Minnesota archdiocese warns that ‘synod’ is not legitimate

CWN - September 20, 2010

The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is warning that a “synod” organized by the Catholic Coalition for Church Reform is not legitimate. The day-long synod took place on September 18 at a Ramada hotel; its keynote speaker was Paul Lakeland, director of the Center for Catholic Studies at Fairfield University, a Jesuit college in Connecticut.

“While the agenda for the proposed synod purports to be an exploration of the role of baptized Catholics within the institutional Church of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, it is not being conducted under the auspices of the Archdiocese, the universal Roman Catholic Church, or any entity or organization affiliated with the Archdiocese or the universal Roman Catholic Church,” the archdiocese noted in a September 17 statement.

“The Archdiocese also wishes to remind the faithful of its need to shun any contrary doctrines, and instead to embrace and retain, to safeguard reverently and expound faithfully, the doctrine of faith and morals proposed definitively by the magisterium of the Church.”

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  • Posted by: alowan6931 - Sep. 28, 2010 8:30 PM ET USA

    As long as CCCR works toward turning the Church into a democracy, which can then "vote out" infallible teachings of the Magisterium, it will not be a Catholic organization. The Archdiocese is right to make its statement.

  • Posted by: paularuddy4209 - Sep. 21, 2010 11:05 AM ET USA

    The headline is misleading. The Archdiocese says that Catholic Coalition for Church Reform, the sponsor of the Synod of the Baptized, is not an official agency of the Archdiocese. CCCR has never claimed to be an agency of the Archdiocese. I am one of the organizers of the Synod and a co-chair of CCCR. Catholics organize into associations and meet all the time. In what way is our meeting "illegitimate"? Can't we be one in Christ with your readers? We would like to work together with you.

  • Posted by: extremeCatholic - Sep. 20, 2010 12:26 PM ET USA

    Two words: anathema sit.

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