Why do I feel as though I have #left the safety nets of the places in the Diocese of Amarillo—places that, for me, should embody “The bonds that shape the unity of the Church“—to “live outside of the Church“; consequently, is it because “There is no welcome for the un-repentent sinner” and I “refuse to repent” for speaking out against:
From Matthew 4: 18-22
- 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“—leading to 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“, has effectively weaponized the Eucharist as a tool of power and control—terminating or sending into exile members of the Body of Christ;
- The construction of another bishop’s residence, symbolically reinforcing hierarchical dominance and putting our next bishop “in his place” before his arrival;
however, have I truly left, or am I being pushed away for refusing to remain silent❓
XVI ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS
How to be a missionary synodal Church
Instrumentum laboris
Part III – Places
The bonds that shape the unity of the Church
95.
Bishop Zurek, for his part, called what Matthiesen did a ‘serious mistake,’ yet the memorial still remains.”
“The communal horizon of the exchange of gifts, outlined in Part I, inspires the relationship between the Churches. It combines an emphasis on the bonds that shape the unity of the Church with an appreciation of the particularities linked to the context in which each local Church lives, with its history and tradition.‘” Nonetheless, how does a memorial, left by a convicted pedophile priest for a bishop who made a “serious mistake” in granting him “a second chance“—a decision that ultimately led to the destruction of innocence—serve to inspire relationships between Churches in a way that ensures “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.“❓
Adopting a synodal style enables us to overcome the idea that all Churches must necessarily move at the same pace on every issue. On the contrary, differences in pace can be valued as an expression of legitimate diversity and an opportunity for the exchange of gifts and for mutual enrichment. Accordingly, shouldn’t the actions of “a few” who reported clergy abuse at St. Mary’s Cathedral have been valued as an expression of legitimate diversity, rather than dismissed with the judgment that they were not “faithful and loyal disciples that the Lord Jesus desires”; moreover, shouldn’t the letter making this claim have not been left on the diocesan website, rather than treated as if its judgment were on par with “The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.“❓
Alleluia, alleluia, “In order to be realized, this horizon needs to be embodied in concrete structures and practices. Answering the question “How tobe a synodal Church in mission?” requires identifying and promoting such structures and practices.” Accordingly, if such concrete structures and practices had been implemented to address 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—wouldn’t this have left us to better identify and promote practices that align with Jesus’s call: “Come after me, says the Lord, and I will make you fishers of men.“❓
Alleluia, alleluia
Finally, will I be consumed by the pursuit of financial gain or the desire to hold onto or increase power so that I am left with nothing but conflicts or shallow agreements—where my concern for the places that, for me, should embody “The bonds that shape the unity of the Church” is lost; moreover, will I ignore the “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”—because I refuse to act as the apostles did when…
“…they left their nets and followed him“❓
While some are concerned only with financial gain, and others with holding on to or increasing their power, what we are left with are conflicts or spurious agreements where the last thing either party is concerned about is caring for the environment and protecting those who are most vulnerable.
From paragraph 198 of ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME