Cardinal Pell: ‘we’re not giving in to the secular agenda’
October 17, 2014
Cardinal George Pell said in an interview that the October 16 publication of the synod fathers’ criticism of the synod’s interim report has finally given the faithful a true picture of the views of the majority of synod participants.
“We wanted the Catholic people around the world to know actually what was going on in talking about marriage and the family and, by and large, I think people will be immensely reassured,” he told Catholic News Service.
“We're not giving in to the secular agenda; we're not collapsing in a heap,” he continued. “We've got no intention of following those radical elements in all the Christian churches, according to the Catholic churches in one or two countries, and going out of business.”
“Communion for the divorced and remarried is for some-- very few, certainly not the majority of synod fathers-- it's only the tip of the iceberg, it's a stalking horse. They want wider changes, recognition of civil unions, recognition of homosexual unions," he added.
“The Church cannot go in that direction,” Cardinal Pell said. “It would be a capitulation from the beauties and strengths of the Catholic tradition, where people sacrificed themselves for hundreds, for thousands of years to do this … Our task now is to ask people to pause, to pray, to catch their breath, to realize there's going to be no abandonment of Catholic doctrine, and to work to diminish the divisions and to prevent any radicalization of different factions or points of view.”
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Further information:
- Cardinal Pell: Synod says no to 'secular agenda' (CNS)
- Synod participants voice dissatisfaction with interim report (CWN, 10/16)
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Posted by: John J Plick -
Oct. 18, 2014 9:21 PM ET USA
".it's only the tip of the iceberg, it's a stalking horse..." Basically Cardinal Pell is suggesting that the Holy Father to some extent has been manipulated. If so..., wouldn't a response be reasonable..., from him..., Pope Francis?
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Posted by: bernie4871 -
Oct. 17, 2014 4:48 PM ET USA
I've noticed that the bomb-style mid-term report was issued on Oct. 13. Makes me wonder. Perhaps it was chosen at a higher level than the Synod Fathers as a day to expose the very erroneous ideas of some and provoke the needed course correction.
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Posted by: jg23753479 -
Oct. 17, 2014 8:52 AM ET USA
"“Communion for the divorced and remarried is for some-- very few, certainly not the majority of synod fathers-- it's only the tip of the iceberg, it's a stalking horse. They want wider changes, recognition of civil unions, recognition of homosexual unions," he added." Question: Is there finally no way to rid the Church of prelates like this 'very few'? They are doing enormous harm, perhaps more than even the legion of bishops who shielded homosexual criminals in their dioceses for years.
