Posted on 10/04/2005 10:01:13 PM PDT by jec1ny
Abandon Eucharistic doctrine, dissidents urge Synod
'We Are Church' dissidents claim Catholic teachings open up for question Oct. 04 (CWNews.com) - The international dissident movement "We Are Church" is issuing an appeal to the Catholic bishops, gathered in Rome for the Synod, to confront the "real" problems relating to the Eucharist.
At an October 4 press conference in Rome, the dissident group called for reconsideration of the key Catholic doctrine on the transubstantiation, an end to the "hierarchical monopoly" on the sacraments, and approval of shared communion with other Christian denominations.
This is the 8th in a series of CWN news stories on the October 2005 meeting of the Synod of Bishops. Three leaders of the international movement-- Martha Heizer of Austria, Gigi De Paoli of Italy, and Norbert Scholl of Germany-- said that the Synod was likely to prove a "missed opportunity" because the bishops begin their deliberations on the basis of a working document that affirms Catholic dogmatic teachings on the Eucharist. We Are Church argued that all such teachings should be open to question.
Specifically, the dissident group called for abandoning the notion that the Eucharist is a sacrifice, and instead saying that the mass is "in memory of the entire life of Jesus." The group called for "full freedom of philosophical and theological interpretation of that mystery."
We Are Church argued that the dogma of the transubstantiation-- the teaching that the bread and wine at Mass are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ-- is unacceptable to Protestants, and thus impedes ecumenical unity. The group decried traditional forms of Catholic piety, such as Eucharistic adoration and processions, as tending to make an "idol" of the Blessed Sacrament.
The group also denounced the exclusion of women from the Catholic priesthood, the bar on Communion for those who are divorced and remarried, and "monopoly" claimed by priests as sacramental ministers.
During the last general assembly of the Synod of Bishops, in October 2001, We Are Church organized a 4-day "counter-synod" in Rome. The event, which drew about 30 participants, was styled as a "parallel synod of the People of God," with speakers demanding a more democratic Church. The "counter-synod" concluded that bishops should be elected, and all believers-- male or female, clerics and laity-- should be eligible.
After the election of Pope Benedict XVI, We Are Church announced that it was seeking a meeting with the new Pontiff, and hoping to being an "open and constructive dialogue." Christian Weisner, the president of the dissident group, said that he hoped the new Pope would prove "less rigid" than he had been as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Leaders of the group say that they have not had a response to the request for a meeting.
We Are Church, founded in Austria in 1995, emerged as an international movement the following year, with liberal Catholics from 20 different countries meeting in Rome to form a united front for "the reform of the Catholic Church on the basis of Vatican II."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ©2005, Directions to Orthodoxy
Proving that dissident Catholics are Protestants?
This seems unthinkable to me.
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A primer on the October Synod of Bishops in Rome
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The First Synod after the Conclave Gets Underway. The Pope Is Being Tested
Ordination of married men is raised at Vatican synod
Bishop Urges Talk of Polticians at Vatican
Abandon Eucharistic doctrine, dissidents urge Synod
Vatican clamps down on information at synod
| We are Church | Hatched from Call to Action, they are a petition group pushing for radical changes in church teaching through political pressure ("referendums," lobbying and the like). |
These arguments will win the favor of many Bishops .... just give it a few more years. The World Youth Day website was already up to speed on this - "During transubstantiation, the bread and wine become concrete signs of God’s love for mankind. see http://www.wjt2005.de/index.php?id=970&backPID=6&tt_news=1223
The final attack will be on our Heavenly Mother.
"Why does every off-the-wall small group like this one get so much coverage?"
1. Claim that you are a group, as opposed to two people with a filing cabinet.
2. Send press releases to all the newspapers on a regular basis.
3. The more outrageous your demands, the more likely that you will be published and commented upon.
This is useful information for any conservative Catholic groups, by the way, not just liberal weenies.
I cant't believe I just used the word "weenies" in a religious thread.
Well, if these Cretins of Christian Thought are using "ecumenical" sensibilities as a cover for their de facto apostacy, then they should follow the flow of their own reasoning, take their false-irenicism all the way and *join* some body or other of our Separated Brethren. I'm sure they will all get along together just swell without any disagreements for the duration...
"We are the Church" proposals are pie-in-the-hells suggestions.
-Theo
That's the Unitarian's schtick.
SD
Throw the bustards out!!!.
With so many other churches that teach just what this group wants the Church to teach, why don't they just go on down the road? Could it be because their true aim is the total destruction of Holy Mother Church. And that is not easy to accomplish if you are outside of her.
I think Pope Benedict XVI should sharpen his pen and write a " We regret to inform you, that your points have been considered with great scrutiny by myself and others before me. We have come to the conclusion they do not serve nor will they ever serve the Church's needs or her mission to bring Truth to the world. We have further concluded that for you to remain within a Church that is so insistent on the doctrine of the Eucharist would cause you great spiritual and emotional pain. For your own good and out of our very charitable heart we are putting you under the pain of excommunication. Since to you its just a great big supper where we remember Jesus, I am sure this will be quite agreeable to you." Sincerely- all the Popes of the Church since Peter. PS. Don't go away mad, just go away.
We aree Church..but not Catholic.
These are not dissidents.
heretics.
Small? I'll have you know that during the last synod in 2001 they had THIRTY participants!!! Concerning "off the wall", why, why,... they are INTERNATIONAL!!!
If I understand correctly, you are asking why the MSM, which tends to be very liberal and anti-Christian, gives a dissident group, also very liberal and anti-Christian, a lot of coverage?
I suppose that if they didn't, they'd have to actually give coverage to the events of the synod itself. You know, concerning all that yucky "doctrine" stuff and all.
"You know, concerning all that yucky "doctrine" stuff and all."
LOL!!!!
Other than the fact that this group is around about 100% female, it was appropriate.
LOL
ping
If you do a little research, though, you'll see that the cardinals (and others) who allowed those horrors to continue are the same ones who allowed heterodoxy and heresy to creep into their dioceses. And the ones who approved of homosexuals in the seminaries and parishes (in direct violation of a stated Vatican rule that was restated as recently as 1961).
In other words, they were disobeying the laws and doctrine of the Church on all points. Somebody posted a great article a couple of days ago that pointed out that disregard of Church doctrine, disregard of appropriate forms, heresy, and homosexual conduct go hand in hand -- since they all involve the sins of disobedience and overweening pride.
The Church has condemned and removed a good many of these rascals in red clothing, and the Pope has just ordered a general housecleaning of American seminaries.
Long overdue, but IMHO the Vatican has been far too sensitive to accusations of meddling in American affairs -- with the result that the American bishops got way too much rope for their little experiments in heresy and homosexuality.
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