From The Maturation Department: Cupich, Harbinger Of Looming Sin-Nod Disaster

I have documented the ways in which Bishop - now Archbishop - Blaise Cupich has disgraced his miter and crosier.  The latest crack that was supposed to be his statement regarding the Planned Parenthood videos was simply the latest.  I needn't rehash it all here; please review this anthology of posts.

Several of my blogging colleagues have expressed their dismay over Cupich's words and deeds:

• From ChurchMilitant.TV
• From Tenth Crusade
• From St. Corbinian's Bear
• From Vox Cantoris

No doubt we are just a sampling of those sounding the alarm regarding Cupich.  In the light of the evidence regarding Cupich's progressive, as opposed to truly Catholic mindsets, what does Pope Francis do?

Pope Francis appointed Cupich as a delegate to next October's Ordinary Synod on the Family.  We all knew that he would be an alternate delegate to replace any regular delegate who might be rendered unable to attend.  But now he's a full delegate.  Is this disgusting appointment part of the "maturation" that the pope said we had to undergo at the close of last October's sin-nod?  If nothing else, this appointment is a harbinger of the mess that will the sin-nod that will happen two months from now.

More On The Disgraceful Treatment Of Cardinal Burke

I truly suspect the book on which Cardinal Burke collaborated, called Remaining in the Truth of Christ, had much to do with the de facto removal of Cardinal Burke from a position of influence at the Vatican.  Read what Rorate Caeli says on the matter.  As you read it, take note of the book and its publisher in case you want to procure your own copy.  I plan to do so.

I'd also recommend a look at what Pat Archibald says in his EWTN piece "The Humiliation of Cardinal Burke (No Spin Zone)".  What's in parenthesis is key.  So many of these incidents are piling up (I've documented just a few) that one simply can no longer put a "happy face" and play "three monkeys" regarding the proceeds from the Vatican and still maintain intellectual and yes, spiritual honesty.

We need to hold the Holy Father in prayer.  However, we must also be honest and not be afraid to articulate what we see.  Else, our prayers will be greatly reduced in efficacy.

Why Is Cardinal Burke Being Demoted?

The news is all over the internet that Cardinal Raymond Burke, current head of the Apostolic Signatura, is to be relieved of that post and to be relegated to "patron of the Order of Malta".  See LifeSiteNews, Chiesa, Remnant, Breitbart.  Some time ago, the Cardinal was removed from his post at the Congregation for Bishops.  It seems that he was deemed to still have too much voice and influence at the Vatican, so off he has to go!

As head of the Apostolic Signatura, Cardinal Burke was slated to attend the Extraordinary Synod on the Family.  He has always been a defender of the practice of withholding Holy Communion from those Catholics who are divorced and civilly remarried. It is said that he collaborated with Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller and three other cardinals in writing a book that will be released October 1, warning the Synod not to relax nor change Church teachings regarding Communion to divorced and civilly remarried people.

That this demotion - and the 20-couple wedding extravaganza - occurs just before the Synod, is much more than mere coincidence.  I must agree with Rorate Caeli that this move against Burke is a direct insult and punishment for Burke's fidelity and courage in standing for the Tradition and teachings of the Church.

The "Patron of the Order of Malta" is merely a symbolic position, reserved for those prelates at or beyond retirement age.  But Cardinal Burke is only 66 years old.  That one of the few faithful prelates is being so degraded does, quite frankly, reflect badly on the judgment of Pope Francis.

More On Today's Multi-Marriage Ceremony

BBC News did a little piece on the ceremony at St Peter's Basilica earlier today.  Naturally it had a nice leftist twist to it.  I await the full text.  Meanwhile I'll comment (in red) on the snippets that BBC did see fit to publish.

Sunday's ceremony at St Peter's Basilica in Rome comes three weeks before a meeting of Catholic bishops from around the world to examine church teachings on family matters.  A mere three weeks!  How about that?  Coincidence?

Very slowly, the church under the guidance of Pope Francis is facing the fact that many Catholic couples cohabit before marriage, use contraception freely and divorce and remarry without seeking an annulment, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome.  Mr. Willey, the Church has always been aware of these matters.  The Church has been around much longer than you or I have been alive, and has been dealing with these matters regularly during these past 2000 years.  Mr. Willey, these "facts" as you call them are sins.  Got that?  They are transgressions against God's laws and they always will be sins, and will be treated accordingly.

He (the Pope) said in his homily that families are bricks that build society, but also believes that the church should forgive those who have sex outside marriage or who don't obey church teaching to the letter.  Well, the Church does forgive such sins and has been doing so these past 2000 years - in the Sacrament of Confession.  But they must be sacramentally confessed for they are mortal sins.  That's why I went into such a long discussion about the Sacrament yesterday.  

As I said, I'd love to see the full transcript of today's nuptial homily.  No doubt some important details were omitted (inadvertently, of course).

Instrumentum Laboris - In Preparation For The October Synod

This past week the Vatican released a preparatory document for the October synod on the family.  Here it is, from the Vatican website.  It is my understanding that these Instrumentum Laboris documents are not intended to set forth teaching per se; rather, they state the topics for discussion for the upcoming meeting and they more or less frame the conversations that will occur.

While this promulgates no teaching, it still offers helpful insights.  LifeSiteNews highlights some issues, that can be found in paragraph 12 of the document.   It doesn't take any great genius to surmise that there is generally less familiarity with Church teaching on marriage and family life than there was two generations ago.  In particular, it states that the clergy is so unfamiliar with the teachings that they believe themselves incapable of proclaiming it - so they remain silent.  While I'm sure that may be true in some cases, I know such is not the case in the Archdiocese of Washington.  In my own parish, there was the case of Father Guarnizo; when he upheld Church teaching by denying a practicing lesbian Holy Communion, he was ousted from the Archdiocese.  I am aware of another priest who, several years ago, taught classes on Humanae Vitae.  When the Church's clear teaching on contraception was expounded, that priest was silenced and sent away.

Then in paragraph 15 we see a faulty hypothesis offered as to why Catholics don't accept Church teaching.  It is supposed that the difficulty lies in the faithful lacking "an authentic Christian experience..an encounter with Christ".  Do not "encounters with Christ" happen during the Sacraments, particularly with Confession and the worthy reception of Holy Communion?  Perhaps what we have here is another manifestation of the lack of proper Catholic education.  We also see that problematic word "experience" crop up.  To what objective experience does that document refer?  I don't think there can be any one objective "experience", for experience often has to do with individual temperament, etc.  "Experiences" do differ from person to person.  Could that be why Jesus always said "if you love me, keep my commandments"?  Obedience, not experience, seems to be the proper norm of Christian life.  But then again, one must know God's commands and teachings in order to properly obey them.

I'll be frank.  I don't know what can be gleaned from this upcoming synod that we don't already know.  Why don't we just obey what has already been revealed to us?