The 2021-2023 Synod on Synodality is in full swing and faithful Catholics are rightly very concerned about what it portends. In his recent article at 1 Peter 5, Matt Gaspers summarized much of the problem of this particular synod’s structure:
“Unlike previous synods, each of which has been devoted either to a specific doctrinal/pastoral subject or to the situation of the Church in a particular region of the world, the focus of the current synod is much broader and bears upon the very nature of the Church herself (the object of ecclesiology, a particular branch of theology) to the point of seeking to fundamentally and permanently change the Church (or at least the traditional understanding of her divine constitution) and how she functions.”
Francis Maier over at the Catholic Thing wondered if it would even be wise to hold a synod, positing that there is a great deal of potential for manipulation of the outcome. Given that evidence strongly suggests that the outcome of the Synod on the Family and Youth had already been written, even before the Synod’s conclusion, and the rise in pagan attitudes coming out of the Synod of Bishops on the Pan-Amazon Region, there is much justification for worry that the agenda of those planning, coordinating, and working the Synod have already established a path for a predetermined outcome.
But how would it happen? Are there any indications of a mechanism by which a manipulated outcome could be predetermined?
Consider for a moment how bad actors break into a secured system. Hackers often gain access to computers and systems by using something known as a “backdoor.” A backdoor is a weakness in a system that allows someone to bypass normal authentication procedures (such as passwords), granting access to exploit and subvert that system. Backdoors are either design flaws in a system or are injected into a system from the outside. Sometimes a system is designed with a backdoor placed intentionally.
We’re about to illustrate that there is just such a backdoor that has been left open for heretics and hedonists to exploit as they attempt to rebuild the Church in the image and likeness of the world.
The purported goal of the Synod on Synodality is to tap into the entire “sensus fidelium,” which is the sense of the faithful that includes every faithful member of the Church. The idea is to discern the current and future path of the Church’s synodal process. But the approach utilized by the Synod to the sensus fidelium seems to apply a false notion of what this actually is. The sensus fidelium, properly understood as the discernment of the entire body of the Catholic faithful, under the guidance of the magisterium, cannot err. Lumen Gentium clearly states:
The entire body of the faithful, anointed as they are by the Holy One cannot err in matters of belief. They manifest this special property by means of the whole peoples’ supernatural discernment in matters of faith when “from the Bishops down to the last of the lay faithful” they show universal agreement in matters of faith and morals. That discernment in matters of faith is aroused and sustained by the Spirit of truth. It is exercised under the guidance of the sacred teaching authority, in faithful and respectful obedience to which the people of God accepts that which is not just the word of men but truly the word of God.
This is important, because sensus fidelium cannot be understood as merely an opinion survey of the baptized. It is the Holy Spirit leading those fully participating in the life of the church to recognize truth, with the guidance of the sacred teaching authority of the bishops united with the Pope. As Pope Benedict XVI stated in a 2012 speech to the International Theological Commission:
Today, however, it is particularly important to explain the criteria that make it possible to distinguish the authentic sensus fidelium from its counterfeit. It is certainly not a kind of public ecclesial opinion and invoking it in order to contest the teachings of the Magisterium would be unthinkable, since the sensus fidei cannot be authentically developed in believers, except to the extent in which they fully participate in the life of the Church, and this demands responsible adherence to the Magisterium, to the deposit of faith.
Pope Benedict, in a general audience from 2010, goes on to show how the sensus fidelium was instrumental in the proclamation of both the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption:
Thus faith both in the Immaculate Conception and in the bodily Assumption of the Virgin was already present in the People of God, while theology had not yet found the key to interpreting it in the totality of the doctrine of the faith. The People of God therefore precede theologians and this is all thanks to that supernatural sensus fidei, namely, that capacity infused by the Holy Spirit that qualifies us to embrace the reality of the faith with humility of heart and mind. In this sense, the People of God is the “teacher that goes first” and must then be more deeply examined and intellectually accepted by theology.
Contrast this clear teaching on the nature of the sensus fidelium with the Vademecum, the official handbook for the Synod. While the Vademecum rightly states that synodality cannot exist without the pastoral authority of each diocesan bishop as “authentic guardians, interpreters, and witnesses to the faith of the Church,” it establishes an unprecedented backdoor mechanism to give voice to those who are specifically NOT part of the sensus fidelium:
2.1 Who can participate?
For this reason, while all the baptized are specifically called to take part in the Synodal Process, no one – no matter their religious affiliation – should be excluded from sharing their perspective and experiences, insofar as they want to help the Church on her synodal journey of seeking what is good and true. This is especially true of those who are most vulnerable or marginalized.
