Yes, let us not forget that the Pill has been abortifacient from the beginning and that the IUD's have too, and still are, abortifacient. (e.g the Mirena IUD) . So many "silent' abortions.
I wonder if the Pope realises that many people who regularly say the rosary and St. Michael prayer consider Archbishop Vigano's statement to be an answer to their prayers. Maybe he does. Maybe he reckons that the yoga and Thomas Merton style "spirituality" practised by his band of devotees isn't working so he's urging them to have a go at that old rigid Catholic stuff like the Rosary and praying for protection against the devil they don't believe to be a real being. Imagine what Jesuit universities will make of a new-found devotion to the Blessed Mother. How long before they start peddling the message that Our Lady was of the alphabet soup gender?
I think Francis does not know what he is asking for. Perhaps, for once in perhaps ever, the Holy Spirit has spoken through him. In ways he may not understand.
My personal opinion is that the only ones who will or have the will, discipline, and fortitude to pray each day are those who are likely already doing it. However, who knows what Graces God might bestow on people should they take up their duty zealously. Might we even see a great awakening and turning from our sins and reparation to God and right order of things all around the world.
We know from Pope Francis many years living and speaking liberation theology where his heart is. When he speaks within the context of the Churches defined teachings, he does so, not necessarily because he believes in them, but is cunning enough to know he has to speak some truth's, yet mixed with half truths and allow for error. He knows exactly what he is doing. Few pick up on the errors of today, because most have disregarded the truth, if they ever knew it. Satan spoke truth and like him, so it will be with the Antichrist. But they know in spreading half truths, most will fall as did Adam and Eve. Sometimes I marvel at this era of human history, when the truth is most easily accessible, yet most find their pleasures not in the absolutes of God, but in the appealing lust for the things of this world. And as we watch it all spiral downward, I sense many of the faithful do not recognize where it takes us. It's not just another bump in the road, but an end of an era. The great purification will bring about the era of peace. The key is keeping our eye's on the future, like an expecting mother keeps her pain in check by foreseeing the birth of her child and not her labor pains.
Pope Francis with Cardinals and Bishops at the 2015 Synod on the Family. Courtesy of Catholic Church England and Wales on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) Editorial: Youth Synod Goes Forward, Seemingly Headed on a Wide and Dangerous Path CNS Staff / October 1, 2018 Commentary / Where We Stand | https://newmansociety.org/editorial...eemingly-headed-on-a-wide-and-dangerous-path/ It’s underway. Despite Archbishop Chaput’s call for a delay or cancellation—which the Newman Society supported—the Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment is proceeding in Rome. We have grave concerns that too many Synod organizers and gadflies with the ears of powerful officials are using it to advance their agenda to dilute Church teachings and, instead of calling young people to join the Church on the narrow path to Christ, are plotting to have the Church move to meet them on the secular world’s easy, wide path. How so? By seemingly discarding centuries of wisdom about formation and how to evangelize young people under the guise of offering a listening ear, “meeting them where they are,” and attention to “practical realities,” which would appear to be code for giving in to worldly concerns. But isn’t that precisely what has brought about today’s crisis in the Church? Accompanying young people down the secular world’s wide path is not the way to God. Permissiveness and dependence on human relationships is tempting, but it is treacherous and full of deceivers, thieves, and (yes) predators who strive to ruin souls. Young people don’t need the Church to walk with them on this dangerous path, they need the Church to show them the way to Christ! Christ’s way is the narrow path. It is Truth, and it is hard, except for God’s grace and mercy. A formation that gives young people the tools, knowledge, and moral discipline to help carry the Cross is the true path of holiness. Synod organizers don’t seem to believe this is possible today. But they only need look at thriving parishes with traditional devotions, the growing Catholic homeschool movement, the examples of faithful Catholic schools like those recognized by the Society’s Catholic Education Honor Roll, and, of course, the counter-cultural Newman Guide colleges that take their Catholic identity seriously. These places prove that the traditional way of forming young people works! This is precisely why The Newman Society proposes faithful Catholic education as the best response to the “contemporary ‘crisis of truth’ [that] is rooted in a ‘crisis of faith,’” as Pope Benedict explained to American Catholic educators 10 years ago. It is a shame that the organizers of the Synod ignore this success. Bad Timing, Bad Direction And it’s hard to imagine a worse time for the world’s bishops to gather for a Synod on Young People. Too many Church leaders have demonstrated an appalling lack of concern for the safety of children and young adults from predator priests and bishops. How do the Synod fathers assure parents, educators, youth ministers, and others that they speak with authority—the authority of Christ—if key Synod participants and even Pope Francis himself will not respond forthrightly and decisively to the scandals and accusations that have rocked the Faithful? Moreover, as The Cardinal Newman Society and others like the intrepid Robert Royal have warned for months, the Synod organizers seem disinterested in taking the necessary steps to bring the authentic Truth of our Faith to young people. Our reports on the Youth Synod’s preparatory documents have exposed serious flaws in the Synod organizers’ favored approaches of attending to youthful desires and permissive “accompaniment.” But even a cursory glance at the Instrumentum Laboris, or working document, for the Synod exposes a social-progressive mindset that clouds the importance of Christian formation. The document seems more about “taking care of young people” than teaching them Truth. The “realities” for young people that are considered by the Synod’s working document include globalization and diversity, social and economic inequalities, war and violence, injustice and exploitation, jobs and unemployment, intergenerational relationships, digital media, sports and entertainment, immigration, and so on. To the extent that sexuality is discussed, there is no sense of crisis. Instead, the document seeks more “practical” conversation about fundamental teachings on sexuality. Education gets far too little attention. When it is discussed, it is primarily in the secular context of academics and career, not with the mission of evangelization. Narrow Path Forward We hope that some of the faithful bishops attending the Synod, and there are a number of them, are able to redirect the discussions and outcome. But assuming that not much good will come out of it regarding effectively leading young people away from the secular world’s siren call, families—in partnership with faithful educators and trusted priests and bishops—must go all-in on the renewal of Catholic education. A renewal of Catholic education—by which we mean the Christian formation of young people in the home and in schools—is critical to the renewal of the Church’s mission of evangelization. The disastrous results of prior generations’ rebellion against authority and moral discipline—against Truth itself—have reached a culmination in the horrific scandals among so many unfaithful priests and bishops. At least, we hope and pray this is the turning point. Now is the time when our message of fidelity and responsible formation can resonate. It is for this reason that now—in our 25th anniversary year—the Newman Society is refocusing and redoubling our efforts on recognizing faithful Catholic education and holding it out as a model for the Church. By setting more and more young Catholics on the narrow path, the true Way of Christ, we will once again see the heroism and the holiness of the saints. And by their example, and by the sacrifice of true educators, and with God’s grace, we will see the renewal of the Church and Catholic life.
I'm late in responding, but I do appreciate the honesty of this priest. We the Catholic laity must accept our share of responsibility in the current crisis, for we, as a whole, embraced contraception. Millions upon millions of objectively mortal sins have been committed by men and women in the USA alone since 1960. And, of course, failed contraception opens the door to heinous abortion! One might argue that we were improperly instructed in the truths surrounding birth control and the holiness of the marriage act (there's an antiquated term for you). Yet, how many Catholics in this country ever took the time to read Humanae Vitae? We might have been hood-winked, but still, it was easy to rationalize what we wanted to do in the first place. I was in that camp at the beginning of my marriage. Mea culpa. Even now, abortion can never be fully addressed, at least within the Catholic population, until we face reality and reject the contraceptive mentality. To point the finger at the evil in the clergy and leadership without acknowledging our role in this catastrophe will not solve the problems within the Church. Lord have mercy! Repent! Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!
Also, the mechanisms of the Pill and the IUD's are still not well publicised. People take and use these drugs and devices without understanding that at times they are actually conceiving and that the conceived human being cannot implant, therefore is no more... There are some, who if they only understood this, would realise the sinister nature of what they are doing and would stop doing it.
This is one of my greatest sorrows I lived a hedonistic life for many years, but still during that time I had enough respect for the sanctity of human life that had I known what these drugs truly were I never would have relied on them It is something I think about from time to time and it brings me great sorrow
How out of touch the leadership of the Church is -- having a youth synod at this time is simply mind-blowing. We need to clean out the house of God and chase out the perverts. Simple. That is the priority. Do they not realise Vigano's testimony is the rubicon -- the times they are a changing -- the laity who are awake are going to rise up and speak out and oppose the apostates!! Who would allow their young people go to these youth camps to be indoctrinated by ideology? They wont hear the truths of the Gospel. Rather, they will hear the gospel of humanism. Pope Francis continues to play his fiddle whilst all around him is collapsing. His strategy of 'creating a mess' has succeeded when one looks at the state of the church today under his leadership.
Do they not realise that, given the notoriety of certain people that are prominently involved, this synod is taking on the appearance of a "grooming exercise"? This will stand out in very clear relief if revelations of more abuse emerge during it.
It's nearly a full-time job keeping up with news about the Church these days. Pope Francis has laicised 88 year old Karadima in Chile. According to Greg Burke of the Vatican's Press Office: “The dismissal from the clerical state of Fernando Karadima is another step in the iron line of Pope Francis on abuse. We were facing a very serious case of rot and it had to be rooted out.” I wonder how he kept a straight face when saying that. Here's the report in the Catholic Herald: http://catholicherald.co.uk/comment...ical-state-will-do-little-to-help-the-crisis/ Then there's a report about a group of American Catholics setting up an organisation to investigate all Cardinals who will have a vote at the next conclave. Depending on who's reporting, that could be a good or a bad thing. It looks like the Catholic Herald is on the fence, leaning towards approval: http://catholicherald.co.uk/news/20...nvestigate-cardinals-on-abuse-and-corruption/ Notice how their emphasis is on experienced investigators looking for the truth. Crux, on the other hand, gives it a quite negative spin: https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-u...lics-to-target-cardinals-with-red-hat-report/ I see no harm in it. It could be a very good thing.
Ref Contraception. I think this is what Our Lady of Akita is trying to tell us, when She speaks of many Cardinals & Bishops are on the road to perdition & taking many souls with them. Humane Vitae was rejected by a big part of the church, some do not realize that many contraceptives are also abortifacients. Just think for a moment of a woman who uses the IUD & is sexually active, it is possible that in the course of a year she has conceived 4 times & distroyed those lives. When she dies her soul sees in the light of God all the faces of the little ones that true her sin she has denied life. In her horror, though God loves her, she flies to a dark place away from the light and there she sees others hiding also. Then she will say to herself what a strange thing, during my life I did not believe in its existence but now that I am here it is very real. Hell. So the word for all of us is repentance trusting in God's mercy while there is still time.
Everyone has said some very enlightening comments. Very! I also think about the poor pharmacists working to help people and having this ghastly mess of abortifacients on their conscience. What has happened to this noble profession? And I won’t even address the situation between Big Pharma and our doctors. Mortal sin upon mortal sin.
Another area of concern is, fertility clinics. IVF is truly demonic, but my heart tells me not many people are aware of this.
We must also remember the men who are aware the women are using these and still partake are guilty of the same.
Vatican cardinal reproves US archbishop for criticizing Youth Synod’s working doc By Stephen Kokx | https://www.lifesitenews.com/all/ye...-us-archbishop-for-criticizing-synods-working [click for all hotlinks] VATICAN CITY, October 1, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – A second prominent cardinal has publicly rebuked Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput for publishing last week a letter critical of the controversial working document being used at the upcoming Youth Synod in Rome. At a press conference at the Vatican today, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldiserri, the prelate in charge of organizing the gathering, said, without mentioning Chaput by name, that he did “not understand” why Chaput released the letter. Chaput was present when the working document was published, Baldiserri said. “If he had some objections, he could have demonstrated them; we would have inserted them, calmly.” “I do not understand because then, afterwards, he makes a declaration," said the Cardinal, who stated that he made his comments "for honesty." Baldiserri was referring to the anonymous critique of the Synod’s Instrumentum Laboris Chaput published on First Things on September 21. The critique, authored by someone Chaput considers a “respected” North American theologian, claims the Instrumentum has “serious theological concerns.” Chaput, one of 15 members of the Synod's ordinary council, said he published the letter because he was receiving “scores of emails and letters” from lay Catholics and clergy concerned about the synod and believed the letter was “substantive enough to warrant much wider consideration and discussion.” LifeSiteNews reached out to Chaput’s office for comment, only to learn that the Archbishop was en route to Rome. A senior adviser said he was “unlikely to have a comment” on the cardinal’s remarks. Chaput was also criticized by liberal Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago just days ago in a letter appearing on First Things. Cupich alleges the critique represents a “woeful lack of understanding of magisterial teaching.” He also wondered why Chaput would publish an anonymous document. Cupich was personally invited to the synod by Pope Francis. Stephen White, a Catholic author who works for the Washington D.C.-based Ethics and Public Policy Center, wondered if there was something more to the timing of the atypical public nature of the criticism. "Maybe the coordinated attempt to humiliate the last 13 prelates who privately and “confidentially” voiced concerns about a synod had something to do with it. (I’m sure +Baldisseri knows nothing about that.)," he tweeted. Today, Archbishop Chaput released yet another anonymous letter he received from a lay Catholic who says he has “concerns about the synod’s timing and possible content.” Chaput published it as his weekly column for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Written by a young Syro-Malabar Catholic living in India, the letter admits that the anonymous critique published by Chaput on First Things “does a good job” of addressing the content of the Instrumentum. However, it neglects to speak about the superficial “fluff” also found in the document. “Christ never spoke this fluff. St. Paul never spoke this fluff,” the author writes. “If the Church wants young people to listen to her, she should first convince us that she has a message, that she is qualified to preach it, and that she does so with conviction and compassion.” The letter also argues that sections of the Instrumentum do “not actually state” what Cardinal Cupich claims it does. The real “issue at hand” is whether or not young Catholics can “trust in the good intentions of the Synod Fathers.” Unfortunately, the author continues, “the hierarchy simply does not have the trust of a significant portion of the laity. This trust must be regained, and it certainly won’t be regained by speaking as though they have something to hide.” Chaput also released an op-ed that appeared in Il Foglio, an Italian newspaper, on Saturday, September 29 reiterating his concerns with the Synod. The Instrumentum is “strong in the social sciences, but much less so in its call to belief, conversion, and mission,” he wrote. “Neither the Pope nor the Church is served – particularly in a time of humiliation and crisis – by an overdose of sentiment, accommodation, and sociology.” “Faith demands more than that.” Chaput also stated that the Church is “in turmoil” and that it seemed there couldn’t be a “more ironic” time to host a gathering focused on young people, faith, and vocational discernment. “The synod’s success depends on a profound confidence in the Word of God and the mission of the Church, despite the sins of her leaders.” Not alone in raising the alarm Archbishop Chaput is not only Catholic prelate expressing concern with the Synod and its working document. At the 2018 Rome Life Forum, Cardinal Raymond Burke warned that there is a risk the synod will be “manipulated” in such a way that will ultimately bring “more difficulties” for the Church. Fr. Gerald Murray, a frequent guest on EWTN’s The World Over, has said it is a “big problem” that the synod’s working document includes the term “LGBT” youth. Cardinal Baldiserri confirmed today the term “LGBT” youth will remain in the Instrumentum despite it never being asked for by the young people who attended the pre-synod gathering in March. On September 8th, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas called for the synod to be cancelled in light of the ongoing sex abuse scandals involving minors and seminarians. Many lay Catholics have also voiced caution over the Synod. Papal biographer George Weigel described the working document as “a bloated, tedious door stop…woefully lacking in spiritual or theological insight.” Joseph Sciambra, a public speaker who urges same-sex attracted Catholics to live chaste lives, believes radical pro-LGBT forces are planning a coup at the synod in an attempt to alter Church teaching. Matthew McCusker from Voice of the Family said the synod’s preparatory document released earlier this year “makes little attempt to present itself as being rooted in the Tradition of the Church.” Who will be attending? The Synod, officially titled “Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment,” will convene on Wednesday, October 3rd and run until October 28th. More than 30 young people will attend as auditors. 50 Cardinals and more than 170 bishops, archbishops and auxiliary bishops will also participate. Ten priest and brothers from religious orders are expected to be present too. Three women religious will serve as auditors. Pope Francis hand-picked another 41 participants. Among the most controversial clergy to attend is Bishop Felix Genn, a German bishop who last month did not stop a priest under his care from circulating homosexual “love” stories in his diocese. Genn has all been accused of covering up several sex abuse cases. Also in attendance is Vatican consultant Fr. Thomas Rosica, liberal German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Fr. Antonio Spadaro, editor of La Civilta Cattolica, and Archbishop Vinceno Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life. Other U.S. Bishops participating in the synod include Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop José H. Gomez, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano, and Auxiliary Bishop Robert E. Barron. Pro-gay Cardinal Joseph Tobin, hand selected by Pope Francis to attend, was scheduled to appear as well but withdrew due to a mounting sex abuse crisis in his archdiocese. Dutch Bishop Robert Mutsaerts declined to attend despite having been designated by the Dutch Bishops’ Conference. In an interview with LifeSite, Mutsaerts said that “given all the recent difficulties and lack of openness” regarding the sex abuse scandal and Archbishop Vigano’s testimony, the youth synod “will lack credibility.”
This Youth Synod is right out of the pits of hell, and I have grave concerns about the outcome for the Church.
