Will I one day discover that what I believed to be a house built on “The service to unity of the Bishop of Rome” lies collapsed and “completely #ruined“ in places within the Diocese of Amarillo because, despite calling out “Lord, Lord“, I failed to do, “the will of my Father in heaven” in speaking out about:
- A memorial erected by a convicted pedophile priest in honor of a bishop who made the “serious mistake” of granting that priest “a second chance,” a decision that ultimately led to the destruction of the innocence of youth.
- A letter that persists on the diocesan website—a letter 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“, weaponizing the Eucharist as a tool of power and control—excluding or exiling of members of His Body.
- The construction of a second bishop’s residence, symbolically reinforcing hierarchical dominance and seeks to put our next bishop “in his place” before his arrival.
In voicing these concerns, am I acting as a wise man building on rock, or as a fool building on sand, according to today’s Gospel Matthew 7:21, 24-27❓
XVI ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS
How to be a missionary synodal Church
Instrumentum laboris
Part III – Places
The service to unity of the Bishop of Rome
100-101.
Bishop Zurek, for his part, called what Matthiesen did a ‘serious mistake,’ yet the memorial still remains.”
“Answering the question “How to be a synodal Church in mission?” also requires revisiting the dynamic that unites synodality, collegiality, and primacy, so that it can innervate the relationships between the institutions through which it finds concrete expression.” Accordingly, couldn’t a memorial erected by a convicted pedophile priest in honor of a bishop who made the “serious mistake” of granting him “a second chance“—a decision that ultimately led to the destruction of innocence—also be a way for the dynamic that uniting synodality, collegiality and primacy to be “ruined” fulfilling the words, “It is trampled underfoot by the needy, by the footsteps of the poor.“❓
“The current Synodal Process has shown the truth of the conciliar affirmation that “within the ecclesiastical communion, there are lawfully particular churches which enjoy their own proper traditions, while the primacy of the see of Peter remains intact, which presides over the universal communion of charity and safeguards legitimate differences while taking care that what is particular not only does no harm to unity but rather is conducive to it” (cf. LG 13).” However, hasn’t telling “a few” at St. Mary’s Cathedral, when they reported clergy abuse, that they were not “faithful and loyal disciples that the Lord Jesus desires” effectively “ruined” universal communion of charity; moreover, does this not undermine the very unity that leads us to proclaim “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord“❓
Alleluia, alleluia, “By virtue of this function, the Bishop of Rome, as visible principle of the unity of the whole Church (cf. LG 23), is the guarantor of synodality. He calls the whole Church to synodal action by convoking, presiding over and confirming the results of the Synods of Bishops; it should be his care to ensure that the Church grows in a synodal style and form.” Subsequently, would the Bishop of Rome confirm the synodality of the decision to abort the daily Eucharist at St. Mary’s Cathedral—for the sake of the priest’s health and spirituality—or would he believe that it “ruined” an opportunity for us to pray, “O LORD, grant salvation! O LORD, grant prosperity! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD; we bless you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, and he has given us light.“❓
Alleluia, alleluia
Finally, since my past disregard for the duty to cultivate and maintain a proper relationship with my neighbor—entrusted to my care and custody—has “ruined“ my relationship with myself, with others, with God, and with the earth, shouldn’t I reflect on how this same neglect might harm places that, for me that now embody “The service to unity of the Bishop of Rome“; furthermore, doesn’t this service call me to strive 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”; therefore, if I fail to take action, will I ultimately find myself facing the truth of these words:
“‘And it collapsed and was completely ruined‘“❓
Disregard for the duty to cultivate and maintain a proper relationship with my neighbor, for whose care and custody I am responsible, ruins my relationship with my own self, with others, with God and with the earth.
From paragraph 70 of ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME