sexual abuse perpetrated by Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was later dismissed from the clerical state.
The unwillingness of Cardinal Marx to be available for a second term as president of the German bishops’ conference has caught everybody by surprise. The Catholic news website run by the German bishops spoke of a bombshell.
In a first reaction, Thomas Sternberg, head of the Central Committee of German Catholics, said, “We thank Cardinal Reinhard Marx for his convincing emphasis on an ecumenical Church that is oriented toward the world. For him, democratic consciousness and the Catholic Church are not opposites.”
The synodal path in Germany has been organized by both the German bishops’ conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-12--BREAKING: Pope releases new exhortation on Amazon Synod

February 12 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Pope Francis released his official text on the Amazon Synod today at noon Rome time , bringing with it what is sure to be a strong debate and controversy over its meaning for the life of the worldwide Church .
While it seems the pope ’ s apostolic exhortation , titled Querida Amazonia , fails to accept the progressives ’ most high-profile proposals for a married priesthood and female diaconate , many are sure to argue that it nevertheless leaves ample room for them to advance a revolutionary agenda for the Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exhortation is here on the Vatican website . )
The Synod of Bishops for the Amazonian Region took place in Rome between October 6 and 27 , 2019 .
Controversy ahead of the Synod reached full force with the release of the Instrumentum Laboris , or “ working document , ” which earned strong public criticism from cardinals and bishops .
Cardinals Walter Brandmüller , Gerhard Müller , and Raymond Burke took issue with its radical departures from perennial doctrine .
Brandmüller condemned it as heretical and even apostate .
The Synod itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon as delegates arrived in Rome , thanks to an apparently syncretic ceremony that took place in the Vatican Gardens on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi .
Concerns about a central totem of the Synod , a representation of the fertility goddess Pachamama , dominated reports about the gathering .
Consistent with the Synod ’ s themes , the Pope ’ s exhortation decries social injustices against the poor in the Amazon , and the ecological crisis , while emphasizing forcefully that the Church must preach the Gospel of Christ to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the midst of these themes , however , the exhortation includes a number of controversial passages , and changes to Church practice , that , while framed here for the Amazon , could have far-reaching application : • He advocates an “ inculturated liturgy ” incorporating Amazonian dance and rituals , and mentions in a footnote the idea of establishing an Amazonian liturgical rite .
• He recommends granting lay people formal authority of Amazonian parishes , and mentions their ability to “ celebrate certain sacraments ” ( excluding specifically the Eucharist and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be given formal positions in the community that include a “ commission from the bishop ” .
• He applies the Amoris Laetitia approach to sacraments in the Amazon context , saying there is no “ room … for a discipline that excludes and turns people away.
” • And he seems to defend the veneration of the Pachamama statue at the Synod .
The concern that proposals for the Amazon could have worldwide import have been voiced since the moment the Synod was called .
It became clear as the Synod @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most especially the large liberal wing of bishops in Germany – were latching onto it to advance their cause through the challenging pastoral situation of the Amazon region .
And the pope ’ s exhortation does indeed seem to open the door to that possibility .
In his introduction , Pope Francis describes the 40-page document as a “ brief framework for reflection that can apply concretely to the life of the Amazon region , ” but at the same time he highlights that he intends the exhortation to have worldwide significance : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the whole world .
… the Church ’ s concern for the problems of this area obliges us to discuss , however briefly , a number of other important issues that can assist other areas of our world in confronting their own challenges.
” While the exhortation does not explicitly support the idea of ordaining married men to the priesthood or of establishing some sort of female ministry , only the ensuing discussions will show whether these issues are in fact off the table .
The reason for caution is that right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pope Francis endorses the final document of the Amazon Synod .
He declares that he is “ officially present [ ing ] the Final Document.
” Then he adds : “ I have preferred not to cite the Final Document in this Exhortation , because I would encourage everyone to read it in full.
” ( Read the full text of the Amazon Synod ’ s final document here . )
As some sources told LifeSiteNews , these words as chosen by Pope Francis could open the door to many debates as to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Synod 's final document – with its approval of the idea of ordaining married men to the priesthood and of establishing some new forms of ministry for women – might still be applicable and valid for the reform plans in the Catholic Church of the Amazon region .
In particular , in 2018 , Pope Francis issued an apostolic constitution that stipulated the final document of a Synod of Bishops would become part of the papal magisterium should the Pope approve it .
Titled Episcopalis Communio , it reads : At the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personally does not explicitly endorse the reform plans of the Amazon Synod 's final document can be seen as something that might very well discourage and even anger the progressivist camp within the Catholic Church .
We here highlight now some of the most important aspects of the text that are sure to be a source of heated discussion .
Perhaps the key pastoral challenge identified for the Amazon region has been the drastic shortage of priests , and in the exhortation the Pope is clear about the importance of priests and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He calls for prayers for vocations and urges bishops of the world to send missionary priests to the Amazon .
He does not take up the proposal of the viri probati , “ proven ” married men who could be ordained where priests are lacking , but he does urge an increase in permanent deacons , and he calls for laity to be given formal authority for parishes .
When dealing with the question of the lack of priests in the Amazon region , the Pope asks what aspects of the priest 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and he points to the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Confession , as well as that of Extreme Unction since this Sacrament often includes Confession .
He writes : He then insists that the Amazonian Church needs an “ ecclesial culture that is distinctively lay ” : A footnote on this paragraph states : “ It is possible that , due to a lack of priests , a bishop can entrust ‘ participation in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish… to a deacon , to another person who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a community of persons ’ ( Code of Canon Law , 517 §2 ) .
” Pope Francis rejects the “ reductionism ” that “ women should be granted a greater status and participation in the Church today only if they were admitted to Holy Orders.
