Vatican II's Synod of Bishops
Feb 21, 2020 13:04:58 GMT
Post by Admin on Feb 21, 2020 13:04:58 GMT
In an article written by Bishop Arthur Serratelli (of Paterson, New Jersey) on October 06, 2015, entitled The 2015 Synod: From Confusion to Clarity, the Bishop describes one of Vatican II's lesser known novelties - the Synod of Bishops - and gives a brief history. Please note that this is a Conciliar source and author.
But before we read Bp. Serratelli's words, keep in mind that Archbishop Lefebvre witnessed these these novel initiatives during and after the Second Vatican Council. He recognized in them maneuvers that appear innocuous on the surface but serve to instill the spirit of Revolution inside the Church:
- Everything played into their hands in demanding the instant adaptation of the Church to modern man, in other words to man eager to be freed of all shackles, in their presenting the Church as out of touch and impotent, in their confessing to the sins of their predecessors. ... the [Vatican II] Council Fathers feel guilty at being out of the world rather than of the world. They are already blushing for their episcopal insignia; soon they will be ashamed of their cassocks. This atmosphere of liberation will soon spread to all fields, and will show in the spirit of collegiality, which will veil the shame felt at exercising a personal authority so opposed to the spirit of modern man, let us say liberal man. The pope and bishops will exercise their authority collegially in Synods, Bishops’ Conferences, Priests’ Councils. Finally, the Church is opened wide to the principles of the modern world. The liturgy too will be liberalized, adapted, subjected to experiments by Bishops’ Conferences. [Have we not seen this unfolding in the drama surrounding the Amazon Synod, with it's suggestions for married priests, a female diaconate, an Amazonian liturgy, etc? How prophetic, these words of Archbishop Lefebvre!] (Archbishop Lefebvre, Liberalism at Work, 1975)
- And now we have democracy entering into the Church. The new Canon Law teaches that power resides in the “People of God.” This tendency towards bringing what they call the base into sharing the exercise of power can be found all through present structures-synod, episcopal conferences, priests’ councils, pastoral councils, Roman commissions, national commissions, etc.; and there are equivalents in the religious orders.
This democratization of the Magisterium represents a mortal danger for millions of bewildered and infected souls to whom the spiritual doctors bring no relief because it has ruined the efficacy with which the personal Magisterium of the Pope and bishops was formerly endowed. A question concerning faith or morals is submitted to numerous theological commissions, who never come up with an answer because their members are divided both in their opinions and in their methods. We need only read the procedural accounts of the assemblies at all levels to realize that collegiality of the Magisterium is equivalent to paralysis of the magisterium.
Our Lord instructed individuals, not a collectivity, to tend His sheep. The Apostles obeyed Our Lord's orders, and until the twentieth century it was thus. These days we hear of the Church being in a state of permanent council, continual collegiality. The results have become apparent. Everything is upside down, the faithful no longer know which way to turn. The democratization of government was followed quite naturally by the democratization of the Magisterium which took place under the impulse of the famous slogan “collegiality,” spread abroad by the communist, Protestant and progressive press.
They have collegialized the pope's government and that of the bishops with a presbyterial college, that of the parish priest with a lay council, the whole broken down into innumerable commissions, councils, sessions, etc. The new Code of Canon Law is completely permeated with this concept. The pope is described as the head of the College of Bishops. We find this doctrine already suggested in the Council document Lumen Gentium, according to which the College of Bishops, together with the pope, exercises supreme power in the Church in habitual and constant manner. This is not a change for the better; this doctrine of double supremacy is contrary to the teaching and Magisterium of the Church. It is contrary to the definitions of Vatican Council I and to Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Satis Cognitum. The Pope alone has supreme power; he communicates it only to the degree he considers advisable, and only in exceptional circumstances. The pope alone has power of jurisdiction over the whole world. We are witnessing therefore a restriction on the freedom of the Supreme Pontiff. Yes, this is a real revolution! (Archbishop Lefebvre, Open Letter to Confused Catholics, Chapter 13)
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Bishop Serratelli's article [excerpted - emphasis mine]:
Just before the closing of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI first introduced the Synod of Bishops as a permanent feature of Church structure. The word “synod” comes from the Greek and means “assembly” or “gathering.” Every synod is a means for the pope to consult with his brother bishops on matters of Church life. If the bishops gathered in synod consider matters that directly concern the entire Church, such as the New Evangelization or the Eucharist, their meeting is called a general synod. Since 1967, there have been 13 ordinary general synods. If the bishops examine situations in particular areas, such as Europe, or America, their assembly is called a special synod. There have been 10 special synods. Since 1969, there have also been three extraordinary general synods to discuss particular topics, such as the Word of God in the life of the Church.
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The Synod of Bishops is advisory to the pope. It does not decide doctrine, issue decrees or legislate practice (Code of Canon Law, 343). In and of itself, it has no binding authority on the faithful. Rather, upon completion of its work, the synod makes recommendations to the pope. He may issue an apostolic exhortation for the whole Church or choose another means to communicate his teaching as pope on the matters discussed.
Ever since the 2014 synod, there has been some confusion about certain aspects of Church teaching on cohabitation, marriage, divorce and same-sex unions. Some are even suggesting the reception of the Eucharist by those who have entered a second marriage civilly while still bound by a previous sacramental marriage. Many of the faithful are experiencing some uneasiness with the very discussion of these issues.
As a result, nearly 800,000 individuals from 178 countries, including 202 cardinals, archbishops and bishops, have sent a letter petitioning the pope to make clear what the Church has consistently taught. Last year, Ignatius Press published a book that five cardinals wrote defending the Church’s teaching. This year, another book written by 11 cardinals. All this to keep the synod on track with Church teaching.