The process is that the baptized will hold sessions under the direction of their diocesan bishops who will then synthesize these sessions and submit this to the Vatican which will then prepare a document for the bishops to discuss in 2023. Heretics, schismatics, apostates, non-Catholics, and even atheists are allowed to participate, and though they are not counted as part of the sensus fidelium, their presence not only poses a threat to poorly formed members of the Faith, but actually affords an open door for radical and unprecedented changes.
This is the clear and obvious problem with the whole thing that is open for all to see. But there is another, less obvious aspect of the Synod that poses an even greater threat.
While the front doors are open for enemies of the Church to participate in the Synod out in the open, examination of the Preparatory Document of the Synod and the Vademecum reveal an obscure backdoor that opens the way for participants to bypass the bishops altogether.
Both the Preparatory Document and the Vademecum state that individuals “that cannot participate on a local level” can directly submit contributions to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.
Religious communities, lay movements, associations of the faithful, and other ecclesial groups are encouraged to participate in the Synodal Process in the context of the local Churches. However, it is also possible for them, and for any group or individual that does not have an opportunity to do so at the local level, to contribute directly to the General Secretariat as stated in Episcopalis Communio (art. 6 on the Consultation of the People of God)
In context, this provision appears to be intended for members of religious orders. However, applying a broad interpretation to “any group or individual” unable to participate on a local level, Thierry Bonaventura, Communication manager of the General Secretariat, extended that invitation to heretical organizations when he apologized to New Ways Ministry for removing a resource posted to the Synod’s official resource website. Bonaventura re-instated New Ways Ministry and said:
Certainly, LGBTQ groups and those groups who feel they live on the ‘margins’ of the Church can director [sic] their contributions, resources, or what they want to share with the whole people of God to [email protected]
A number of heretical organizations have since posted submissions to the Synod resource website including the Women’s Ordination Conference (WOC) and the Association of US Catholic Priests (AUSCP). One thing in common with these groups is the emphasis on directly submitting responses to the General Secretariat rather than going through the established diocesan process.
The WOC directly states in its Synod Toolkit that the reason for “independent submissions” is expressly to avoid “interference” from the bishops:
We know that the consultation process outlined by the synod documents leaves open the strong possibility that feminist voices, or voices that challenge current Church teaching, will be left out of the documents that are produced by each diocese. Ultimately, bishops have the final say on what moves forward to the next stages of the synodal process. Therefore, we are creating an independent mechanism for you to share your honest input, with the promise that we will share, without censorship, the views that are expressed. (We will not attach anyone’s name to a particular sentiment.) Whether you attend a local listening session or not, we encourage you to use the form to share your thoughts. We believe it is vital to have an independent record of what Catholics are thinking, without interference from the bishops. [emphasis added]
The AUSCP is joining together with an organization claiming to be the Catholic Committee of the South (we were unable to find any record that this organization is a true entity since it went defunct many years ago) to run a synodal program for “marginalized” Catholics called “The Gathering: Toward a Synodal Church.” In a “joint” press release, project coordinator Cathy Harmon-Christian stated, “We’ll share what we receive with the local bishops if they want to hear us, and we will take them to the Dicastery in Rome.”
The AUSCP also published a video (also available on the Synod resource page) outlining its synodal process, asking “If you are facilitating as part of the CCS-AUSCP Project, please send your notes to me at [email protected].” Those notes are to be compiled and sent on to General Secretariat, as indicated in the AUSCP press release.
Likewise, New Ways Ministry is hosting a series of “LGBTQ Spiritual Conversations for the Synod” where “the fruits of these conversations are captured by a note-taker and sent to the Synod Office to be included in the larger Synod process.”
Another heretical organization that regularly promotes women’s ordination and homosexuality is FutureChurch. Like the preceding organizations, FutureChurch is also exploiting the open-invitation to circumvent the bishops in the Synodal process by submitting their information directly to Rome. On FutureChurch’s web page devoted to the 2023 Synod, FutureChurch specifically identifies “new innovations” in the Synodal process, which would allow them to hope that their agenda for radical changes in the Church could finally be realized. FutureChurch says:
And because of new innovations in the process, Pope Francis has made it clear that he wants to hear from all Catholics who enter into the process in good faith. Thus, even in cases where bishops are ignoring or diminishing the potential for the synodal journey, Catholics are encouraged to gather in other ways and let our leaders know what we see, hear, experience, and hope for as Catholics. The goal is to discern the future of the Church with lay and ordained Catholics, no matter what their relationship to a parish.
…
As we discuss and discern together, we will ask each participant to complete a survey that allows each person to convey their most cogent ideas for our final report. After the sessions are completed, we will compile the final report between Easter and Pentecost and send that report off to Rome (copying our bishops and the papal nuncio) in the Spirit of Pentecost.
Other dissident organizations attempting to utilize the Synod’s official resource channel include Discerning Deacons and the Latin American Rainbow Catholic Community.
This particular synod is fraught with problems, but the greatest opportunity for manipulation comes in the form of the backdoor we just uncovered. The opportunity for heretical organizations to bypass the bishops by sending surveys and concerns directly to the General Secretariat of the Synod is already being exploited by the organizations we just mentioned. The clear and present danger is the creation of a parallel synod of heretics that enshrines wicked ideologies under a perverted notion of the sensus fidelium.
Whether the outcome is predetermined, the open backdoor to heretics is exploited, or hijackers implement reforms based upon a “Spirit of the Synod,” this is not a time for faithful Catholics to panic or be fearful. This is certainly a time of prayer and fasting as Holy Mother Church is undergoing a dreadful chastisement. She is being maligned by vicious men who speak in Her name while mocking demoniacs dance around those remaining true to Her unchanging and universal teachings. As Lent approaches, let us all consider the gravity of the situation and the prayers and sacrifices that are required for the resurgence of the Church’s true glory. The wicked have grown bold because they see that their hour is nigh … and let us give thanks to Almighty God that they will be given ONLY an hour.
Todd Myers says
Fortunate Families is having its own listening session on March 3rd. The Diocese of Lexington is permitting the session however, the bishop will only attend the sessions held in the various deaneries, not any special group sessions.
Daniel Gray says
‘Backdoor for heretics’? You are 64 years late figuring out what happened to the Catholic Church. It was transformed into the ‘Church of Modernism’ at the 1958 conclave as per Catholic prophecy. Read Vacantis Apostolicae Sedis (VAS) 1945 by Pope Pius XII and Cum Ex Apostolatus Officio (section #6) by Pope Paul IV in 1559 to understand what happened. Cardinal Roncalli was a known modernist/Marxist/mason and teacher of the occult philosophies of Rudolf Steiner. He was ‘elected’ Pope John XXIII by the modernist Cardinals by God’s permissive will and not a single one spoke out publicly denouncing him as an anti-Pope. The perfect deception, the entire Catholic Church became schismatic overnight. A similar situation happened during the Great Western Schism when there was one line of true Popes and two lines of anti-Popes at the same time. The significant difference is that the anti-Popes at that time were not heretics, the issue was with the election process. The 1958 conclave is unprecedented in that a heretic was elected which automatically invalidated the election as per Cum Ex Apostolatus Officio but due to VAS there is no way to remedy that failed conclave ever. The sedevacantists such as the SSPV know this to be true but refuse to accept reality, they reject VAS and set up their own pseudo-Catholic Churches like the Orthodox have done since 1054. Those who consider the post 1958 ‘Popes’ to be valid are completely ignorant as to what happened either accepting the modernist teaching/practices and/or ‘resisting’ them as ‘bad’ popes. This contradicts Mathew 16:18-19 and Luke 22:31-32. Catholic Popes cannot teach error and/or make bad ecclesiastical/canon laws, liturgies etc. Jesus Christ guaranteed this. St. Robert Bellarmine explains this in his works ‘On the Roman Pontiff’. There have been 6 anti-Popes since the 1958 conclave and still ‘Catholics’ don’t seem to be able to figure out what happened. They are willing accomplices in their own spiritual destruction, ignorance is no excuse, they chose to believe lies.
The vision of Pope Leo XIII on October 13, 1884, which corresponds with the Great Miracle of the Sun October 13, 1917, the third secret of Our Lady of Fatima and the 2nd letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians were all fulfilled at the 1958 conclave. The Pope/papacy was ‘struck’ with the election of anti-Pope John XXIII and thus began the ‘revolt’, the removal of the ‘withholder’ and the opening of the way for the coming of the ‘son of perdition’ who’s seat will be in Jerusalem as per St. Robert Bellarmine’s writings ‘On the Roman Pontiff’. We are in the end times as per the encyclical E-Supremi 1903 paragraph #5 by Pope St. Pius X.
The vision of Pope Leo XIII was given in his long form Leonine Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, here is the pertinent quote:
‘In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck the sheep may be scattered.’