” He warns against “ clericalizing ” women , thus undermining their unique and special “ contribution.
” Thus he encourages “ the emergence of other forms of service and charisms that are proper to women ” and fit to the needs of the Amazon .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be given official positions that would include “ public recognition ” and “ a commission from the bishop ” : Such an idea had been recently laid out by Cardinal Walter Kasper , one of the key advisors of the Pope .
In July of 2019 , Cardinal Kasper told LifeSiteNews with regard to the female deacon issue that new forms of ministries for women might not be necessary since the Church is “ free ” to bestow on women a “ non-sacramental , liturgical blessing ” that would not be a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women in Church ministries in which they already function , such as extraordinary Eucharistic ministers , lectors , and aiding in the Church 's charitable works and administration .
To advance the Church ’ s missionary purpose in the Amazon , Pope Francis encourages “ a necessary process of inculturation , ” and he even calls for an “ inculturated liturgy.
” For the Pontiff , the sacraments “ unite the divine and the cosmic , grace and creation.
” In the Amazon region , he explains , “ the sacraments should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Therefore , he sees that “ we can take up into the liturgy many elements proper to the experience of indigenous peoples in their contact with nature , and respect native forms of expression in song , dance , rituals , gestures and symbols.
” Here the Pope refers to a possible “ Amazonian rite ” - albeit only in a footnote ( 120 ) after the sentence : “ The Second Vatican Council called for this effort to inculturate the liturgy among indigenous peoples ; over fifty years have passed and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines.
” The footnote then says that “ During the Synod , there was a proposal to develop an 'Amazonian rite . '
” Further speaking about inculturation , the Pope says : “ For the Church to achieve a renewed inculturation of the Gospel in the Amazon region , she needs to listen to its ancestral wisdom ” and to the “ rich stories of its peoples.
” Furthermore , the Pope also tells us we “ should esteem the indigenous mysticism that sees the interconnection and interdependence of the whole of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loves life as a gift , ” as well as the “ sacred wonder before nature.
” The Pope also insists that in its missionary work in the region , the Church should not exclude people from the sacraments by “ imposing straightaway a set of rules , ” quoting Amoris Laetitia .
He writes in paragraph 84 : In his last chapter on the Church , Pope Francis also seems to make an explicit defense of the use of the controversial “ Pachamama ” statues during the Amazon Synod in Rome .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ The message that needs to be heard in the Amazon ’ : Christ In four strong paragraphs ( 62-65 ) , the Pope honors the missionary activity of the Catholic Church in the Amazon region and insists that we as Christians “ can not set aside the call to faith that we have received from the Gospel.
” He writes : The poor , he adds , “ have a right to hear the Gospel ” : The Pope returns to some of the cosmic language that appeared in the Amazon Synod @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for example , about “ entering ” into “ communion with the forest , ” about the “ Amazon region ” becoming “ like a mother to us , ” and even repeats an expression of the Synod 's preparatory document , calling the Amazon region a “ theological locus , a space where God reveals himself and summons his sons and daughters .
”

While the text fails to accept the progressives’ most high-profile proposals, many are sure to argue that it leaves ample room for them to advance a revolutionary agenda.
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ANALYSIS
February 12, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Pope Francis released his official text on the Amazon Synod today at noon Rome time, bringing with it what is sure to be a strong debate and controversy over its meaning for the life of the worldwide Church.
While it seems the pope’s apostolic exhortation, titled Querida Amazonia, fails to accept the progressives’ most high-profile proposals for a married priesthood and female diaconate, many are sure to argue that it nevertheless leaves ample room for them to advance a revolutionary agenda for the Church. (The full text of the exhortation is here on the Vatican website.)
The Synod of Bishops for the Amazonian Region took place in Rome between October 6 and 27, 2019. Controversy ahead of the Synod reached full force with the release of the Instrumentum Laboris, or “working document,” which earned strong public criticism from cardinals and bishops. Cardinals Walter Brandmüller, Gerhard Müller, and Raymond Burke took issue with its radical departures from perennial doctrine. Brandmüller condemned it as heretical and even apostate.
The Synod itself was then plunged into controversy almost as soon as delegates arrived in Rome, thanks to an apparently syncretic ceremony that took place in the Vatican Gardens on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Concerns about a central totem of the Synod, a representation of the fertility goddess Pachamama, dominated reports about the gathering.
Consistent with the Synod’s themes, the Pope’s exhortation decries social injustices against the poor in the Amazon, and the ecological crisis, while emphasizing forcefully that the Church must preach the Gospel of Christ to the people of the region.
In the midst of these themes, however, the exhortation includes a number of controversial passages, and changes to Church practice, that, while framed here for the Amazon, could have far-reaching application:
He advocates an “inculturated liturgy” incorporating Amazonian dance and rituals, and mentions in a footnote the idea of establishing an Amazonian liturgical rite.
He recommends granting lay people formal authority of Amazonian parishes, and mentions their ability to “celebrate certain sacraments” (excluding specifically the Eucharist and Confession).
He says women should be given formal positions in the community that include a “commission from the bishop”.
He applies the Amoris Laetitia approach to sacraments in the Amazon context, saying there is no “room … for a discipline that excludes and turns people away.”
And he seems to defend the veneration of the Pachamama statue at the Synod.
The concern that proposals for the Amazon could have worldwide import have been voiced since the moment the Synod was called. It became clear as the Synod process developed that Church progressives – and most especially the large liberal wing of bishops in Germany – were latching onto it to advance their cause through the challenging pastoral situation of the Amazon region.
And the pope’s exhortation does indeed seem to open the door to that possibility. In his introduction, Pope Francis describes the 40-page document as a “brief framework for reflection that can apply concretely to the life of the Amazon region,” but at the same time he highlights that he intends the exhortation to have worldwide significance: “I am addressing the present Exhortation to the whole world. … the Church’s concern for the problems of this area obliges us to discuss, however briefly, a number of other important issues that can assist other areas of our world in confronting their own challenges.”
