“Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò praised Bishop Joseph Strickland’s recent pastoral message, released August 22 to his Diocese of Tyler, Texas”, in which he criticized the Synod on Synodality, ahead of the October meeting of bishops and laity. In such letter, Bishop Strickland warned of the dangers to the Catholic faith which stem from such Synod on Synodality.
“‘In this time of great turmoil in the Church and in the world, I must speak to you from a father’s heart in order to warn you of the evils that threaten us, and to assure you of the joy and hope that we have always in our Lord Jesus Christ,’ Strickland began.”
“An ‘evil and false message that has invaded the Church’ is that ‘Jesus is only one among many, and that it is not necessary for His message to be shared with all humanity,’ Strickland wrote. Such an idea, he added, ‘must be shunned and refuted at every turn.'”
“Drawing from St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, Strickland stated that ‘any attempts to pervert the true Gospel message must be categorically rejected as injurious to the Bride of Christ and her individual members.'”
While outlining a series of seven truths which are consistently taught by the Catholic Church, he warned that such truths will be examined by this upcoming Synod on Synodality. One of its documents for example, highlights the need to ‘welcome’ polygamists and LGBTQ+ people.
These seven truths are:
- The nature of the Catholic Church as the only true Church.
- The necessity to be in a state of grace to receive the Eucharist.
- The divine nature of the sacrament of Marriage, which man cannot alter or “redefine.”
- Man is created in the image and likeness of God, which does not permit for a rejection of biological reality.
- The complete immorality of sexual activity outside of marriage, which cannot be blessed or condoned by the Church at all.
- The “belief that all men and women will be saved regardless of how they live their lives” is “false and dangerous.”
- The necessity to bear sufferings in order to follow Christ and unite suffering to His redemptive death.
Bishop Strickland noted that “the Church exists not to redefine matters of faith but to safeguard the Deposit of Faith as it has been handed down to us from Our Lord Himself through the apostles and the saints and martyrs.”
Bishop Strickland warned that Catholics who want to follow Tradition may be accused of being “schismatic.” He wrote that “Regrettably, it may be that some will label as schismatics those who disagree with the changes being proposed. Be assured, however, that no one who remains firmly upon the plumb line of our Catholic faith is a schismatic” adding that “We must be aware also that it is not leaving the Church to stand firm against these proposed changes. As St. Peter said, ‘Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’ (Jn 6:68)”
He also urged Catholics to remain steadfast in their faith, stating that “standing firm does not mean we are seeking to leave the Church” while identifying proponents of change and innovation as the true “schismatics,” stating that “those who would propose changes to that which cannot be changed seek to commandeer Christ’s Church, and they are indeed the true schismatics.”
Bishop Strickland was backed up by Cardinal Vigano saying Strickland’s words truly reflect his role as a ‘successor of the apostles.’
