Posted on 10/12/2015 7:07:40 PM PDT by markomalley
Some observers of the Synod on the Family taking place in Rome predict that if the Liberal German Cardinals don’t get their way that they will do what they want anyway. Fast emerging as one of the sharpest Vatican reporters, Edward Pentin noted here that the German cardinals plan to publish their own pastoral document after the synod.
Cardinal Reinhard Marx said theological questions regarding marriage, the family and sexual morality could not be answered during the three weeks of the synod.
He said he hopes the synod will result in “a further discussion” and said that it must find a text that “would lead to further progress” towards finding a common theological position on fundamental issues.
But concerning pastoral practice, he said the German Church “cannot wait” for synodal statements, as marriage and family ministry has to be undertaken now, according to an article in Die Tagespost, translated by the blog Catholic Conclave.
Cardinal Marx, the archbishop of Munich and Freising, said as far as doctrine is concerned, the German episcopate remains in communion with the Church, but on individual issues of pastoral care, “the synod cannot prescribe in detail what we have to do in Germany.”
Cardinal Marx stated, “We are not a subsidiary of Rome.” and said clearly that the German Catholics would do their own thing.
“Each episcopal conference is responsible for the pastoral care in their culture and has to proclaim the Gospel in its own unique way. We cannot wait until a synod states something, as we have to carry out marriage and family ministry here.”
The German’s independent spirit is reminiscent of the disagreement amongst Dutch Catholics to the doctrine of papal infallibility.
In case you don’t know your history, here is what happened: In 1870 certain Austrian, Swiss and German bishops disagreed with the declaration on the infallibility of the pope. Like Cardinal Marx they did not want to think of themselves as “a subsidiary of Rome”. They were supported by the autonomous Dutch Bishop of Utrecht. At the beginning of the 1700s the Diocese of Utrecht had gradually broken with the authority of the Pope over the Jansenist controversy, and this Bishop of Utrecht began to ordain clergy and bishops for what was then established as “The Old Catholic Church.”
(As a side issue take note that this schism called itself “the Old Catholic Church” because they claim “We have not left Rome. Rome has left us.” This is still the false banner under which most “Catholic” schisms march.)
Over the years the Old Catholic Church bishops have gone on to ordain a host of wandering bishops and spawned dozens of little independent “Catholic” churches. Furthermore, the Old Catholic Church is now in full communion with the Lutherans and Anglicans, they have women priests, endorse artificial contraception, same sex unions and are pretty much indistinguishable from liberal high church Anglicans.
The German Catholic Church is disturbingly similar to the Old Catholics and Anglicans already. Both the Old Catholics and Anglicans are heavily influenced by their particular national governments. The Old Catholics first in their formation and the Anglicans in their formation and even now as the established church in England. As such they are much too influenced by the cultural trends and financial pressures of being established. Ditto the German Catholics with their church tax and cultural integration.
Where did the Church of England and Old Catholics end up? The ended with hundreds of new schisms and sects. They ended by abandoning not only the traditional morality of the Christian faith but also the fundamental theological doctrines of the faith.
If German Catholics decide to go the route of schism what success do they imagine they will have? The Church of England and the Old Catholics are in disastrous decline as they divide and sub divide into ever smaller schisms and sects and drift into the same immorality, relativism and theological drift of the other liberal Protestant denominations.
Will the German Cardinals go their own way?
If so, they won’t find it a difficult path to hike on. The trailblazers have left pretty clear markers.
All they will have to do is follow the Old Catholics, Anglicans and Lutherans.
“But they’re doing that already!” you might protest.
Indeed.
Does Cardinal Marx know what heresy is?
Cardinal Merkel?
Fr. Longnecker, like Michael Voris, has failed to note that Francis is further enabling the German schism with ammunition from his evil synod.
The sad part is there is commn ground, but the politics are in the way.
What does it look like?
Would I be wrong to think that faithful Catholics might be in the former East Germany?
Well one exception would be Ratzinger.
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