The responses of the Japanese and central Europeans to the questionnaire for the synod on the family register the yielding of Catholics to the dominant “uniform thought.” But also the pastors' inability to lead
by Sandro Magister
by Sandro Magister
ROME, June 6, 2014 – So far six episcopal conferences have violated the terms of confidentiality and have made public the responses to the 39 questions of the preparatory questionnaire for the upcoming synod of bishops, convened on the issue of the family.
German:
Austrian:
Swiss:
Belgian:
French:
Japanese:
As can be noted, five of the six episcopal conferences belong to the central European geographical area that was the activist wing of the innovations of Vatican Council II but afterward was also the one most marked by the phenomenon of secularization.
Today it is above all from this area that the strongest pressure is coming for a change of teaching and pastoral practice concerning marriage, in particular with the request to give communion to the divorced and remarried.
East Asian bishops tend to be with the "Go along to get along" crowd.
ReplyDeleteIn the "Catholic" Philippines, the last 20 years has seen the rise of Evangelical cults and massive decline in the faith; how else can you explain the fact that more than 50% of Filipinos support divorce and contraception? How else did a law called the "Reproductive Health Bill" pass in that country's legislature?
Japan and China has a very small percentage of Catholics in their population- what, are we going to brag about 440,000 Catholics in Japan, most of whom are either ignorant or apathetic about issues in the Church, or are we going to brag about those people in the underground Church in China who are cowering in fear from the godless government, faithful Catholics who are so close to being thrown under the bus just so that China and the Holy See can have better relations?
If you want to talk about Catholicism in Asia, you're talking about the Philippines; and the situation in the Philippines is terrible. Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, then has the nerve to say that "He is shocked" about things that has been happening for decades in the Philippines, no thanks to that country's uncritical obedience to American culture and trends.
Things will continue to go slowly downhill- so slow that you don't even notice you've reached the bottom, as new lows continue to be reached. The only way to break out of this trend is something traumatic and something that should happen soon.