Bishop Schneider: 'semi-heretical' Church leaders lead the faithful astray
February 02, 2016
Bishop Athanasius Schneider charges that many “semi-heretical” Church leaders are misleading the faithful, in a provocative interview for the Rorate Caeli website.
Bishop Schneider—an auxiliary of the Astana archdiocese in Kazakhstan, with strong ties to the traditionalist movement—tells Rorate Caeli that a crisis has developed in the Church because of the “ever-growing phenomenon that those who don’t fully believe and profess the integrity of the Catholic faith frequently occupy strategic positions in the life of the Church, such as professors of theology, educators in seminaries, religious superiors, parish priests and even bishops and cardinals.” He goes on to say:
I think in a time in which a great part of the holders of the office of the Magisterium are negligent in their sacred duty, the Holy Spirit calls today, namely the faithful, to step into the breach and defend courageously with an authentic sentire cum ecclesia the Catholic faith.
In the same interview, Bishop Schneider laments the decision by Pope Francis to allow the washing of women’s feet in Holy Thursday services, saying that the move “generates confusion” regarding the all-male priesthood; he adds that it is “improper and even indecent” for a bishop or priest to wash or kiss a woman’s feet. Bishop Schneider also describes Bishop Bernard Fellay, the head of the Society of St. Pius X, as “an exemplary and true Catholic bishop.
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Posted by: filioque -
Feb. 03, 2016 1:36 PM ET USA
How is Bishop Schneider doing what he complains about? Be specific. He is criticizing those who do not teach the fullness of the Catholic Faith. That is not what Martin Luther did, although initially he was correct to criticize the abuse of selling indulgences. Today we have the abuses of hiding the Faith, of misleading and confusing the people, of failing to catechize, of obscuring the true meaning of the Mass, of seeking to conform to the world's values. God bless Bishop Schneider.
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Posted by: sarsok8679 -
Feb. 02, 2016 11:42 PM ET USA
What a breath of fresh air..
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Posted by: james-w-anderson8230 -
Feb. 02, 2016 10:25 PM ET USA
Bishop Schneider seems to be doing exactly what he is complaining about others doing.
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Posted by: mario.f.leblanc5598 -
Feb. 02, 2016 10:12 PM ET USA
Bishop Schneider appears to be closer in spirit to Martin Luther than he would be willing to admit. Let us hope he does not fall into the same trap.
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Posted by: VTCCzuba9768 -
Feb. 02, 2016 9:11 PM ET USA
The underlying issue is the current perspective the Church takes toward liturgy...if one adopts the current perspective of the Mass as, first and foremost, a "celebration" of a meal, then there's no reason NOT to include women in the symbolic group of disciples whose feet are being washed by the servant-celebrant. However, if one adopts the truly authentic and solely Catholic view of the Mass as, first and foremost, a SACRIFICE within the context of the Last Supper, the Bishop is spot on.