While the exhortation does not explicitly support the idea of ordaining married men to the priesthood or of establishing some sort of female ministry, only the ensuing discussions will show whether these issues are in fact off the table. The reason for caution is that right in the introduction of the exhortation, Pope Francis endorses the final document of the Amazon Synod. He declares that he is “officially present[ing] the Final Document.” Then he adds: “I have preferred not to cite the Final Document in this Exhortation, because I would encourage everyone to read it in full.” (Read the full text of the Amazon Synod’s final document here.) And as he says, he indeed does not quote from the final document in the text.
As some sources told LifeSiteNews, these words as chosen by Pope Francis could open the door to many debates as to whether or not the conclusions of the Synod's final document – with its approval of the idea of ordaining married men to the priesthood and of establishing some new forms of ministry for women – might still be applicable and valid for the reform plans in the Catholic Church of the Amazon region.
In particular, in 2018, Pope Francis issued an apostolic constitution that stipulated the final document of a Synod of Bishops would become part of the papal magisterium should the Pope approve it. Titled Episcopalis Communio, it reads:
If it is expressly approved by the Roman Pontiff, the Final Document participates in the ordinary Magisterium of the Successor of Peter.
At the same time, the fact that Pope Francis personally does not explicitly endorse the reform plans of the Amazon Synod's final document can be seen as something that might very well discourage and even anger the progressivist camp within the Catholic Church.
We here highlight now some of the most important aspects of the text that are sure to be a source of heated discussion.
Laity running parishes
Perhaps the key pastoral challenge identified for the Amazon region has been the drastic shortage of priests, and in the exhortation the Pope is clear about the importance of priests and the need for an increase in vocations. He calls for prayers for vocations and urges bishops of the world to send missionary priests to the Amazon. He does not take up the proposal of the viri probati, “proven” married men who could be ordained where priests are lacking, but he does urge an increase in permanent deacons, and he calls for laity to be given formal authority for parishes.
When dealing with the question of the lack of priests in the Amazon region, the Pope asks what aspects of the priest's ministry “cannot be delegated,” and he points to the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Confession, as well as that of Extreme Unction since this Sacrament often includes Confession. He writes:
In the specific circumstances of the Amazon region, particularly in its forests and more remote places, a way must be found to ensure this priestly ministry. The laity can proclaim God’s word, teach, organize communities, celebrate certain sacraments, seek different ways to express popular devotion and develop the multitude of gifts that the Spirit pours out in their midst. But they need the celebration of the Eucharist because it “makes the Church”.
He then insists that the Amazonian Church needs an “ecclesial culture that is distinctively lay”:
A Church of Amazonian features requires the stable presence of mature and lay leaders endowed with authority and familiar with the languages, cultures, spiritual experience and communal way of life in the different places, but also open to the multiplicity of gifts that the Holy Spirit bestows on every one. For wherever there is a particular need, he has already poured out the charisms that can meet it. This requires the Church to be open to the Spirit’s boldness, to trust in, and concretely to permit, the growth of a specific ecclesial culture that is distinctively lay. The challenges in the Amazon region demand of the Church a special effort to be present at every level, and this can only be possible through the vigorous, broad and active involvement of the laity.
A footnote on this paragraph states: “It is possible that, due to a lack of priests, a bishop can entrust ‘participation in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish… to a deacon, to another person who is not a priest, or to a community of persons’ (Code of Canon Law, 517 §2).”
Official ecclesial positions for women
Pope Francis rejects the “reductionism” that “women should be granted a greater status and participation in the Church today only if they were admitted to Holy Orders.” He warns against “clericalizing” women, thus undermining their unique and special “contribution.” Thus he encourages “the emergence of other forms of service and charisms that are proper to women” and fit to the needs of the Amazon.
However, he then calls for women to be given official positions that would include “public recognition” and “a commission from the bishop”:
In a synodal Church, those women who in fact have a central part to play in Amazonian communities should have access to positions, including ecclesial services, that do not entail Holy Orders and that can better signify the role that is theirs. Here it should be noted that these services entail stability, public recognition and a commission from the bishop. This would also allow women to have a real and effective impact on the organization, the most important decisions and the direction of communities, while continuing to do so in a way that reflects their womanhood.
Such an idea had been recently laid out by Cardinal Walter Kasper, one of the key advisors of the Pope. In July of 2019, Cardinal Kasper told LifeSiteNews with regard to the female deacon issue that new forms of ministries for women might not be necessary since the Church is “free” to bestow on women a “non-sacramental, liturgical blessing” that would not be a “sacramental ordination” but which would confirm women in Church ministries in which they already function, such as extraordinary Eucharistic ministers, lectors, and aiding in the Church's charitable works and administration.
Inculturated liturgy
To advance the Church’s missionary purpose in the Amazon, Pope Francis encourages “a necessary process of inculturation,” and he even calls for an “inculturated liturgy.” For the Pontiff, the sacraments “unite the divine and the cosmic, grace and creation.” In the Amazon region, he explains, “the sacraments should not be viewed in discontinuity with creation.” Therefore, he sees that “we can take up into the liturgy many elements proper to the experience of indigenous peoples in their contact with nature, and respect native forms of expression in song, dance, rituals, gestures and symbols.”
Here the Pope refers to a possible “Amazonian rite” – albeit only in a footnote (120) after the sentence: “The Second Vatican Council called for this effort to inculturate the liturgy among indigenous peoples; over fifty years have passed and we still have far to go along these lines.” The footnote then says that “During the Synod, there was a proposal to develop an 'Amazonian rite.'”
Further speaking about inculturation, the Pope says: “For the Church to achieve a renewed inculturation of the Gospel in the Amazon region, she needs to listen to its ancestral wisdom” and to the “rich stories of its peoples.”
Furthermore, the Pope also tells us we “should esteem the indigenous mysticism that sees the interconnection and interdependence of the whole of creation, the mysticism of gratuitousness that loves life as a gift,” as well as the “sacred wonder before nature.”
Applying Amoris Laetitia in the missionary context
The Pope also insists that in its missionary work in the region, the Church should not exclude people from the sacraments by “imposing straightaway a set of rules,” quoting Amoris Laetitia. He writes in paragraph 84:
The sacraments reveal and communicate the God who is close and who comes with mercy to heal and strengthen his children. Consequently, they should be accessible, especially for the poor, and must never be refused for financial reasons. Nor is there room, in the presence of the poor and forgotten of the Amazon region, for a discipline that excludes and turns people away, for in that way they end up being discarded by a Church that has become a toll-house. Rather, “in such difficult situations of need, the Church must be particularly concerned to offer understanding, comfort and acceptance, rather than imposing straightaway a set of rules that only lead people to feel judged and abandoned by the very Mother called to show them God’s mercy”. For the Church, mercy can become a mere sentimental catchword unless it finds concrete expression in her pastoral outreach.
Defense of Pachamama ritual?
In his last chapter on the Church, Pope Francis also seems to make an explicit defense of the use of the controversial “Pachamama” statues during the Amazon Synod in Rome. The Pope writes in paragraphs 78-79:
Let us not be quick to describe as superstition or paganism certain religious practices that arise spontaneously from the life of peoples. … It is possible to take up an indigenous symbol in some way, without necessarily considering it as idolatry. A myth charged with spiritual meaning can be used to advantage and not always considered a pagan error. Some religious festivals have a sacred meaning and are occasions for gathering and fraternity, albeit in need of a gradual process of purification or maturation. A missionary of souls will try to discover the legitimate needs and concerns that seek an outlet in at times imperfect, partial or mistaken religious expressions, and will attempt to respond to them with an inculturated spirituality.
‘The message that needs to be heard in the Amazon’: Christ
In four strong paragraphs (62-65), the Pope honors the missionary activity of the Catholic Church in the Amazon region and insists that we as Christians “cannot set aside the call to faith that we have received from the Gospel.” He writes:
…we are not ashamed of Jesus Christ. Those who have encountered him, those who live as his friendsand identify with his message, must inevitably speak of him and bring to others his offer of new life: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16). … An authentic option for the poor and the abandoned, while motivating us to liberate them from material poverty and to defend their rights, also involves inviting them to a friendship with the Lord that can elevate and dignify them. … If we devote our lives to their service, to working for the justice and dignity that they deserve, we cannot conceal the fact that we do so because we see Christ in them and because we acknowledge the immense dignity that they have received from God, the Father who loves them with boundless love.
The poor, he adds, “have a right to hear the Gospel”:
Without that impassioned proclamation, every ecclesial structure would become just another NGO and we would not follow the command given us by Christ: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15).
Amazon as ‘theological locus’
The Pope returns to some of the cosmic language that appeared in the Amazon Synod's working document. He speaks, for example, about “entering” into “communion with the forest,” about the “Amazon region” becoming “like a mother to us,” and even repeats an expression of the Synod's preparatory document, calling the Amazon region a “theological locus, a space where God reveals himself and summons his sons and daughters.”
Dorothy Cummings McLean contributed to this report.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-12--Ukrainian priest defends fraternal correction of German bishops’ liberal ‘synodal path&#

Ukrainian priest defends fraternal correction of German bishops’ liberal ‘synodal path’

February 11 , 2020 ( Polonia Christiana ) — The Church under no circumstances discriminates against people who have some kind of disorder in the sphere of sexual identity because these disorders could be either a result of some kind of trauma or the effect of unhealthy relationships , etc .
At the same time the Church reveals truth to all people , including the truth that acting out on such inclinations is a sin which destroys a human being .
As long as the teaching of the Church in such delicate moral cases is clear and unambiguous , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their Christian vocation , struggle to lead a life of chastity .
In such cases they can take advantage of either spiritual or therapeutic help — said Father Roman Laba , a Pauline monk , the director of the Ukrainian office for the pastoral care of the family at the Episcopal Conference of Ukraine .
Why did the Ukrainian bishops decide to take such a bold step as the fraternal correction of the German bishops ?
I ’ ll begin by stating that the letter is one by the Commission for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Ukraine addressed to the similar Commission of the Episcopate of Germany .
Our commission is led by Bp Radosław Zmitrowicz and Bp Jan Niemiec .
The initiative of the Commission was supported by the President of the Episcopate Bp Bronisław Bernacki and vice-president Abp Mieczysław Mokrzycki .
The reason for writing this letter is the Gospel and the sense of responsibility for the Church .
The letter quotes St. Paul ’ s words about the Church as the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ , If one member suffers , all suffer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Therefore , what happens in the German Church has an effect on the whole Body of the Church .
In the early centuries of Christianity , such a sense of responsibility for the Church was very strong .
For example , St. Ignatius of Antioch on his way to Rome , where he was to die as a martyr , wrote letters to the churches in Ephesus , Magnesia , Tralles , Rome , Philadelphia and Smyrna , and wrote to the local churches that had their own bishops ; as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , also felt obliged to spiritually care for them and for the whole Church .
It seems that there is a lack of a similar attitude today .
Many Christians live convinced that what ’ s happening in Germany maybe is not right , but it ’ s the Germans ’ problem .
This isn ’ t the case !
It is a problem for the Church .
