This essay by Fr. Joachim Heimerl was originally written in German. It has been translated and published with the permission of Fr. Heimerl.
(LifeSiteNews) — When Pope Francis said that Christ expects “synodality” from the Church of today, I wondered how the pope knew this. Has he received a private revelation, and has Christ spoken to him? Probably not, and all the less so because what Francis understands by “synodality” is as unknown to the Gospel as it is to Church history. In other words: “synodality” is a firm idea of the pope, but it is not a “divine” recommendation and should not be taken seriously. Francis does not even take it seriously himself.
That this is the case could be seen on December 18, when the pope surprisingly allowed the “blessing” of remarried and homosexual “couples.” The corresponding document was published out of the blue, without Francis having waited for a recommendation from the global synod, which will not be completed until next fall.
“Synodality” thus turned out to be a Potemkin village, a backdrop behind which nothing is to be found; and to this day, no one knows how to explain exactly what the pope means by “synodality.” The meaning of the term fluctuates between everything and nothing – let me put it this way: “synodality” is Francis’ big show, which has only one aim: It is meant to disguise the fact that the pope wants to transform the Church according to his ideas. Francis stands on the – false – position: “I am the Church,” and woe betide anyone who denies this.
It is fitting that his decisions are made in the back room of “Santa Marta.” If at all, Francis only listens to his Jesuit confreres and other favorites. These include, above all, the eccentric prefect [of the Dicastery for the Doctrine] of the Faith and pornography author Víctor Fernández.
After 11 years of Francis, it is evident that this is not good for the Church. Never before has a pope caused so much confusion and strayed so far from the Gospel and the teachings of the Church. Many examples would prove this. However, the controversial document on blessings, with which Francis has now overstepped the mark, has done this the most. There is a torrent of protest from all corners of the world. After all, no pope can change the revealed truths. This includes the fact that marriage is indissoluble and that practicing homosexuality is a grave sin.
Therefore, no one can “bless” remarried or homosexual “couples,” even if Francis claims to do so. Instead, such a “blessing” inevitably leads to heresy and causes such a deep division in the Church as has never been seen under any pope in modern times. If we lived in different times and the cardinals were more courageous, Francis would have been deposed and a new pope elected; it would not have been the first time in history.
And yet: the blessing document has made the theological deficits of this pontificate glaringly obvious. For example, the distinction made between a “liturgical” and “pastoral” blessing turned out to be a phenomenal embarrassment. This also applied to the subsequent statement by the prefect of [the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the] Faith, in which he claimed that “couples” could be “blessed” without confirming their relationship. This was intended as a soothing pill for “conservative” Catholics. In fact, however, Fernández disqualified himself with that. And he has made it abundantly clear on what shaky ground Francis’ pontificate stands.
There is no doubt that the blessing document has become a turning point. The faithful will not be fooled. They understand very well that Francis has left the teachings of the Church here, even if the document brazenly claims the opposite. The pope’s credibility is, therefore, gone. More and more Catholics are becoming increasingly aware of his blunders: The letter Amoris laetitia (relativization of marriage), the Abu Dhabi Declaration (relativization of Christianity), and finally, the motu proprio Traditiones custodes (persecution of the traditional Mass) seem like a swath of devastation that cannot be overlooked. This also applies to the scandal surrounding the Pachamama during the Amazon Synod and the pope’s aberrant “climate theology” with its neo-pagan elements.
When Francis was elected 11 years ago, he ran as a popular South American figurehead. But that is over. In the meantime, dismay, heresy, and division are spreading in the Church. The next pope will have to take a clear position on what was Catholic about the “Franciscan” church – and what was not. Under no circumstances, however, should the show go on as before.
