Considering that being #hated is the opposite of being liked, shouldn’t it encourage me to persevere within the “places” of the Diocese of Amarillo—which, for me, embody the “Local Church in the one and unique Catholic Church”—even when I receive few likes and fail to go viral, as I speak out about:
From Luke 21: 12-19
- A memorial that remains standing, erected by a convicted pedophile priest for a bishop who made the “serious mistake” of granting that convict a second chance—resulting in the destruction of the innocence of youth;
- A letter that persists on the diocesan website, rebuking “a few” who reported abuse at St. Mary’s Cathedral—casting them aside instead of pursuing justice, healing and reconciliation;
- The abortion of daily Masses at St. Mary’s Cathedral justified under the guise of fostering “an incredible sense of Reverence for the…Priests and especially for the Bishops“, thereby weaponizing the Eucharist as a tool of power and control;
- The construction of a new bishop’s residence, symbolically reinforcing hierarchical dominance and putting our next bishop “in his place” before his arrival.
Shouldn’t I persevere in raising these concerns, remembering Jesus’s warning that standing for truth may bring opposition but ultimately leads to life❓
XVI ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS
How to be a missionary synodal Church
Instrumentum laboris
Part III – Places
Local Churches in the one and unique Catholic Church
92.
Bishop Zurek, for his part, called what Matthiesen did a ‘serious mistake,’ yet the memorial still remains.”
“Many contributions point to the need to reshape the profile of these bodies and their modus operandi in order to move in this direction.‘” Accordingly, when a memorial erected by a convicted pedophile priest for a bishop who made a “serious mistake” in a rural parish over a decade ago is not hated with critique or accountability, is it not time to reshape the profile of our Councils and their modus operandi in order that we may stand together and proclaim to God, “For your righteous acts have been revealed“❓
Significantly, this will require attention to how members are appointed, aiming to ensure that their composition reflects that of the community they serve (Parish or Diocese/Eparchy) in order to promote a culture of transparency and accountability credibly. Consequently, if “a few” who reported clergy abuse at St. Mary’s Cathedral are hated for not being “faithful and loyal disciples that the Lord Jesus desires.” and are therefore excluded from serving on a Parish Council, how can such a practice foster a culture capable of proclaiming, “Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!“
Alleluia, alleluia, “It is, therefore, necessary that the majority of members are not chosen by the authority (parish priest or bishop) but designated in another way, effectively expressing the reality of the community or local Church.” Subsequently, if my questions regarding the decision to abort the daily Eucharist at St. Mary’s Cathedral for the sake of the priest’s health and spirituality were brought before the Parish Council not chosen by the authority, could it be that my inquiry would not be so much hated as aligned with Jesus’s words: “Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.“❓
Alleluia, alleluia
Finally, since God’s love is the fundamental moving force in all created things: “For you love all things that exist, and detest none of the things that you have made; for you would not have made anything if you had hated it” (Wis 11:24), should I not, therefore, speak out against “sins against synodality —the very sins that now place our new bishop in a position where he must “Just Say NO❣️” to being “put in his place.”); furthermore, would this not be an expression of my love for the “places,” that for me, constitute the “Local Church in the one and unique Catholic Church”; moreover, and just as Jesus said:
God’s love is the fundamental moving force in all created things: “For you love all things that exist, and detest none of the things that you have made; for you would not have made anything if you had hated it” (Wis 11:24).
From paragraph 77 of ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME