Rome Speaks! Will Germany, and others listen?

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[00:00:00] Yes. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. One at all to the Catholic experience by yours truly. The Catholic adventure are very happy that you’re joining me today. It is November 27th in the year of our Lord 2023 winding down 2023. Here we come 2024. God help us. God save us all. Who knows what 2020, what 2024 will bring.

[00:00:31] I’m very happy that you’re joining me. You’re catching me live on X at For The Queen BVM. You’re catching me live on Facebook and YouTube. Catholic Adventurer. Got some show lined up for you today. We’re talking about The Synod. Rome Speaks is the title of this episode. Will Germany and others listen? Very, very interesting developments.

[00:00:56] Very interesting. A few, um, very encouraging words from both Father Robert Barron, I’m sorry, Bishop Robert Barron, and from the Vatican, holy cow! You couldn’t make this stuff up, man. You couldn’t make it up. Talking about it today. We’re gonna be taking your calls toward the bottom of the show, so get, uh, get your fingers and thumbs and voice ready.

[00:01:20] Taking your calls at the bottom of the show. Tell you the number as soon as I open up the phone lines, so just be ready for that. A lot of stuff going on regarding the Synod. We’re going to talk about that today. The lesson that I want to, that I hope to teach today Let me switch that up. The lesson that I hope to teach today is a lesson on hope and patience.

[00:01:45] Patience more than hope, I guess. One involves the other. I’ll get, I’ll explain in a second. This podcast is called The Catholic Experience. I don’t just want to get on, get in front of a microphone and talk. There has to be a point to what I’m talking about, and it’s not just to put you in the know, and it’s not just to hear myself speak.

[00:02:06] I’m trying to help people to get closer to holiness. I’m trying to help the Lord to form saints, right? Just listening to myself speak, I, I mean, I have no interest in that. I don’t want to be popular, I don’t want to be a superstar, I don’t want to be a Catholic celebrity. I want to help you to become holier.

[00:02:27] We do that through the church, through the lived experience of the Catholic faith, hashtag Catholic experience, we do that through the lived experience, but it shouldn’t end there. The church should help, is a gateway. The faith is a gateway. It should bring us closer to God and how we live our lives and so on.

[00:02:48] Right? So, what I want you to take from this is not just an update on something that, that, some events surrounding the Synod. It’s not just that. That would be pointless, because that doesn’t make you holier. If anything, if, if, if wrongly used, that could actually make you less holy. What I really want you to get from this is something that’ll make you holier.

[00:03:13] So the, the, I guess, I don’t have a word for it, but I guess the main, the crux, or the main point to this episode, really we’re talking about the virtue of patience. I better double check my, my facts and make sure that’s a virtue. I have a feeling it’s not really a virtue. But, but I think it is. I think it’s officially a virtue.

[00:03:35] So, but even if it, even if, even if patience itself is not a virtue, it involves virtues. And I’m going to get into that in a second. All right, let’s do it. This morning on Catholic News Agency, Bishop Barron in frank disagreement with Synod on Synodality’s report on development of moral teaching. If you’re not familiar, here’s how I do this.

[00:03:59] I’m going to read I’m not going to read the entire article, but I’m going to read, maybe bounce around a little bit, and I’m going to interject my own thoughts. The first thing I want you to take from this is this. Several years ago, people were, this is before he was a bishop. People had a real problem with, uh, then Father Barron.

[00:04:23] Because he said some things, um, related to whether or not, you know, people actually go to hell. I don’t remember exactly what he said. It really doesn’t matter. I remember coming from This was a verbal. This was not something he wrote. This was a verbal. Something that he did in a video. I remember coming away from that thinking, Eh, I’m not sure I agree with him.

[00:04:48] Not sure I agree with him. I’m not sure if he’s saying we can have reasonable faith that most people go to heaven. I don’t know if he was saying that. Or if [00:05:00] perhaps he was saying there is reason to have reasonable faith that all people go to heaven. I’m not saying that most people go to heaven, but there’s reasonable, there’s reasonable evidence for us to believe that we can have reasonable faith that most people go to heaven.

[00:05:14] One is a claim, the other is theory, right? A hypothetical. Either way, I thought, eh, not very prudent to say what he’s saying. Whether he’s wrong or not. Not very prudent because if people take from that, most people go to heaven. If people can potentially take that message from what he’s saying, then what they’re doing is they’re taking a message that is actually contrary to what we see in the gospel.

[00:05:44] Jesus doesn’t say most people go to heaven. Many saints and church fathers have said quite the opposite, that most people go to hell. Now, just because the church father said it doesn’t mean it’s doctrine, but it’s pretty authoritative. So I thought what he said was, was imprudent. But, there were some in independent Catholic media that used that, and I don’t know where this culture comes from, but there was this uprising of an anti, I don’t want to say anti clerical, but it was an uprising against many, many priests.

[00:06:24] And he became one of the victims. And ever since then, I ran into a lot of Catholics, online and mostly offline, who got sucked into this vortex and they became very anti Bishop Barron. I couldn’t understand that because my experience with Barron’s theology was that he was a very good theologian. Very balanced, definitely orthodox.

[00:06:55] I might find some of his words, eh, I wouldn’t use that wording, or eh, I don’t know if you should say that, or say it that way. Okay, maybe, but I thought he was a very, and I still think he’s a very good theologian. Most people were turned off to him. He could do no right to many, many people. It didn’t matter, it didn’t matter what he said or did, he could do no right.

[00:07:18] And people for years, for years, Just turned him off. Wouldn’t listen to anything he had to say. Wouldn’t read anything that he wrote. Nothing. And I thought that was very sad because they were missing out on some really, really great theology. I’m not saying he’s the savior of the Catholic Church. He’s just another priest who happens to be a bishop.

[00:07:44] He’s just another priest who happens to be a theologian. I’m not saying, I’m not trying to make him up to be greater than he is. But I really think his teaching, his messages, his preaching, even if some of it may not be stellar, most of it is really very strong and very sound. And I feel very, very sad for Catholics who turned him off for years, and probably still do.

[00:08:08] They probably still won’t, won’t, you know, laud anything that he said that we’ll cover in this article. Many, many Catholics could have been brought to holiness over these past, let’s just call it ten years. Had they not turned themselves off to Bishop Barron and what, what, what gifts he has to offer.

[00:08:27] Right? I’m not saying he’s like singularly gifted, but he’s a theologian with gifts to offer. In his, in his teaching, in some of his preaching,

[00:08:40] in his exegesis, and so on. So, what you’re going to hear now in this article on Catholic News Agency, I don’t know what your history is with Bishop Barron’s preaching or exegesis and so on, but what you’re going to find in his words in this article, I have to tell you, this is who he always was. I said this on my posts on X today at ForTheQueenBVM, please follow me, I said this today.

[00:09:09] What you’re hearing here is who Bishop Barron always was, and it’s a great injustice. The way his theology and his words and his teaching got distorted, maliciously distorted, intentionally distorted by some in independent Catholic media to rally the faithful against a man who really is a pretty good priest.

[00:09:40] But you be the judge. Here we go. From Catholic News Agency, written by Courtney Mayers. Bishop Barron has said that he is in quote frank disagreement that’s Bishop Barron’s words frank disagreement with the final report on the Synod on synodality’s claim that [00:10:00] advances that that and this is the claim that advances in sciences require an evolution require an evolution in the church’s moral teaching on human sexuality you may remember that this is one of the things in the in the synod documents That, again, put forward, I’ll just say it again, that advances in the sciences require an evolution in the Church’s moral teaching on human sexuality.

[00:10:27] I, you know, I reported on this, I don’t know, a few podcast episodes ago. Now, advances in knowledge may require progression in Theology, or progression in doctrine, but not a change, especially after 2, 000 years, especially doctrine. Doctrine is 2, 000 years old. You’re not going to get much new out of doctrine, certainly no changes, period.

[00:10:57] And I don’t know after 2, 000 years if you’ll get much development. Now, there are some things in moral theology that may benefit from further development. As we learn more scientifically about the related topics. Human sexuality, for instance. We’re really still just learning about that. I mean, I mean, we know an awful lot that’s true.

[00:11:24] But there are things that we’re still just learning. Right, in the study of human sexuality, sexual behavior, dispositions, um, and so on. So, there are some at the Synod who have said, Well, as we learn more about the sciences, we may have to change what we teach about human sexuality. That is false. That is false.

[00:11:47] Even if there is science that comes up that says, Some people are born with same sex, with a same sex attraction disposition. Some people are born that way. Well, and the science does not say that. And from what I understand, the jury is still out on that? But it’s not in favor of, of, it’s not in favor of a conclusion that some people are just born that way.

[00:12:14] It’s not in favor of that. But let’s say that the science absolutely says some people are just born that way. That does not mean that the church must now teach, well, okay, then, you know, same sex behavior is okay. No, that does not mean that. That might deepen or develop the church’s outreach to same sex attracted persons, but that doesn’t mean the church changes what it teaches about human sexuality with regard to same sex attraction.

[00:12:45] Back to the article. In a reflection published this week, the bishop said, That it is, quote, troubling, end quote, to see how members of the German Bishops Conference are already, quote, using the language of the Synod Report to justify major reformulations of the Church’s sexual teaching, end quote. Barron took particular issue with the suggestion that, quote, advances, I’m being, by the way, I’m being very intentional.

[00:13:14] Every time there’s a quote, I’m being very intentional to point it out. First, because, really, I ought to. It’s the responsible thing to do when you’re reading an article that quotes people. But also, I want you to know, very clearly, what has come out of Bishop Barron’s mouth, or pen, or keyboard. Barron took particular issue with the suggestion that, quote, Advances in our scientific understanding.

[00:13:39] will require a rethinking of our sexual teaching, whose categories are apparently inadequate to describe the complexities of human sexuality. End quote. Advances in our scientific, uh, yeah. It’s a particular issue with the suggestion that advances in science require a rethinking of our teaching on sexual, on, uh, on our sexual teaching.

[00:14:02] He called the language, quote, condescending, condescending. to the richly articulated tradition of moral reflection in Catholicism. End quote. Isn’t that beautiful? He called the language condescending to the richly articulated tradition of moral reflection in Catholicism, including the theology of the body developed by John Paul II.

[00:14:24] You know, it’s interesting because hearing the German bishops and a couple of others say what they were saying. About development of science requires a development or a, a, a change or modification in the church’s teaching on sexual ethics and sexual integrity and whatnot. As I hear them say that, that’s exactly what I’m thinking.

[00:14:46] Um, have you never heard of theology of the body? Ridiculous. Back to the article. Quote, again, quote, To say that this multilayered, philosophically informed, [00:15:00] Theologically dense system is incapable of handling the subtleties of human sexuality is just absurd, the bishop said. Quote, but the deeper problem I have is that this manner of argumentation is based upon a category error, namely, that advances in sciences, as such, require an evolution in moral teaching.

[00:15:28] Let us take the example of homosexuality. Evolutionary biology, anthropology, and chemistry might give us fresh insight into the, I don’t know this word so I’m probably pronouncing it wrong, fresh insight into the etiology and physical dimension of same sex attraction. But they will not tell us a thing about whether homosexual behavior is right or wrong.

[00:15:54] They will not tell us a thing. They will not tell us a thing about whether homosexual behavior is right or wrong. The entertaining of that question belongs to another mode of discourse. I agree. I agree. Science tells us what, it doesn’t tell us why or how, is how I would phrase that.

[00:16:21] The Synod Assembly, there was, quote, a perceived tension between love and truth. I think I’m going to skip this section, but I, and I’m going to include the link to this article on this episode’s on demand page on my website at catholicadventurer. com. And I encourage you to read it yourself. It’s good.

[00:16:47] It’s good. But it, it, it’s going to run too long and we have to get rolling with, you know, we got to keep the points focused. Okay. Basically he’s saying there is no tension between love and truth. They go hand in hand. There might be tension, uh, I think I’m representing this accurately. There might be tension between welcoming and truth.

[00:17:06] You know, what do we do, um, in, in terms of how do we welcome same sex attracted people or people with any other, you know, moral dilemmas, right? Uh, it could be divorced and remarried. It could be people living in mortal sin by themselves, who knows? There, there may, may be a tension between welcoming and truth, but there is no tension between truth and love.

[00:17:30] Love and truth, quote, love and truth, we know, find their perfection not in the abstract philosophies of empirical studies, but in the concrete person of Jesus Christ.

[00:17:45] So I think I’m going to put that article down for the moment. Uh, what we, what I want you to get out of it, we’ve pretty much discussed. This is very, very strong, strong words from Bishop Barron. And throughout, and I really, really encourage you to read the article, I really encourage you to read the article.

[00:18:07] Throughout this article, throughout his words, you really get a sense of strong, well developed, and well grasped theology. Very, very Catholic, Orthodox theology.

[00:18:29] And, I mean, I will say this, sometimes Bishop Barron pulls his punches, and sometimes he doesn’t swing at all. Hey, you know, the Holy Spirit directs each of us differently. You know, I think the Holy Spirit forms some people to be pit bulls, and he forms some people, I don’t know, what’s a gentle dog that isn’t weak and ridiculous?

[00:18:55] Um, yellow labrador, yellow, yellow labs, yellow labrador retrievers. The Holy Spirit makes some people pit bulls, and some people He, He forms them to be like a Labrador retriever. Energetic, fun, focused, but kind of, I don’t know, not, not gent, not gentle, but not, not rough, right? And then some, the Holy Spirit forms to be pit bulls.

[00:19:22] I would call Bishop Barron a little bit more of a Labrador retriever, if we’re using the dog analogy. He’s generally not a pitbull, and that’s okay, because not every priest or bishop or layperson is called to be that. But when he does speak about touchy issues, I find more often than not, not overwhelmingly so, but more often than not, he tends to pull his punches a little too much.

[00:19:53] Now, I am a little, you might not believe this, but I’m usually more of a pitbull, so I have a bias, [00:20:00] you know. I try not to be pit bullish because I really care for people, right? Um, Benedict XVI made a very interesting distinction between those who love truth and those who love people. So, for instance, a Saint Jerome or a Saint, uh, I guess Athanasius were good men.

[00:20:28] Who loved truth, and so sometimes they were a little harsh. Sometimes they were a little harsh. Not wrong, just a little strong. Right? Because they loved the truth so much. And then there are others who love people so much that sometimes they’re not, I don’t want to say not strong enough, but they’re not as strong in putting forward the truth.

[00:20:56] Right? They’re not as strong. Out of their love for people, they’re not as strong in putting forward truth. Putting forward the truth. And then there are others who, out of love for the truth, they’re not as strong at being pastoral. I’m not saying that they’re great at one and they suck at the other. All I’m saying is, it’s a, it’s sort of a seesaw, I guess.

[00:21:20] Some people love truth. Predominantly other people love others predominantly, and this comes out in how they teach, how they preach. I’m not sure where Bishop Baron stands. Maybe he’s, he’s more of the love of people, variety. I, I, I don’t know. Or maybe he’s smack dab in the middle. I’m, I’m sort of 60%, maybe 65%.

[00:21:48] Love of truth. And 35 percent love of people. So I’m the type that wishes he would be a little bit more of a pitbull type. That he wouldn’t pull his punches. Sometimes he does, and sometimes I feel he pulls his punches where he really, really, really should not have. But okay, Holy Spirit guides us all differently, and none of us is perfect.

[00:22:15] But when he comes out like this, Talking about things that are definitely wrong. When he’s said things against, um, the priest’s sex scandal. When he has said things about people’s lack of faith in the Eucharist. When he has blamed, you know, 30, 40 years of bad catechesis on that. When he has blamed, um, I would say weak teaching in local churches on that.

[00:22:43] I mean, when he comes out strong, I mean, he’s really very good. He’s really very good. Alright, enough of that. Enough of the Bishop Barron fan club. I’m not in the Bishop Barron fan I’m in nobody’s fan club but Jesus and the Saints. That, that’s really it. You could be Bishop Barron, you could be Father This, or Cardinal That.

[00:23:04] Let’s say Cardinal Burke, for instance, who I, I, I think is, is great. I’m really not in anybody’s fan club, including his. Nobody’s. Vigano. Nobody’s. Barron. No. Nobody. And I like that very much. I stay focused on Jesus Christ and the saints and all the celebrities in the Catholic sphere. They’re just men and women who happen to be priests or bishops or cardinals or lay people.

[00:23:32] I you know, and I say this as your brother, I really hope and wish that Catholics would would not be so fanatical about Catholic celebrities because you’re going to find yourself. Sometimes harrowed, sometimes confused, sometimes disappointed, sometimes anxious, uh, due to that disposition. Be fanatical about Jesus Christ and the saints.

[00:24:00] And let everything else just be gravy on the meat, be the cherry on top. Let everything else just be something lovely, but ultimately of no consequence. I think you’re going to be happier. Okay. Now we’re going to talk about the next article. Vatican draws line on women’s ordination and homosexuality in new letter to German bishops.

[00:24:25] After I cover that and talk about that a little bit, I’m going to talk about patience and hope and why it comes to bear here. Okay. Oh, by the way, if you would like to start loading up the phone lines, if you would like to share your thoughts, Or opinions or you have a question or something You can start loading up the phone line I’m not going to get to your call for another few minutes But the phone number if you’d like to be part of the show Is eight eight eight five four six four six five six Once again, if you’d like to be part of the show [00:25:00] eight eight eight five four six four six In the near future, I want to develop some way of doing, you know, like getting into, calling into the show through a module on my live page on my website.

[00:25:13] Um, you know, doing that over, you know, a web browser instead of actually using a phone. But, uh, Unless there’s a real great interest in participating in the show via a phone call, I’m not going to do that. But if there is an interest in it, if there are people who are calling in, you know, somewhat regularly, then maybe I’ll do that just to make it easier on them.

[00:25:35] Again, if you’d like to be a part of the show, I’m going to be taking your calls in a few minutes. The number to do that is 888 546 4656. 888 546 4656. Okay, from Catholic News Agency. Vatican draws line on women’s ordination and homosexuality in new letter to German bishops. Ja, das ist gut. By A. C. Wimmer.

[00:25:59] The Vatican has informed German bishops in writing that the ordination of women Folks, once it’s in writing, and it’s not just like in an article, but it comes from a Vatican office. or from an official at the Vatican. That’s pretty official. The Vatican has informed German bishops in writing that the ordination of women and changes in the church’s teaching on homosexuality cannot be subjects of discussion in the upcoming meetings with delegates of the German Synodal Way in Rome.

[00:26:31] The letter also reminds the bishops of potential disciplinary consequences, for anyone defying the teaching of the church. Did you get that? The letter reminded the bishops of potential disciplinary consequences for anyone defying the teaching of the Church. Written by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and addressed to the Secretary General of the German Bishops Conference, the letter was shared with all German diocesan bishops.

[00:27:06] Now let me back up for a second. Potential disciplinary consequences for anyone defying the teaching of the church. Ordinarily, I would say, I don’t think the, I don’t think the Vatican would go that far. Because we haven’t, well, I don’t know, we’ve seen them go that far, but usually not with liberals. But, I, ordinarily I would say, I don’t think the church would, would go that far.

[00:27:28] The Vatican, the Vatican rather. But, My, my belief right now is I don’t think the Vatican is kidding. I don’t think this is an idle threat. I do not think the Vatican is kidding. I think the Vatican is being very serious when it says, you know, it’s warning bishops of potential. I understand the word potential could mean anything, but still.

[00:27:54] Potential disciplinary consequences for anyone defying The teaching of the Church. I think the Vatican smells what Germany is cooking, and the Vatican does not like it, and the Vatican is saying, Don’t make me go down there. Remember when your parents used to say that? When you were a kid and you were misbehaving, or you were being noisy?

[00:28:13] Don’t make me go down there. I think this is the Vatican saying, Do not make me go down there. For the good of the faithful in Germany, and for the good of the faithful throughout the Church, and for the good of the Church, I’m warning you of potential disciplinary consequences for anyone defying the teaching of the Church.

[00:28:36] Will the Church be light handed when that moment arrives, if that moment arrives, when discipline needs to be, needs to happen? Will the Church have a heavy hand or a light one? Probably, probably closer to a light hand, but not a stayed hand. The Church’s hands won’t remain light. In, in, in the church’s pockets.

[00:28:59] It won’t be a stayed hand. A light hand maybe, but not a stayed one. That’s my, that’s my prediction. Huh, alright. The document’s authenticity was verified, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. German bishops and representatives of the Roman Curia met in the Vatican in July. Uh, Met in the Vatican in July for discussions about the German synodal way.

[00:29:22] These talks will continue in January, April, and July of 2024. They are expected to cover ecclesiology, anthropology, morality, and liturgy, that’s interesting, and texts of the synodal way. The Vatican’s letter reminded the German bishops of the synod on synodality. Underway in Rome. Considering the course of the German Sonata way so far, one must first realize that a universal Sonata way is currently taking place convened by the Holy Father.

[00:29:53] In other words, as I think the Holy Father or somebody at the Vatican. said to Germany, we already have, [00:30:00] uh, a church in Germany. We don’t need to don’t compete with the global church. That’s my wording. That’s my, my wording, which is I’m sure an accurate, uh, summary summary of what was actually said. The letter emphasized that it was therefore quote, therefore necessary to respect this path of the universal church and to avoid the impression.

[00:30:26] That parallel initiatives are underway that are different to the effort to journey together. And I think that’s exactly how it’s perceived, that there’s a parallel initiative underway in Germany. Germany be like, you guys do what you want in Rome, we’re going to do something similar but different here.

[00:30:44] Which sounds to me like another reformation, really. In light of German senator way, in light of the German senator way, resolving to push for the ordination of women, and The letter reminded the German bishops that Pope Francis has repeatedly and expressly reaffirmed what St. John Paul II wrote about the church having, quote, no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women, end quote.

[00:31:13] Let me take a break from that and discuss. Again, if you’d like to be a part of the show, I’ll be taking your calls in a few minutes. The number to do that is 888 546 4655. Six. You know, when you call, by the way, you’ll be able to hear the show over your phone. Um, so you don’t have to keep it playing wherever you’re playing it.

[00:31:34] You’ll be able to hear it over the phone while you’re waiting for me to take you on, on the air. Okay.

[00:31:42] Respect this path, yadda yadda yadda. Okay. What John Paul II wrote about the church having no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordinance, yadda yadda yadda. So, People have been in, people have been stirred up over the Synod for a couple of years now. Or it just feels like it’s been a bunch of years.

[00:32:01] Maybe it’s only been a few weeks, but I feel like it’s been a few years. A few years. And everyone’s talking about, they talk about many things. Um, I think they’ve kind of moved on from, and by people I mean lay people. I feel like they’ve moved on from the uh, communion for divorced and remarried issue. I Not that that’s a closed issue, but I feel like they’ve moved on, and they’ve moved over to, um, same sex marriages in the church.

[00:32:29] They’ve moved over to, um, uh, what do you call it? Gender issues. And they have moved, mysteriously, to the church shouldn’t ordain women as priests. I, and that one, for me, has been the loudest. The loudest call or cry that, you know, the church is considering ordaining women as priests. And I keep telling people, folks, we cannot ordain women as priests.

[00:33:04] Period. And no one at the Vatican is suggesting we could or we might. That is never Ever going to happen. That is grounded in sacred tradition. It is entirely unmovable. Why are you worrying about that? And I say that again. Why is anyone worrying about that? By extension, why is anyone worrying that the church is going to teach heresy?

[00:33:35] Brothers and sisters, where is your faith in Jesus Christ? That you are fearful that the church might teach heresy. In 2, 000 years that has never happened. So why is everyone so worried? Why is everyone so worried? Where is your faith in Jesus Christ? Where is your faith in the Holy Spirit? And where is your trust in the Holy Virgin Mary, who is mother of the church?

[00:34:06] And I want to put this forward too. And I say this in fraternity and out of love for you, and believe me, believe me, that is sincere. Might some in the church, the laity, might some of you have a little too much faith in yourselves? Because I have been hearing this easily for a decade. We have to protect the church.

[00:34:28] We have to save the church. We have to rescue the church. Oh, thank God for Bishop so and so. Oh, thank God for Cardinal so and so. Oh, thank God for, you know, Father so and so. Because we have to rescue the church. Really? My friends, I want you to listen to how that sounds. We have to protect the church. We have to rescue the church.

[00:34:50] Guys, get with it. And I’m going to be very, very frank with you. Who the hell do you think you are? And I don’t say that as an [00:35:00] enemy. I say that as a friend and as a brother. It’s just how I talk. But we are going to protect the church. Catholicism from the Catholic Church? Really? Let me go a step further.

[00:35:11] Are we going to take the job that was assigned to the Holy Spirit? Are we going to take the job and responsibility that’s in the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary? Really? Come on, folks. Where is your faith? And we have to ask ourselves, do we have a little too much faith in ourselves? Where did Jesus ask us to protect the church?

[00:35:41] Now, don’t get me wrong. I think the late, the late, the laity have an important role in, we’ll very loosely use the word sustain. We have an important role in sustaining the church, but only by living holy lives. Only by, not by being, not by pretending that we’re holier than the church. Well, the church says receiving communion in the hand is okay, but I say it’s a sin.

[00:36:10] Well, then you must be holier than the church. Well, the church says, I don’t know, you don’t have to fast on Fridays, but I say you do. Well, then I guess you’re holier than the church. I fast on Fridays, or abstain. The church doesn’t say you don’t, the church doesn’t say it’s, it’s foolish. to abstain from meat on Fridays.

[00:36:32] The church simply says, we no longer require you, but we still advise you to. So, why do we in the laity sometimes position ourselves as being holier than the church? My friends, I was there. I used to be there. So, this is why I know what it looks like. I used to be there. And I can tell you, It is so stressful to live your Catholic life that way.

[00:37:00] It is so stressful. And it’s unrealistic. It was a process for me to let go of that, and to double down on my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, the direction of the Holy Spirit, the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, over the Church. And when I let go of that, I don’t know, that sense, that feeling that I need to protect the church.

[00:37:31] When I let go of that, and I let Jesus do it, and I let the Holy Spirit do it, and I let the Blessed Mother do it, now my hands were empty of that job, so I had to take on another one, because my hands were idle. So what was the job I took up? I want to be a saint. I want to be, that became my mission. For myself, I want to be a saint.

[00:37:57] It’s not prideful. I’m not saying I want to be recognized by the global church. I’m not saying that. I’m saying I want to be a saint. That’s it. Not, not canonized. Just I want to be really, really holy. I want to grow to be really, really holy in this life. So I can reflect or mirror Jesus Christ in the lives of others.

[00:38:20] And I don’t care if they never remember me. These others that I affect. I don’t care if they ever remember me. I don’t care if they forget me five minutes after they’ve had an encounter with me. I don’t care. But as long as I’ve done something to bring the light of Jesus to them. Once I let go of my Save the Church mission, I had to hold on tight to my Be a Saint mission.

[00:38:47] And let me tell you, my friends, that is much, much, much harder to do. That mission of being holy, much harder to do. But it brings me more peace. Do you know why? Because growing toward holiness and sainthood is something that’s within my power. Let me clarify. God gives me the power to do it. It’s not a power I have in and of myself.

[00:39:13] But it’s something that I can actually do. I can actually put my hands on the buttons and dials and levers. On all of the pieces and components. In, in the machinery of developing my holiness. I actually have authority over that. And I have a measure of control over that. I can do that. I can do that. With God’s help, only with God’s help.

[00:39:41] But I can do that. But I can’t actually rescue the church. I can’t save the church. Not directly. God doesn’t give me that power. Authority. I can save the church in a sense by living [00:40:00] a holy life. And Cardinal Sarah has said this repeatedly, the church needs saints. If you want to help the church be Saints Live holy Lives,

[00:40:14] kind of a long way of, of, of making this point that I’m about to make. Lemme go back to the paragraph that sparked the thought. The letter sent to the German bishops, or the German conference, emphasized that it was therefore necessary, quote, therefore necessary to respect this path of the universal church and to avoid the impression that parallel initiatives are underway.

[00:40:37] Right? We are one church. Right? So this is almost like the Vatican saying to Germany, who the hell do you think you are? In light of the German sonata way, resolving to push for the ordination of women, The letter reminded the German bishops that Pope Francis has repeatedly and expressly reaffirmed what St.

[00:40:55] John Paul II wrote about the Church having, quote, no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women. I have been saying for years, folks, please stop worrying about the Synod. Stop worrying about it. Have faith. The Church is not going to teach heresy, period. No matter how much it smells like the church is about to teach heresy, please have faith.

[00:41:22] It’s not going to happen. No matter how much it smells like the church is going to ordain women and marry, you know, Tommy and Johnny go to the church to get married and the church marries them. No matter how much it smells like that’s going to happen, it is not going to happen. And if it does happen at a local church or local parish, that is not the Catholic church doing it.

[00:41:43] That is a priest or a bishop. Acting unlawfully by himself. That is not the Catholic Church doing it. We saw that just before, or we saw that leading up to the Protestant Reformation. There were things going on in the Church in Germany that was not the Catholic Church. It was just priests in the Church in Germany.

[00:42:06] We saw things happen in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. That was not the Catholic Church. It was the Church in Spain. Or, you know, churches in Spain. Uh, there were priests in the United States who owned slaves. That was not the Catholic Church doing it. In fact, the Catholic Church said that is, that is unlawful.

[00:42:29] Just because there were priests doing it doesn’t mean it was a Catholic thing. So please, have faith and trust. The Church is in good hands. And frankly, if the Church were in our hands The church wouldn’t survive a generation. Forget about 2, 000 years. Thank God that we’re not called to be protectors of the church.

[00:42:51] Thank God for that. The church is in good hands. The church is not going to ordain women. Period. Period. And the church is not going to teach heresy. Period. That does not mean that an individual priest, or bishop, or a conference of bishops, that doesn’t mean they won’t effectively teach heresy. Either explicitly or implicitly.

[00:43:16] It doesn’t mean they won’t teach heresy, but that will be on them, and it will be for the church to correct. Or to, to correct them. Or to discipline them. But the Catholic Church will not teach heresy. It, it, 2, 000 years, my brothers and sisters, it has never happened. So have faith and trust. Whew, mouthful.

[00:43:38] Again, if you’d like to be a part of the show, the number to do that is 888 546 4656. 888 546 4656. If you’d like to be part of the show, tell us what’s on your mind. Just a little bit longer in this article. While quoting Pope Francis on the importance of recognizing the role and dignity of women, given a woman, given a woman, Mary, is more important than the bishops, as the Pope said in Evangelii Gaudium, the letter also warned of disciplinary consequences for those who Who contravene doctrine.

[00:44:16] I love that wording. Disciplinary consequences for those who contravene doctrine. Including potential excommunication for attempting to ordain a woman. Regarding the church’s teaching on homosexual acts. Parolin’s letter to the German bishops. Said, this was another issue on which a local church has no possibility of taking a different view.

[00:44:41] This is really strong language, my friends. Quote, another issue, it is another issue on which a local church has no possibility of taking a different view. End quote. The letter elaborated. Quote, for even if one recognized [00:45:00] That from a subjective point of view, there may be various factors that call on us not to judge people.

[00:45:07] This in no way changes the evaluation of the objective morality of these acts. So let me put that in, in plainer English for you. Because some of you may, uh, be just as unintelligent as I am. And you might, you might be looking at that going, Huh? No, I’m just kidding about the unintelligent part. Though I am pretty unintelligent.

[00:45:28] Um, Sometimes having something read to you doesn’t make sense if you’re not reading it. And sometimes it helps for someone to kind of wrap it up differently. So that’s what I’m going to do here. Even if one recognizes that from a subjective point of view, meaning truth, from the point of view of truth, right?

[00:45:44] From a subjective point of view, there may be various factors that call on us not to judge people. For instance, this is me talking. Let’s say on same sex attraction. Let’s say People choose that. That’s a choice that people consciously make. Which I think is ridiculous and I think everyone, everyone I think knows that that’s ridiculous.

[00:46:06] People don’t literally choose that. Right? But if that were so, if people are consciously making a choice to be attracted to this one instead of that one, we might be tempted to pass judgment on them. Saying, how could you consciously make such a choice? Right? Because when it’s a choice, it invites judgment.

[00:46:35] Judgment of the choice. Judgment of the act. Judgment of the person’s intent and desire. Right? It invites judgment. But if we say, well, it’s, it, it happens naturally. Right? This disposition. Happens naturally from conception. They’re disposed naturally from the moment they’re conceived. Which, science is not saying that, but the jury is still out.

[00:46:59] But let’s just say, for the sake of the argument, this happens naturally. Well then, we know that we shouldn’t judge people for this disposition. We should not judge people for this disposition. They did not choose it. It’s not their fault. Right? This attraction. Or, leaving homosexuality out of it. It could be any attraction.

[00:47:23] It’s not their fault. They choose to do what they do. Let’s say it’s an alcoholic. I’m not so sure alcoholism really is in a person’s DNA, but I’m not a doctor or a scientist. Let’s just say, the going narrative is some people, not all alcoholics, but some alcoholics are disposed to that. From, from, from birth, from conception.

[00:47:47] It’s in their DNA, whatever. Well, you can’t blame them for having that disposition, but you can still judge their choice to act on it, right? And even then, you’re not judging their hearts, you’re judging their actions. That’s what we’re talking about here. Even if one recognized from a subjective point of view that there may be various factors that call on, call on us not to judge people.

[00:48:15] This in no way changes the evaluation of the objective morality of these acts. We can, in other words, we can still judge the acts, though we should not judge people.

[00:48:27] And I’ve said it before and I’ll say it a million times. Take people as they are. Not because this one’s straight and this one’s not. This one’s black, this one’s white, this one’s brown. This one’s trans, this one’s not. Just take persons as they are. Because persons by and large Are really lovely creations.

[00:48:50] Take them as they are. If I avoid someone, it’s because of their personality. I don’t like their personality. It isn’t because of their race, their gender, their religion, their disposition. None of that. It’s because I just can’t meld with this person’s personality. Which, it takes a pretty awful personality to repel me.

[00:49:14] But it happens. If I reject someone, harsh word of, I think, but I guess it kind of fits, if I reject someone, it’s not because of what they do, or what, and so on and so on. It’s just because I don’t like your personality. You have a really malignant personality, I just can’t. And that has, and that’s all there is to it.

[00:49:37] Take people as people. Gay, straight, trans, black, white, it doesn’t matter. Take people as people. Because people, by and large, are lovely creations. Flawed, yes. Imperfect, yes. Sometimes irritating, yes. But overall, lovely creations. Don’t judge people. [00:50:00] But we can still make assessments of, of, let me use this language, evaluation of the objective morality of acts.

[00:50:10] Article continues. The Vatican’s note also referenced Pope Francis, yada, yada, yada, in January, yada, yada. Most, more recently, in a letter dated November 10th, the Pope again expressed deep concerns about the German synodal way. Said a Pope, I think there was one thing I wanted to make sure I included here.

[00:50:34] Final paragraph. German reactions to this latest intervention from Rome. We’ll show just how much the Synodal Ways organizers have taken the papal appeals to heart. Exactly. Now we’re going to see if Germany really considers themselves Catholic. Or if they’re going to be the collective reincarnation of Martin Luther.

[00:50:59] Now we’re going to see that. Last call, if you’d like to be a part of the show, call in with your thoughts or comments or questions. The number to do that is 888 546 4656, 888 546 4656, the easiest number in podcasting to remember. Let me wrap up this episode this way, and again, if I get calls, then I won’t be wrapping up the episode, I will be taking your calls, but short of getting a few phone calls in the switchboard, I’m going to start wrapping this up.

[00:51:35] I opened the show telling you that this really was an episode about patience. People think that patience is just waiting. Waiting is important. Waiting is a really important part of being holy. If one of my kids iPad, I make them wait, wait. Wait five minutes. Or I won’t tell them how long I’m going to make them wait, but it’s usually between five and fifteen minutes.

[00:52:05] Or I tell them, whenever you want to use it, wait. Wait. Five minutes, twenty minutes, wait. And then ask. Right? I make them wait. For the good. Before we eat, not, not a morsel of food goes in a mouth. Until we have said grace. Wait. Wait. I make them wait for the good. It conditions them to have power over their impulses and appetites and desires.

[00:52:44] It also teaches them patience. It teaches them hope and it teaches them that there’s a line between what you can do now and what you cannot do now. Some things you have to wait for in life. In life, some things you just have to wait for, and in the spiritual life as well. Right? There are things that you have to wait for, for instance, until you’re married.

[00:53:08] Right? There are things that you have to wait for until you have the money, whatever. So, it’s a very important part of growing in holiness, waiting. People think that being patient is just waiting. I’m just waiting. I’m gonna wait and see. I’m just gonna wait and see. That’s not really what patience is.

[00:53:29] Patience is an anticipation of a good that you hope and believe will arrive. It’s anticipation of the good that you hope for and believe will arrive. That’s really what patience is. It’s not just waiting and seeing. It’s waiting for the good. It’s waiting in a state of hopeful anticipation. For the arrival of the good, or for the occurrence of the good.

[00:54:02] Patience. I’ve been telling people for years, be patient. Be patient with the church. And then when the Synod stuff started to spin, you know, the Pope announced there was going to be Synods, yada yada yada, Synod, Synod, Synod. I’ve heard the word Synod so many times over the past few years, I just want to throw up, but I’ve been telling people, be patient.

[00:54:24] Be patient. In Hopeful anticipation of, for, for the good. Being patient means, involves, the virtue of hope. And hope is not just crossing your fingers and saying, Boy, I hope this happens. Boy, I hope this happens. Hope is a belief that the good will happen. And patience is waiting in anticipation for the arrival of that good.

[00:54:53] That’s what hope is. Hope is, hope is not a roll of the dice. [00:55:00] Patience is not a flip of a coin. So I’ve been telling people, have patience and have hope. Anticipate the, have hope. Be patient in anticipation of the arrival of the good. Be hopeful, be, it’s a confidence. That’s a word I really should use.

[00:55:22] Patience is, is a, it’s a hope. It’s a confidence in the ultimate or eventual arrival of the good. A confidence in the eventual arrival of the good. Hope. Patience. I saw what everyone, and I still see what everyone else sees, or not everyone, but many people see in the Synod. I see the things that make you worry.

[00:55:48] I see it. I see it too. I’m not dumb. I see it. And sometimes, sometimes it makes my skin crawl just a little bit. But I never, I never have fear that any second now, any second now, the church is going to teach heresy. I never have that fear. I never have that fear. Any second now, the church is going to say, okay, we can start ordaining women.

[00:56:18] I never have that fear. I, I, I see what everybody else sees, but I never have that fear because I have hope and I’m patient, which is an amazing thing because historically I’m a very impatient person. So by grace and only by grace have I developed that patience. The church is not going to teach heresy.

[00:56:46] The church is not going to collapse on itself, my friends. You know, sin out of sight, it’s kind of a separate issue. The church is not going to collapse on itself. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church, against the church. The gates of hell may prevail against the church in Germany. Let’s be frank, that could happen.

[00:57:05] I, I don’t think it will. I, I really don’t think it will. But it’s, it’s a, is it in the realm of possibility? Yes. Is it in the realm of possibility that the gates of hell will prevail against a diocese? A single diocese? Or a single metropolitan? In the church of Germany, but not the rest of the church. Yes, that is possible.

[00:57:26] But the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. So why should we worry? If you’re listening to this, you probably want to be holy. Just like me. And I’m being very serious. Have hope. And be patient in yourself. Or with yourself. And be patient with God. You may think This desire for holiness is this awful, endless cycle of sin and confession, sin and confession, sin and confession.

[00:57:58] This awful, endless, repeating cycle of trying and failing, trying and failing, of diligence And laxity, diligence and laxity, which really is trying and failing. Sin and confession, sin and confession is also can be, can be felt as trying and failing, right? Awful, endless cycle. I have news for you, my friends.

[00:58:20] It is not a cycle. It is the way. It is not a cycle. It is the way to holiness. And yes, it’s damn painful sometimes. And it’s damn trying all the time. It tries our patience and it tests our hope, but be patient and be hopeful with a confidence, a confidence that the good will happen. You will become holy, that the good will arrive.

[00:58:55] You will become a saint, canonized or not. I’m not talking about canonized. I’m just talking about that holy, a hopeful confidence in the arrival of the good. It’s not a cycle. It’s the way. Same is true with everything that’s going on in the church, with, you know, the father this and the bishop that. I mean, like, the ones who are a little bit theologically ridiculous.

[00:59:23] And, you know, you have some synod fathers leaning very left and others not leaning anywhere. They’re just kind of balanced, orthodox. And you have Some in the church asking uncomfortable questions. Well, why can’t we ordain women? Yes, it’s ridiculous, but sometimes ridiculous questions have to be asked.

[00:59:43] That one’s a little super ridiculous because that’s already been covered, but whatever. Um, why can’t we bless same sex marriages? Why can’t or, or, or shouldn’t we dot, dot, dot? Shouldn’t we, let’s say, shouldn’t we baptize trans [01:00:00] persons? An uncomfortable question. It’s kind of a no brainer to me, but whatever.

[01:00:05] An uncomfortable question. Why can’t we, or shouldn’t we, bless same sex unions? Not a sacramental marriage, but a blessing. That’s an uncomfortable question. It makes people worry. Oh my God, what are we doing to marriage? Why can’t the divorced and remarried under certain circumstances receive communion?

[01:00:25] I’m not proposing that I know that answer. I’m just saying, that’s an uncomfortable question. Because it appears to challenge doctrine, but it may not. The point I’m trying to make is, this is part of the cycle that is not actually a cycle. It’s the way. It’s the way. The church is forever asking uncomfortable questions.

[01:00:46] Forever challenging itself. Forever deepening its knowledge and understanding. Of the truth, not new truths, but the revealed truth. 2, 000 years, my friends, the church has always, these things that are making faithful Catholics uncomfortable, this has been going on for 2, 000 years. It is not a cycle, it is the way.

[01:01:09] It is the way. For the church to be constantly purified, constantly strengthened, sometimes broken down a little bit, so that it can be Renewed in a way that’s stronger than it was before. This is the way. Your quest for holiness, you know I call this the Catholic Adventure because it really is. It’s highs and lows.

[01:01:37] It’s tears and cheers. It’s rough and difficult. It’s grand and glorious. It is not a cycle. It is the way. Do you want to get to holiness? Do you want to get to heaven? This is the way. Do you want the church to fight and win, whether it’s smaller battles against, you know, the cultural, cultural impulses, or fight and win the great battle against good and evil?

[01:02:18] Well, this is the way. Asking uncomfortable questions, um, uprooting, scandal and corruption, things like, this is the way. But don’t let your heart be troubled. Have faith in Jesus Christ. Have faith in the Holy Spirit. Lord have mercy. The Holy Spirit made everything happen from nothing. And the Holy Spirit guides and protects and directs the church.

[01:02:51] So why should you worry? Don’t worry. Church is not going to teach heresy. I won’t say that nothing bad will come out of the Synod because some people, for sure, they’re already starting. Some people will definitely use the Synod to advance their own agendas. Wrongly. Wrongly. It will be a distortion of what comes out of the Synod.

[01:03:13] But the Church won’t. Nothing bad, objectively, from the Church, nothing bad will come out of the Synod. Even if it smells like something will. Have faith. Trust and believe. And for Pete’s sake, I’m begging you because I love you, please be at peace. And let go. Focus on being holy. If you want a hard job, there it is right there.

[01:03:40] Don’t focus on saving the church. Church doesn’t need you to save her. Church has a lot of help. Angels, saints, the Blessed Mother, the Holy Spirit. Church doesn’t need you to save her. Focus on being holy. Believe me, that’s going to take up all your time. It’s going to take up all your time. So I’m going to start bringing this show to a close with one last announcement.

[01:04:01] Don’t, don’t leave yet. Don’t leave yet. Next week, as I said, I think next week, I don’t know for sure what I’m doing this, but I’m, I’m aiming for next week, a show on gender. Uh, again, it’s going to be theological. It’s going to be philosophical metaphysics. It’s going to be scriptural. It is not going to be political.

[01:04:21] But it is a politically, I guess, risqué topic for social media. So the first half of that episode will be streamed live throughout my socials. The second half will only be available streamed live on my website, CatholicAdventurer. com. So please get familiar with it. If you’re not already doing so, consider subscribing to my newsletter.

[01:04:46] Go to CatholicAdventurer. com CatholicAdventurer. com And you’ll see, I screw this up all the time. I have a form field up there at the top of the page. At the top of all of the pages. [01:05:00]And sometimes I type in a search term in there by accident. But that’s not actually for searching. That you put in your email address there in that form field.

[01:05:08] And you click sign up. And you have subscribed for free to my newsletter. Okay. If you’re not doing that, please consider it. Please consider it. Because the newsletter takes the middleman out of the equation. No social networks. Right? So, you’re guaranteed to see important things that I need to post or announce, right, without the threat of the middleman, social networks, um, not showing it to you, or deplatforming me, whatever.

[01:05:36] CatholicAdventurer. com. Sign up form right there at the top of the site. Just put your email address in there, click sign up, and you’re, you’re, you’re on the arc. Welcome. Um, there was one more important thing that I had to say. Oh, if you would like to subscribe, okay, I’m starting to produce subscriber only content.

[01:05:56] Subscription to my website is five bucks a month. It is not going to break your bank, but it will help to put food on my family’s table. Uh, you’ll see the link in there somewhere at the top of the page. Subscribe, yeah. So, go to CatholicAdventurer. com. In the menu at the top of the page, you’re going to see first link is homepage, second link says subscribe.

[01:06:15] Five bucks a month, man. It’s so cheap. It’s so cheap. Even at my poorest I could afford five bucks a month and you’ll help put food on my family’s table and you’ll be granted access to some subscriber only content that I’m going to, um, some of it is already produced. I’m going to start posting it and, and linking it to the site this week.

[01:06:35] So I guess that’s it. Let’s get up out of here. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Catholics of all ages, this has been the Catholic Experience. And I am the Catholic Adventurer. Thank you so much for joining me. This episode will be available on demand, eh, probably by the end of the day, or tomorrow, or early tomorrow.

[01:06:55] So if you missed it, you’ll be able to catch it on demand. Thank you for joining me. Please follow me on X at for the queen BVM. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook at Catholic adventurer, signing out of here. My friends may God be with you all. Bye bye.