I usually read the Catholic Thing, which has essays by intellectuals who usually can write about complicated church things in a way that I can understand it.
So today's essay is about the univesity and the Synodality stuff the Pope is pushing.
He notes that the average Catholic, except for the Karens/church ladies who run the parish, have a suspicion or distrust or don't care attitude or think the whole thing is just silly.
Yup. Sounds about right.
Because you know two things about all these meetings: They will be run by church ladies aka "Karens" who run everything in the parish, and they will manipulate the meetings so that the correct agenda will be decided on, with little imput by the rest of us.
I suspect these will be touchy feely meetings, like the "encounter group" fad of the sixties, where people got together and bared their soul to each other in the name of fake fellowship... but don't dare go against their agenda: they'll silence you by manipulating what you are trying to say, or do a faux sweety nicey criticism to shut you up.
Again from the Catholic Thing:
true synodality is far from a silly diversion from the evangelical mission of the Church; it is essential to it.
but what do you mean by synodality? Define please.
Nor is the work of synodality accomplished simply by talking about it. It requires an intentional choice to foster and practice a genuine sense of shared mission.
So what is a "shared mission"? Define please. What is our mission, and who do we share it with?
It requires praying together, listening to Scripture together, listening to one another, discerning together, and, yes, “walking together.”
with whom? so we leave home and go to meetings at church where we discuss abstract concepts with fellow church members who are into this type of thing. Right.
Why do I doubt they mean reviving family prayer, something we did before Vatican II?
In the past, it was the custom in the Philippines for the family to say the rosary together each evening. But somehow I don't think that is what they mean because family is not mentioned in most of the stuff I am reading (nor is Jesus or Mama Mary, because since Vatican II the rosary and popular religious customs are no longer encouraged).
Synodality means meeting with like minded people belonging to our exclusive church group run by the ex nun church ladies who run everything in modern parishes, and we are told that this is supposed to encourage Evangelization.
So what does that mean? Spending our time going door to door to convert our heathen neighbors?
so let's go to the US Bishop's stuff.
What is Evangelization? - Go and Make Disciples
... evangelizing means bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation
So bring the good news of Jesus into every situation suggests it means we inject Jesus talk into what we do.
Excuse me, but in the good old days, we were taught that even the smallest thing we do, we can offer it to God as a prayer. But this is not the same thing as "bringing the good news into every situation": there is a subtle difference. In one, you are doing the action as an excuse to push Jesus talk to the captive audience.
and seeking to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself.
more nice stuff written here, but notice it also implies the only real job for a Catholic is doing stuff that falls under the definition of SJW.
The validity of our having accepted the Gospel does not only come from what we feel or what we know; it comes also from the way we serve others, especially the poorest, the most marginal, the most hurting, the most defenseless, and the least loved.
so work at the homeless shelter, you lazy person. Or join in demonstrations so you can feel self righteous.
again what is missing is the old fashioned idea of family and neighbors.
In traditional Christianity, this meant caring for your family and friends, taking cassaroles to the sick or to help the survivers after a death in the family, baby sitting so they can shop without a toddler, driving them to the clinic to see their doctor so they don't have to drive themself, or helping the single pregnant teenager in the family to bear her child and raise him until she is able to cope on her own.
for old folks like myself, it means praying for those around me and trying not to bitch too much when I feel pain, but to offer my aches and pains to God as a prayer.
the rest of the Bishops' essay is similar nicey nice stuff. Aimed at upper middle class sophisticated types, which leaves me out.
Well, isn't it better here in the Philippines?
nope. They again are pushing the encounter group idea:
As dioceses gather together in small circles in parishes, schools and basic ecclesial communities in the coming months, he said, the Church will look within and also at how it is together with the entire human family.
, .. like the Pope, they are using sociological jargon, which is the latest fad in teaching church stuff.
(Pope Francis) pointed out that ‘communion’ and ‘mission’ can risk remaining somewhat abstract, unless synodality is concretely expressed at every step of the synodal journey and activity, encouraging real involvement on the part of each and all”. “All the baptized are called to take part in the Church’s life and mission.”
But what does this mean for those who are not church ladies or into such things?
What does this mean to ordinary folks just living an ordinary life?
Sigh.
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