The main responsibility of the bishops is to guard the deposit of Faith and take care of the Body of the Church .
And if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other can ’ t say , Is it our business ?
St. John Chrysostom , commenting on St. Paul ’ s words about the Mystical Body , says that when a man ’ s foot steps on a thorn or a prickle , the head bends so that the hands could remove the thorn .
Remaining silent to what is happening in the Church in Germany is as if the eye said to the hand , I have no need of you , or the head to the feet , I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 Cor 12.21 ) .
I think that the same Spirit which inspired Paul the Apostle has inspired our Bishops to be responsible for the pastoral care of the family in Ukraine .
The Ukrainian bishops used some very interesting arguments .
They say , for example , that because of “ the new paths of the German Church ” the souls of the Ukrainian Catholics are in danger , especially those who suffer from homosexual inclinations .
How to understand that ?
The Church under no circumstances discriminates against people who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sexual identity because these disorders could be either a result of some kind of trauma or the effect of unhealthy relationships , etc .
At the same time the Church reveals truth to all people , including the truth that acting out on such inclinations is a sin which destroys a human being .
As long as the teaching of the Church in such delicate moral cases is clear and unambiguous , such people , who want to be faithful to their Christian vocation , struggle to lead a life of chastity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantage of either spiritual or therapeutic help .
A few days after the Commission for the family at the German Episcopate had written that homosexuality belonged to “ normal types of sexual predispositions ” , the news got into the Ukrainian media , particularly different leftist websites and wreaked much havoc in the heads of our faithful .
How is it possible that the issues , which the Holy Scripture unambiguously judges as negative and sinful ( meaning the acts ) , German Pastors and experts of their commission deemed “ a normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contradictory to the Bible and magisterial documents , in particular to the Catechism of the Catholic Church .
Especially those Catholics felt betrayed , who carry a burden of homosexual inclinations and struggle for their own chastity .
So far , they had received hope and courage from the Church .
However , when they heard that some pastors of the German Church preached something different , this undermined their faith a lot .
Some of them asked us to explain the issue .
This is why the letter was presented , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be addressed to the faithful of the Ukraine , which will remind them that the doctrine of the Church in these issues remains the same , because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever ( Heb 13.8 ) .
It was also pointed out in the fraternal correction that the German bishops reach out to… promoters of LGBT ideology or gender ideology , which was strongly condemned by Pope Francis .
What did the authors of these charges mean ?
The Ukrainian leftist media , which supports gender ideology and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the German Episcopate as a revolutionary change , as an example for the whole Church and not differentiating between the Commission and the Episcopate .
At the same time , the same media showed the Church in Ukraine as a church which was backward and discriminated against people from LGBT circles .
For example , “ Our World ” ( from Kiev ) , an LGBT center for legal aid , published the following message on their website , “ At the same time when Ukrainian Churches with zealous hatred fight for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promote enmity towards LGBT people , the German Catholic Episcopate Conference has decided to re-examine the doctrine of the Church on the issue of homosexuality , sexual morality as such and the sacrament of Holy Orders , as well as the sacrament of Matrimony .
After last week ’ s consultations in Berlin , the President of the Commission for marriage and the family of the German Bishops ’ Conference announced that the bishops agreed with the statement that homosexuality was “ a natural form of man ’ s identity ” .
Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the so-called Synodal Path in Germany ?
What else , apart from the sphere of sexual morality , might raise their concern ?
Some people do follow the process of the Synodal Path .
Most often these are people who are involved in the life of the Church , who belong to different movements and communities .
There are other topics that raise concern other than the issues in the sphere of sexual morality .
Firstly , there is the process of a certain revision to the way power is exercised in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temptation to change from the hierarchical system towards a democracy , which is typical of Protestant communities .
The process of the Synodal Path is itself happening in a way detached from the Church .
This danger was emphasized by Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Pope Francis himself .
Discussions on abolishing celibacy are disturbing , although this is not a dogmatic issue , but a very important sign of priestly commitment .
Even more disturbing are discussions on female deaconates and a female priesthood .
Heedless of the fact that the Magisterium of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subject , this issue was among those discussed in the Synodal Path .
Do you think that the admonition from the Ukrainian episcopate will be noticed in Germany ?
That it will provoke reflection ?
It seems that the Church in Germany , including its shepherds , is under the strong influence of neo-Marxism .
In the Ukraine ( I mean also Poland ) we have a vaccine against it because we had whole decades when we could see Marxism in its most brutal , totalitarian form .
We pray for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve received a lot of material support from their Catholics .
Thanks to their support we ’ ve been able to build many churches and pastoral houses .
We haven ’ t forgotten that and apart from our prayers we thanked them for that support in our letter .
However , we can not be silent , because otherwise we ’ d be guilty of corruption .
It ’ s hard to say if this letter will be noticed .
Surely , it will be in some way .
But I have little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that our letter will bring courage and uplift the bishops who are faithful to the Revelation and who have raised the alarm .
Certainly , among such hierarchs would be Card .
Gerhard Müller , Card .
Rainer Maria Woelki from Cologne and Bp .
Rudolf Voderholzer from Regensburg .
I hope that the letter will raise concerns about the Universal Church in some other Episcopates .
I pray that they have discernment and the courage to defend the Faith .
We know that on December 17 Catholics and members of the Orthodox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council of the Ukraine in Kiev to protest against LGBT ideology .
It was a reaction to the parliamentary voting on “ Bill 0931 ” , also called “ The Bill to Prevent Discrimination ” which was scheduled for that day and which , according to Ukrainian Christians , supposedly struck at the constitutional right to the freedom of expression .
What was the reaction of the Roman Catholic bishops to that fact ?
The bishops supported the initiative of the lay Catholics who went not only to protest in front of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shepherds also participated in improving that bill .