But, what if the synod chooses to depart from Church teaching? What if the synod proposes practices not consistent with the doctrine of the Church? Could this possibly happen?
When the Pope takes up the recommendations of the synod, he himself is also bound to safeguard the deposit of faith. He bases his teaching on Divine Revelation as given us in Scripture and the Tradition of the Church. He offers his teaching to help the members of the Church understand and better appreciate the truths given us by Christ.
Not every utterance of a pope is infallible. The Pope is infallible only when he teaches ex cathedra on faith and morals. And, he does so after widespread and long consultation. Furthermore, he must solemnly declare that he is teaching infallibly and binding the whole Church to his teaching. This has happened only twice. Once, to define the Church’s teaching on the Immaculate Conception of Mary. A second time, to define the Church’s belief in the Assumption of Mary.
The charism of infallibility guarantees that the Church hands on the deposit of faith without error from generation to generation. Together with the bishops, the Pope receives the deposit of faith that he hands on. In July 2005, Pope Benedict XVI, in an impromptu address to priests in Aosta, Italy, said that: "The Pope is not an oracle; he is infallible in very rare situations…”
Papal infallibility does not extend to the theological opinions held by a particular pope or to his preference for certain pastoral accommodations. Popes are mortal men and remain so even as they hold an office of divine origin. Popes are men of their times. They are subject to the currents of their day.
[...]
The Synod of Bishops is advisory to the pope. It does not decide doctrine, issue decrees or legislate practice (Code of Canon Law, 343). In and of itself, it has no binding authority on the faithful. Rather, upon completion of its work, the synod makes recommendations to the pope. He may issue an apostolic exhortation for the whole Church or choose another means to communicate his teaching as pope on the matters discussed.
Ever since the 2014 synod, there has been some confusion about certain aspects of Church teaching on cohabitation, marriage, divorce and same-sex unions. Some are even suggesting the reception of the Eucharist by those who have entered a second marriage civilly while still bound by a previous sacramental marriage. Many of the faithful are experiencing some uneasiness with the very discussion of these issues.
As a result, nearly 800,000 individuals from 178 countries, including 202 cardinals, archbishops and bishops, have sent a letter petitioning the pope to make clear what the Church has consistently taught. Last year, Ignatius Press published a book that five cardinals wrote defending the Church’s teaching. This year, another book written by 11 cardinals. All this to keep the synod on track with Church teaching.
But, what if the synod chooses to depart from Church teaching? What if the synod proposes practices not consistent with the doctrine of the Church? Could this possibly happen?
In the past, there have been synods, such as the 5th century Robber Synod of Ephesus and the 18th century Synod of Pistoia, which proposed unorthodox teaching. [According to the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia, "Councils unlawfully assembled are termed conciliabula, conventicula, and even latrocinia, i.e. 'robber synods'".]
In the end, the faith of the Church prevailed. If a synod does not uphold the faith, the Pope and the whole Church have the duty to correct it. Synods are not infallible.
When the Pope takes up the recommendations of the synod, he himself is also bound to safeguard the deposit of faith. He bases his teaching on Divine Revelation as given us in Scripture and the Tradition of the Church. He offers his teaching to help the members of the Church understand and better appreciate the truths given us by Christ.
Not every utterance of a pope is infallible. The Pope is infallible only when he teaches ex cathedra on faith and morals. And, he does so after widespread and long consultation. Furthermore, he must solemnly declare that he is teaching infallibly and binding the whole Church to his teaching. This has happened only twice. Once, to define the Church’s teaching on the Immaculate Conception of Mary. A second time, to define the Church’s belief in the Assumption of Mary.
The charism of infallibility guarantees that the Church hands on the deposit of faith without error from generation to generation. Together with the bishops, the Pope receives the deposit of faith that he hands on. In July 2005, Pope Benedict XVI, in an impromptu address to priests in Aosta, Italy, said that: "The Pope is not an oracle; he is infallible in very rare situations…”
Papal infallibility does not extend to the theological opinions held by a particular pope or to his preference for certain pastoral accommodations. Popes are mortal men and remain so even as they hold an office of divine origin. Popes are men of their times. They are subject to the currents of their day.
At times, popes revise their personal teachings. For example, in the 14th century, Pope John XXII, proposed that the just who die must wait until the end of time before they enjoy the Beatific Vision. This was contrary to the consistent teaching of the Church. After much prodding by cardinals and theologians, he finally withdrew this personal opinion.
[...]
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See also: PAUL VI: APOSTOLICA SOLLICITUDO (ESTABLISHING THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS FOR THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH)
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In the Roman Catholic Church, the Synod of Bishops is an advisory body for the Pope. It is described in the [New] Code of Canon Law (CIC) as "a group of bishops who have been chosen from different regions of the world [thus, it is not a General Council where all the Bishops are included- The Catacombs] and meet together at fixed times to foster closer unity between the Roman Pontiff and bishops, to assist the Roman Pontiff with their counsel in the preservation and growth of faith and morals and in the observance and strengthening of ecclesiastical discipline, and to consider questions pertaining to the activity of the Church in the world."
The Synod of Bishops is permanent, even when not in session. Periodically, it holds assemblies, which are either general, if called to consider matters directly concerning the universal Church, or special, if called for problems of a particular geographical area. The general assemblies are either ordinary (held at fixed intervals) or extraordinary (held to treat of some urgent matter).
The Synod of Bishops also has a permanent secretariat headquartered in Rome but is not part of the Roman Curia. Pope Francis greatly increased both the authority and influence of the Synod in September 2018. [All emphasis mine.]
The Synod of Bishops also has a permanent secretariat headquartered in Rome but is not part of the Roman Curia. Pope Francis greatly increased both the authority and influence of the Synod in September 2018. [All emphasis mine.]
[See more words from Archbishop Lefebvre on the error of Collegiality here.]