In a recent post (see Sept. 21 article), I expressed concern about the then upcoming Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region and the dialogue over the interpretation of paganism in its working document. I'd been following various conservative Catholic news outlets and commentaries, especially the Dr. Taylor Marshall Show on YouTube and Michael Voris of Church Militant. Then came an indigenous Amazonian tree planting ceremony on Oct. 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, two days before the opening of the Synod on Oct. 6. Pope Francis has dedicated the Synod to the patronage of St. Francis.
I don't want to completely dismiss the concerns of faithful Catholics about Pope Francis and the Amazon Synod, but the reactionary firestorm I've been witnessing is leaving me cold. At a certain point I began to seek out other perspectives, wondering if the narrative I've been hearing is completely accurate and factual. Today I found the Where Peter Is blog and read Pedro Gabriel's article "Paganism in the Vatican? Hermeneutic of Suspicion at its Peak."
The author presents evidence that the tree planting ceremony was not indeed pagan, and that the much decried, carved wooden statue of a pregnant woman represents the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Amazon. The 2nd pregnant figure is believed to be St. Elizabeth, with the two women representing The Visitation. These are not, as the accusation has been put forth, fertility goddesses. I recommend reading Gabriel's complete article: https://wherepeteris.com/paganism-in-the-vatican-hermeneutic-of-suspicion-at-its-peak/.
I've become increasingly uncomfortable with what seems to me to be blatant disrespect for Pope Francis. I agree with Gabriel that a hermeneutic of suspicion, of treating every little thing the pope says and does through a preconceived, negatively critical lens, is at work here. I've also learned since publishing my Sept. 21, "three bad things" article that the working document for the Amazon Synod, Instrumentum Laboris, is not a magisterial document, but rather the blueprint for discussion during the Synod.
Language used in the working document that seems to signal an acceptance of paganism might instead be a reflection of the spirituality of the Amazonian peoples whom the Synod seeks to understand, help in their various needs, and evangelize. It seems more likely that what we have here is an approach of inculturation rather than religious syncretism. News reports have stated that Pope Francis intends to eventually destroy Instrumentum Laboris, and he has indicated his reliance on the Holy Spirit to guide the Synod and its outcomes.
Yes, the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church is real and horrifying, and we can't sweep it under the rug. Perhaps Pope Francis could have responded to it better, but maybe he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Has the pope truly been using "weaponized ambiguity" to undermine the traditional teachings of the Church, as he has been accused? Is he really a Marxist, or does he simply have a deep devotion to helping the poor, the marginalized, and the migrant? As for his intentions in the realm of education, there might be cause for concern, but this remains to be seen.
I refuse to be worked into a frenzy over the narrative being presented by the anti-Francis, hyper conservative Catholic media. Theirs is one perspective, one side of the story. I recently viewed the YouTube video from Bishop Barron on his theological process, in which he presents his "middle path" between the radical Catholic liberals on the one hand, and the traditionalists who want to disregard Vatican II and return to a pre-conciliar version of the Church on the other. I think Bishop Barron's viewpoint is well worth looking into (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB6w4miLEc8). The Catholic Church needs unity right now; and as she has always been, the Church founded by Jesus is unified under the authority of the pope, the successor of St. Peter. We would all do well not to forget that.
It is now late in the day of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and I've found a new sense of peace and hope. I have not had the willpower to avoid all news and stay entirely off YouTube, as I planned to this month, but I've gained a new perspective on the issues I've been recently writing about.
Yesterday while using the computer I saw that Dr. Taylor Marshall was live from Rome on YouTube, and out of curiosity I tuned in. I didn't watch the whole thing, because I could feel my serenity being broken, and I was proud of myself for tuning back out.
Taylor was bemoaning an indigenous Amazonian tree planting ceremony, led by a woman (quel horreur!), and attended by Pope Francis in the Vatican garden. He basically said that he and his cronies had been commiserating about how they might be able to destroy the tree. It just seemed silly, and the scrupulosity I've seen growing among some traditional Catholics is beginning to grate on my nerves.
Taylor also spoke about how happy he was to have gone to a High Mass that day, without all the Novus Ordo type "distractions" of altar girls, Eucharistic ministers, communion in the hand, etc... While it's certainly wonderful that he had the privilege of attending the Latin Mass in Rome, and if I were there, I'd welcome the opportunity as well, I felt tired of this typical spiel.
I had gone to Mass that morning myself. My daughter was an altar server, and my husband was the commentator and lector. Our priest, still weak from cancer treatments, needed to sit during Holy Communion, so everyone received it from a Eucharistic minister. I received on the tongue, which anyone has the choice to do. The kids who will receive the sacrament of Confirmation in February and their parents were called up front for a ceremony, and we prayed for them as a congregation. After Mass we all ate a delicious brunch together and fellowshipped with one another. The entire morning was lovely and Spirit filled, the weather was gorgeous, and I was grateful to be there.
Here's my point. Dr. Marshall did mention that the Novus Ordo (Ordinary Form) Mass is valid, but he clearly seems to think it's inferior to the Tridentine Mass (Extraordinary Form). After encountering this attitude prevalent on the Internet, I too once became distracted by what were being called the "liturgical abuses" of the Ordinary Form. It turned out that nothing I was concerned about was actually an abuse. I refuse to be influenced anymore by this elitism that attempts to suck the joy out of the fact that I receive the Real Presence of Jesus, body, blood, soul, and divinity, every time I partake of the Eucharist!
The pews in my Novus Ordo parish church were packed yesterday. I did not feel like a member of a dying Church. It's time for me to go to sleep now, as I pray my Rosary in the dark. And I pray that you let nothing disturb you. Simply be in awe of the wonder of our enduring Faith.
Today's video is the 3rd in my #WalkAway Campaign series. Here I discuss my introduction to feminism while in college, through a women's communication class. I highlight some of the positive aspects I learned in this class as well as the contradictions that make feminism so problematic. The ultimate battle we face today is abortion. The Democratic Party has embraced this volatile issue as a way to manipulate women with fear in order to keep their vote.
Feminism is one of the categories falling under the "social justice" movement, which appears to be the modern version of the PC Mafia I discussed in the previous video.
I offer the teaching of the Catholic Church on the complementary roles of men and women as a solution for the harm done to us--men, women, children, and society--by radical feminism. As I was uploading this video to YouTube, I saw a video from Dr. Taylor Marshall on the arrest today of his warrior priest friend, Fr. David Nix. Fr. Dave and others with him were arrested at an abortion clinic, where they were giving out roses and peacefully talking to women there. Apparently he was trying to get the Attorney General involved in case where a girl at the clinic was being forced into an abortion by her own mother.
Please say a Hail Mary for Fr. Dave and keep him and his companions in your prayers.
Infiltration: The Plot to Destroy the Catholic Church from Within, by Dr. Taylor Marshall, will be released May 31. I've been following Dr. Marshall's YouTube show, "TnT," co-hosted with Timothy Gordon. These guys shoot straight from the hip about all-the-things surrounding the ongoing crisis in the Church. The goal of this book is to provide an explanation for what and who led to the events and revelations related to the 2018 "summer of shame." Last summer exposed for the world a systemic sex abuse scandal involving the highest levels of Church hierarchy and reaching back many decades. How can the laity help to heal and restore the Body of Christ? I'm awaiting Dr. Marshall's recommendations, but I've already begun to implement small steps of my own. Many Catholics have been calling for a return to tradition for some time, especially in the liturgy of the Mass. Some are fortunate to have regular access to the Tridentine Mass, or Traditional Latin Mass, and have been spiritually edified by what they feel is a more reverent worship of God. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI re-instituted this pre-Vatican II form of the Mass while he was still the acting pope. He asked that the faithful refer to this as the Extraordinary Form. (The 2nd Vatican Council was held from 1962-1965.)
The Ordinary Form of the Mass, instituted after Vatican II, is the one most available across the world and is spoken in the vernacular languages. It's often referred to as the Novus Ordo. Unfortunately, division has been created by liturgical abuses in the Ordinary Form and by those who prefer one form over the other, with very vocal protests. I won't go into the reasons for the debate here, but you can read all about it on the Internet. Do be aware that there's a lot of misinformation out there. One approach to bridging the gap is to return, even if only on an individual basis, to more traditional practices in both worship during the Mass and in private devotions. Near to where I live, the Extraordinary Form is only available once a month, at a parish in an adjoining county. I've been to it a couple of times, but my family has always attended the Ordinary Form otherwise. Even with a guide to follow the Latin with English translations, I was honestly lost during the Tridentine Mass. I plan to go again soon so I can make a better evaluation of the differences between the two forms.
Last Sunday I began to receive the Eucharist on the tongue rather than in the hand, and to make sure that I'm in line to receive from either the priest or deacon, rather than from lay persons (known as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, who can only distribute the Eucharist in the Ordinary Form). In the Tridentine Mass, the Eucharist can only be received on the tongue and is distributed exclusively by a priest or deacon. Here, only the host (the bread) is available. Both the bread and wine can be received at the Novus Ordo. I felt a profound difference immediately from receiving the consecrated bread on the tongue. I'd been feeling awkward and uncomfortable receiving in the hand and from a lay person. These practices are allowed in the U.S. and do not desecrate the Eucharist, which Catholics believe is the Real Presence of Jesus, body, blood, soul, and divinity, in the transubstantiated bread and wine. In order to receive the consecrated wine, doing so from a lay person is unavoidable at the parishes I attend, but it's fine to receive the host alone. And since the wine is in a chalice and isn't directly touched by the Extraordinary Ministers, I'm more comfortable with it.
Today I
wore a head scarf, in the tradition of women veiling, a practice which goes back to the early Church and is a biblical exhortation. The Church no longer requires women to veil at the Mass, but from what I understand, this was never officially stated. Rather, the requirement was only omitted from an update to Canon Law at some point following Vatican II. My feeling is that women can have a profound impact in their parishes by taking up this devotion in humility to Christ and as role models for the restoration of tradition. I have veiled at other times, and once it brought such great joy to a man who had grown up with women veiling at church. He said to my husband, "You must be so proud of her!" I feel an internal shift toward piety when I wear a head covering at Mass, and I don't think I'll be able to go without it anymore.
In so many ways our modern society is faltering, failing, and sinking into the abyss as a result of the loss and intentional rejection of traditional values. As the rot in the hierarchy is rooted out, we can return to the roots of our Faith. The solution is not to leave the Church. I converted to Catholicism because I came to believe that this is the one Church founded by Jesus on the rock he named Peter. I believe that in this Church, full of snakes and sinners, the fullest expression of Christian Truth can be found. I believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and I will not be deprived of this spiritual nourishment. Don't let Satan win. Fight in your own little way, until the light you shine becomes irrepressible. My goal for this summer is to continue to implement ideas for the restoration of tradition in Catholic worship and with my family in the domestic church, and to create a picture for you of how all this fits with the virtue of simplicity. Please share your own ideas and practices in the comments! St. Rita of Cascia, patroness of Impossible Causes, pray for us!