Mosignor Pacelli was consecrated bishop at the same time as the first appearance of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13, 1917. He later became Pope Pius XII and is responsible for consecrating Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on July 7, 1952. Subsequently Russia was ‘converted’ from its persecution of the Church in Russia (Catholics) when Joseph Stalin died in 1953. The reason a Catholic Pope never formally revealed the third secret as per Sister Lucy’s request before 1960 is because Pope Pius XII died October 9, 1958 and his successor was an anti-Pope. The ‘Sister’ Lucy who supports the ‘Church of Modernism’ anti-Popes post 1958 conclave is an imposter. The real Sister Lucy either died or was murdered. The final Fatima event, Miracle of the Sun correlates with the month of the rosary which is October and declared by Pope St. Pius V following the Battle of LePanto in 1571. There is a clear message for Catholics to follow the example of St. John the Apostle and the third word of Jesus on the cross ‘behold thy mother’ John 19:27. God doesn’t leave us orphans, Catholics will be able to survive the end times without a Pope so long as they have true devotion to Our Lady as per the example of St. John the Apostle. It is also significant that Pope Pius XII made the ex-cathedra infallible dogma of the Assumption in 1950, Munificentissimus Deus.
Did Pope Pius XII know he was going to be the last Pope? Is that why he wrote VAS in such a way to suspend all the powers of the bishops during the conclave? It doesn’t matter, the Holy Ghost worked through Pope Pius XII in multiple ways and the end result is the loss of apostolic succession and 5 sacraments requiring priests, this is a fact. He also wrote the important encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi explaining in paragraph 23 that heretics, schismatics and apostates are not members of the mystical body of Christ. God will not be mocked.
Catholics have to merely read the signs of the times and accept the cross, the chastisement that Jesus Christ has inflicted on his One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. The failed 1958 conclave was like a spiritual atomic bomb going off in the Church, complete devastation. It is also interesting that the time between 1884 and 1917 is exactly 33 years corresponding to the lifetime of Jesus Christ before he was ‘struck’ as the shepherd and crucified. The mystical body of Christ must suffer similarly hence the 1958 conclave and the end to the papacy. The shepherd has been struck and there will be no ‘restoration’ as the ignorant ‘traditionalists’ keep preaching about as well as their erroneous understanding of words ‘in the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph’. The triumph of the Immaculate Heart already happened when Joseph Stalin died in 1953 and a ‘certain period of peace’ was given.
The only thing withholding the ‘son of perdition’ from coming is the papacy as per 2 Thessalonians. Why is this so difficult to understand and accept? Catholics have been without priests many times throughout history and yet have survived such as did the Japanese Catholics for 2 1/2 centuries. St. Peter before his conversion in Luke 22:31-32 had the same issue regarding the cross. Jesus called Peter Satan in Matthew 16:23 when he refused to accept the coming crucifixion of Jesus and Jesus had to tell him to put his sword away in the garden of Gethsemane Matthew 26:52
I am a pray at home Roman Catholic who follows the Catechism of the Council of Trent and am in communion with all the Catholic Popes from St. Peter to Pope Pius XII. I pray the rosary daily and live the 15 mysteries as best I can. I make acts of perfect contrition and daily spiritual communions. We have the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Matrimony until the second coming of Jesus Christ. I await the coming of Enoch and Elijah who will evangelize the Jews and Gentiles during the 3 1/2 year of the reign of the ‘son of perdition’. Why the need for these prophets if there is going to be a ‘restored’ Catholic Church with a Pope leading it? That is a contradiction. VAS cannot be nullified or it would contradict Mathew 16:19. A Pope has the power to loose and to bind so if there is no Pope there is no way to undo VAS and redo the 1958 conclave. It’s that simple. According to St. Robert Bellarmine heretics will accept the ‘son of perdition’ as their ‘God’, they will not recognize him for who he really is, they will be deceived by false signs and wonders. I have no doubts about this because even now so called ‘Catholics’ cannot discern the obvious fact that their ‘Popes’ are actually anti-Popes. For example, anti-Pope Francis blessed the demon goddess Pachamama idol(s) in the Vatican gardens adored them and processed them through St. Peter’s Basilica. Why can’t Catholics discern the truth about that? They don’t have the Catholic faith, that’s why.
https://veritas-vincit-international.org/2019/12/12/pope-blesses-pachamama/
Our Lady of Sorrows pray for us, Our Lady Destroyer of Heresies pray for us.