The Ukrainian Council of Churches , which was presided over by Witalij Krywicki , the ordinary of the Diocese of Kiev-Zhytomyr , consulted extensively with lawyers and sent back their proposals to the parliament .
Generally , the idea is that the Church could have its say on the issues mentioned in the bill ( e.g.
, homosexuality ) not only at church services and catechesis ( this is not banned by the legislation ) , but also during public debates and would be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused of discrimination .
Please , from me personally and from the editorial staff and our readers , accept our cordial gratitude and expressions of special solidarity and , please , pass them along also to the Ukrainian bishops .
What they did is an act of particular courage and fidelity to the teaching of the Church in our days .
Thank you very much .

February 11, 2020 (Polonia Christiana) — The Church under no circumstances discriminates against people who have some kind of disorder in the sphere of sexual identity because these disorders could be either a result of some kind of trauma or the effect of unhealthy relationships, etc. At the same time the Church reveals truth to all people, including the truth that acting out on such inclinations is a sin which destroys a human being. As long as the teaching of the Church in such delicate moral cases is clear and unambiguous, such people, who want to be faithful to their Christian vocation, struggle to lead a life of chastity. In such cases they can take advantage of either spiritual or therapeutic help — said Father Roman Laba, a Pauline monk, the director of the Ukrainian office for the pastoral care of the family at the Episcopal Conference of Ukraine.
Why did the Ukrainian bishops decide to take such a bold step as the fraternal correction of the German bishops?
I’ll begin by stating that the letter is one by the Commission for the pastoral care of families at the Episcopate of the Ukraine addressed to the similar Commission of the Episcopate of Germany. Our commission is led by Bp Radosław Zmitrowicz and Bp Jan Niemiec. The initiative of the Commission was supported by the President of the Episcopate Bp Bronisław Bernacki and vice-president Abp Mieczysław Mokrzycki.
The reason for writing this letter is the Gospel and the sense of responsibility for the Church. The letter quotes St. Paul’s words about the Church as the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, If one member suffers, all suffer together with it (1 Cor 12.26). Therefore, what happens in the German Church has an effect on the whole Body of the Church. In the early centuries of Christianity, such a sense of responsibility for the Church was very strong. For example, St. Ignatius of Antioch on his way to Rome, where he was to die as a martyr, wrote letters to the churches in Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Rome, Philadelphia and Smyrna, and wrote to the local churches that had their own bishops; as well Ignatius, the bishop of Atnioch, also felt obliged to spiritually care for them and for the whole Church.
It seems that there is a lack of a similar attitude today. Many Christians live convinced that what’s happening in Germany maybe is not right, but it’s the Germans’ problem. This isn’t the case!
It is a problem for the Church. The main responsibility of the bishops is to guard the deposit of Faith and take care of the Body of the Church. And if it is ill in some part, the other can’t say, Is it our business? St. John Chrysostom, commenting on St. Paul’s words about the Mystical Body, says that when a man’s foot steps on a thorn or a prickle, the head bends so that the hands could remove the thorn. Remaining silent to what is happening in the Church in Germany is as if the eye said to the hand, I have no need of you, or the head to the feet, I have no need of you (cf. 1 Cor 12.21). I think that the same Spirit which inspired Paul the Apostle has inspired our Bishops to be responsible for the pastoral care of the family in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian bishops used some very interesting arguments. They say, for example, that because of “the new paths of the German Church” the souls of the Ukrainian Catholics are in danger, especially those who suffer from homosexual inclinations. How to understand that?
The Church under no circumstances discriminates against people who have some kind of disorder in the sphere of sexual identity because these disorders could be either a result of some kind of trauma or the effect of unhealthy relationships, etc. At the same time the Church reveals truth to all people, including the truth that acting out on such inclinations is a sin which destroys a human being. As long as the teaching of the Church in such delicate moral cases is clear and unambiguous, such people, who want to be faithful to their Christian vocation, struggle to lead a life of chastity. In such cases they can take advantage of either spiritual or therapeutic help.
A few days after the Commission for the family at the German Episcopate had written that homosexuality belonged to “normal types of sexual predispositions”, the news got into the Ukrainian media, particularly different leftist websites and wreaked much havoc in the heads of our faithful. How is it possible that the issues, which the Holy Scripture unambiguously judges as negative and sinful (meaning the acts), German Pastors and experts of their commission deemed “a normal predisposition”?! Such statements are contradictory to the Bible and magisterial documents, in particular to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Especially those Catholics felt betrayed, who carry a burden of homosexual inclinations and struggle for their own chastity. So far, they had received hope and courage from the Church.
However, when they heard that some pastors of the German Church preached something different, this undermined their faith a lot. Some of them asked us to explain the issue. This is why the letter was presented, and in the nearest future another letter will be addressed to the faithful of the Ukraine, which will remind them that the doctrine of the Church in these issues remains the same, because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13.8).
It was also pointed out in the fraternal correction that the German bishops reach out to… promoters of LGBT ideology or gender ideology, which was strongly condemned by Pope Francis. What did the authors of these charges mean?
The Ukrainian leftist media, which supports gender ideology and LGBT circles, started taking the stance of the German Episcopate as a revolutionary change, as an example for the whole Church and not differentiating between the Commission and the Episcopate. At the same time, the same media showed the Church in Ukraine as a church which was backward and discriminated against people from LGBT circles. For example, “Our World” (from Kiev), an LGBT center for legal aid, published the following message on their website, “At the same time when Ukrainian Churches with zealous hatred fight for their sacred right to discriminate against and promote enmity towards LGBT people, the German Catholic Episcopate Conference has decided to re-examine the doctrine of the Church on the issue of homosexuality, sexual morality as such and the sacrament of Holy Orders, as well as the sacrament of Matrimony. After last week’s consultations in Berlin, the President of the Commission for marriage and the family of the German Bishops’ Conference announced that the bishops agreed with the statement that homosexuality was “a natural form of man’s identity”.
Do Catholics in the Ukraine follow the process of the so-called Synodal Path in Germany? What else, apart from the sphere of sexual morality, might raise their concern?
Some people do follow the process of the Synodal Path. Most often these are people who are involved in the life of the Church, who belong to different movements and communities. There are other topics that raise concern other than the issues in the sphere of sexual morality. Firstly, there is the process of a certain revision to the way power is exercised in the Church and there could be a temptation to change from the hierarchical system towards a democracy, which is typical of Protestant communities.
The process of the Synodal Path is itself happening in a way detached from the Church. This danger was emphasized by Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Pope Francis himself. Discussions on abolishing celibacy are disturbing, although this is not a dogmatic issue, but a very important sign of priestly commitment. Even more disturbing are discussions on female deaconates and a female priesthood. Heedless of the fact that the Magisterium of the Church expressed its own opinion on the subject, this issue was among those discussed in the Synodal Path.
Do you think that the admonition from the Ukrainian episcopate will be noticed in Germany? That it will provoke reflection?
It seems that the Church in Germany, including its shepherds, is under the strong influence of neo-Marxism. In the Ukraine (I mean also Poland) we have a vaccine against it because we had whole decades when we could see Marxism in its most brutal, totalitarian form. We pray for the Church in Germany, because we’ve received a lot of material support from their Catholics. Thanks to their support we’ve been able to build many churches and pastoral houses.
We haven’t forgotten that and apart from our prayers we thanked them for that support in our letter. However, we cannot be silent, because otherwise we’d be guilty of corruption. It’s hard to say if this letter will be noticed. Surely, it will be in some way. But I have little optimism in this case. I hope that our letter will bring courage and uplift the bishops who are faithful to the Revelation and who have raised the alarm. Certainly, among such hierarchs would be Card. Gerhard Müller, Card. Rainer Maria Woelki from Cologne and Bp. Rudolf Voderholzer from Regensburg. I hope that the letter will raise concerns about the Universal Church in some other Episcopates. I pray that they have discernment and the courage to defend the Faith.
We know that on December 17 Catholics and members of the Orthodox Church gathered in front of the Supreme Council of the Ukraine in Kiev to protest against LGBT ideology. It was a reaction to the parliamentary voting on “Bill 0931”, also called “The Bill to Prevent Discrimination” which was scheduled for that day and which, according to Ukrainian Christians, supposedly struck at the constitutional right to the freedom of expression. What was the reaction of the Roman Catholic bishops to that fact?
The bishops supported the initiative of the lay Catholics who went not only to protest in front of the Parliament but also to pray. Our shepherds also participated in improving that bill. The Ukrainian Council of Churches, which was presided over by Witalij Krywicki, the ordinary of the Diocese of Kiev-Zhytomyr, consulted extensively with lawyers and sent back their proposals to the parliament. Generally, the idea is that the Church could have its say on the issues mentioned in the bill (e.g., homosexuality) not only at church services and catechesis (this is not banned by the legislation), but also during public debates and would be able to preach the Gospel while not being accused of discrimination.
Please, from me personally and from the editorial staff and our readers, accept our cordial gratitude and expressions of special solidarity and, please, pass them along also to the Ukrainian bishops. What they did is an act of particular courage and fidelity to the teaching of the Church in our days.
Thank you very much.
Krystian Kratiuk
Transl. Jan J. Franczak
Published with permission from Polonia Christiana.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-12--Texas Supreme Court to rule whether dad should share daughter with mom’s boyfriend

AUSTIN , February 11 , 2020 ( Texas Homeschool Coalition ) — The Texas Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a parental rights case that could shape up to be truly groundbreaking .
The case ( known as In re CJC ) centers around a father who is battling against a non-relative for custody of his four-year-old daughter .
This non-relative was the boyfriend of the daughter ’ s now-deceased mother .
What makes this case especially noteworthy is that all parties in the case openly acknowledge that the father is an entirely fit parent — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest of his daughter .
Nevertheless , the boyfriend argues that he should be allowed to share custody of the daughter over the father ’ s objections .
The conflict arose after the child ’ s mother died in a tragic car accident in 2018 .
At the time , the mother and father were divorced and were sharing approximately 50/50 custody of their daughter .
During the last 11 months of her life , the mother lived with her boyfriend .
As a result , the daughter also lived with her mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 11-month period .
After the mother ’ s death , the daughter ’ s maternal grandparents filed suit against the father , seeking sole custody of their four-year-old granddaughter .
The court dismissed the suit , noting the grandparents ’ inability to prove that leaving the father as sole custodian would cause any harm to the child .
However , despite finding that the father was an entirely fit parent , the court still granted partial custody to the boyfriend .
It reasoned that the boyfriend was not required to provide the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In fact , the judge agreed with the boyfriend ’ s argument that he should be allowed to come before the court on an equal footing with the actual father .
The judge concurred that there should be no presumption in favor of the father ’ s having sole custody of his own daughter .
As was recently outlined in an attorney general opinion , which THSC worked to obtain in February 2019 , the constitutional right of parents to raise their children has been clearly established through 100 years of case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States Supreme Court describes it as “ the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests recognized by this Court.
” What makes this case so disturbing is that a non-parent was not simply given custody of another man ’ s daughter — he was given custody on the grounds that the biological father had no greater right to custody of his own daughter than did a virtual stranger .
If the court agrees with the boyfriend ’ s argument , horrible damage could be done to the constitutional right of parents to raise their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the court agrees with the father ’ s argument , such a decision could thoroughly squash dissenting voices who have argued for years that the fundamental constitutional rights of parents are weak and narrow .
Dissenters make these arguments despite the 100 years of case law that say otherwise .
Thankfully , the Texas Supreme Court currently has at least four justices with a solid record of protecting the constitutional right of parents to raise their children .
Only five votes are needed for the father to prevail .
The court as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record of protecting this right .
If the father is successful , the court could use the opportunity to write a broad opinion that eliminates ambiguities which dissenters often invent to belittle parental rights .
However , even in victory , the court could choose to rule narrowly in an attempt to resolve the case while avoiding the larger issues .
It is not an overstatement to say that this case has the potential to become the most significant parental rights case in Texas history .
The enormous potential of the case has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community .
Early last fall , the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Texas Home School Coalition each submitted briefs defending the father ’ s constitutional right to make decisions for his daughter .
THSC ’ s brief was joined by 14 legislators and two other pro-family organizations .
While the Texas Supreme Court was not required to hear the case at all , the court intervened and temporarily suspended the trial court ’ s grant of custody to the boyfriend while the justices considered a final decision on the case .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional pro-family organizations lined up to support the father ’ s constitutional rights .
Alliance Defending Freedom , the Parental Rights Foundation and A Voice for Choice Advocacy all submitted supporting briefs .
The state of Texas also submitted a brief defending the father ’ s constitutional rights .
Following this litany of supporting briefs , the Texas Supreme Court has now scheduled the case for oral arguments on March 24 .
Representatives from THSC will be in attendance at the hearing .
While the battle is far from over , the strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to raise his daughter , as well as the pro-family record of several Texas Supreme Court justices , provides hope that this could be the most significant and beneficial parental rights case Texas has ever seen .
Published with permission from the Texas Homeschool Coalition .

The court is set to hear oral arguments in a parental rights case that could shape up to be truly groundbreaking.
AUSTIN, February 11, 2020 (Texas Homeschool Coalition) — The Texas Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a parental rights case that could shape up to be truly groundbreaking.
The case (known as In re CJC) centers around a father who is battling against a non-relative for custody of his four-year-old daughter. This non-relative was the boyfriend of the daughter’s now-deceased mother.
What makes this case especially noteworthy is that all parties in the case openly acknowledge that the father is an entirely fit parent — a good father who acts in the best interest of his daughter. Nevertheless, the boyfriend argues that he should be allowed to share custody of the daughter over the father’s objections.
The conflict arose after the child’s mother died in a tragic car accident in 2018. At the time, the mother and father were divorced and were sharing approximately 50/50 custody of their daughter.
During the last 11 months of her life, the mother lived with her boyfriend. As a result, the daughter also lived with her mother’s boyfriend for about half of that 11-month period.
After the mother’s death, the daughter’s maternal grandparents filed suit against the father, seeking sole custody of their four-year-old granddaughter. The court dismissed the suit, noting the grandparents’ inability to prove that leaving the father as sole custodian would cause any harm to the child.
However, despite finding that the father was an entirely fit parent, the court still granted partial custody to the boyfriend. It reasoned that the boyfriend was not required to provide the same proof as the grandparents had been.
In fact, the judge agreed with the boyfriend’s argument that he should be allowed to come before the court on an equal footing with the actual father. The judge concurred that there should be no presumption in favor of the father’s having sole custody of his own daughter.
As was recently outlined in an attorney general opinion, which THSC worked to obtain in February 2019, the constitutional right of parents to raise their children has been clearly established through 100 years of case law. In fact, the United States Supreme Court describes it as “the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests recognized by this Court.”
What makes this case so disturbing is that a non-parent was not simply given custody of another man’s daughter — he was given custody on the grounds that the biological father had no greater right to custody of his own daughter than did a virtual stranger.
This case has far-reaching implications.
If the court agrees with the boyfriend’s argument, horrible damage could be done to the constitutional right of parents to raise their children.
On the other hand, if the court agrees with the father’s argument, such a decision could thoroughly squash dissenting voices who have argued for years that the fundamental constitutional rights of parents are weak and narrow. Dissenters make these arguments despite the 100 years of case law that say otherwise.
Thankfully, the Texas Supreme Court currently has at least four justices with a solid record of protecting the constitutional right of parents to raise their children. Only five votes are needed for the father to prevail. The court as a whole also has a long track record of protecting this right.
If the father is successful, the court could use the opportunity to write a broad opinion that eliminates ambiguities which dissenters often invent to belittle parental rights.
However, even in victory, the court could choose to rule narrowly in an attempt to resolve the case while avoiding the larger issues. It is not an overstatement to say that this case has the potential to become the most significant parental rights case in Texas history.
The enormous potential of the case has not been lost on the pro-family legal community.
Early last fall, the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Texas Home School Coalition each submitted briefs defending the father’s constitutional right to make decisions for his daughter. THSC’s brief was joined by 14 legislators and two other pro-family organizations.
While the Texas Supreme Court was not required to hear the case at all, the court intervened and temporarily suspended the trial court’s grant of custody to the boyfriend while the justices considered a final decision on the case.
After the court’s temporary order, additional pro-family organizations lined up to support the father’s constitutional rights. Alliance Defending Freedom, the Parental Rights Foundation and A Voice for Choice Advocacy all submitted supporting briefs. The state of Texas also submitted a brief defending the father’s constitutional rights.
Following this litany of supporting briefs, the Texas Supreme Court has now scheduled the case for oral arguments on March 24. Representatives from THSC will be in attendance at the hearing.
While the battle is far from over, the strong support for this father’s right to raise his daughter, as well as the pro-family record of several Texas Supreme Court justices, provides hope that this could be the most significant and beneficial parental rights case Texas has ever seen.
Published with permission from the Texas Homeschool Coalition.
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