A Pandora's Box?

In the comments section on another thread (which was unrelated to this subject), Jim and I had discussed a booklet which was titled "The Synodal Process is a Pandora's Box- 100 questions and answers". Today Ann pointed out that Michael Sean Winters had an article about it on The NCR site. There had also been another article on NCR about it on Monday by Christopher White. So I decided to do a post on it.

To catch everyone up on what happened, a copy of this little book showed up in my husband's mailbox in the parish office. It also showed up in Jim's parish mailbox. I'm guessing that it probably was mailed to every parish office and chancery in the USA, and maybe some other places as well.  It isn't that hard to put together a list of the active clergy, including deacons. priests, and bishops, in the USA. And there appears to be a lot of money behind the effort of publishing and distributing the book.

Here are some excerpts from the Christopher White article, Behind the synod opposition: Far-right groups, political activists and Cardinal Burke | National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org:

"Far-right Latin American groups with deep ties to traditionalist Catholics in the United States, and a long history of defying Vatican II reforms, are driving the opposition to next month's closely watched Vatican summit on the future of the Catholic Church. Despite efforts to drum up resistance to Pope Francis' Synod of Bishops, theologians have described their efforts as a "malignant force" in the church, but with waning influence sustained by considerable financial backing."

"Last month, the Societies for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, or TFP, and its sister organizations released The Synodal Process is a Pandora's Box, a book by two political activists, Chilean José Antonio Ureta and Peruvian Julio Loredo de Izcue. "

"The book, which was written in question-and-answer format, attempts to outline how Francis' ongoing synodal process is threatening "to demolish Holy Mother Church" through "neo-modernist" and "leftist" forces. The self-published book also includes a foreword by retired U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, a traditionalist who has a long history of opposing Francis and close ties with the controversial group. Ahead of the monthlong Vatican meeting in October that will serve as the first of a two-part session of the synod, NCR has confirmed that the book — which was published in eight languages — has been sent to a number of synod delegates and Vatican Curia officials."  

"But while the current synod is the current target of their criticism, TFP and its affiliated organizations have a long history of opposition to Vatican II, dissent from Pope John Paul II and, more recently, serving as an active source of misinformation surrounding Francis' 2019 Synod of Bishops for the Amazon. "

"...Founded in Brazil in 1960 by Plinio Correa de Oliveira as a bulwark against alleged communist influences on church and society, the entity quickly grew throughout the Americas, including the United States in the early 1970s."

"Oliveira, who was in Rome during the years of the Second Vatican Council — which initiated a number of reforms meant to open up the church to the modern world — described it, according to his biographer, as "a point in history as sad as the death of Our Lord." 

"Oliveira specifically rejected the church's outreach to other religions and notably held a number of antisemitic views, along with being a trenchant critic of the church's outreach to Indigenous peoples. In his 1977 book "Indian Tribalism," he wrote that "the Indian cannot be compared to the 'civilized' man who is acquainted with private property, the monogamous and indissoluble family." 

"In Latin America, they've been a malignant force for decades," theologian William Cavanaugh said of TFP.  According to Cavanaugh, who is the director of the Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology at DePaul University, TFP opposed land reform in Brazil, putting them at odds with both the Latin American bishops' council (commonly known as CELAM) and the writings of the Second Vatican Council."

"...And following the infamous incident during the synod where Indigenous statuettes, known as the "Pachamama," were taken from a church near the Vatican and thrown into Rome's Tiber River, it was the U.S.-branch of TFP that helped to organize a United States speaking tour of the individual, Alexander Tschugguel, who claimed responsibility for the theft. In his remarks, Tschugguel specifically cited the influence of TFP founder Oliveira on his thinking."

And from Michael Sean Winters' article: Conservative critics of the synod and Francis are embarrassing themselves | National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org): "Unsurprisingly, the authors managed to get a pearl-clutching forward to the volume from American Cardinal Raymond Burke, a tragicomic figure in today's church, wrapped in watered silk and wistful nostalgia for a church that never existed outside his imagination."

"...Although two members of Tradition, Family and Property are listed as the authors, most of the book consists largely of quotes from others....I am no scholar, and I do not pretend to be one, but it is also worth noting that none of the men who are quoted has distinguished himself for any expertise in Catholic theology....What does the book say? In a word, nonsense. In a phrase, dated nonsense."

And now my comments:  Both of the NCR articles are good, and worth reading.  I have just quoted some excerpts here. I don't know how much attention is actually being paid to the arguments in the book.  Just judging from my husband's reaction, not much.  He treated it as just more junk mail.  Skimmed through it, and tossed it in the recycle basket. I think I was more offended by it; it seemed an insult to people's intelligence. The target audience was clergy, people who have a background in theology to a greater or lesser degree. And probably have as much or more formation in that field than the authors of the book. Additionally, I was offended by the racism and prejudice of the founder of the TFP organization, Plinio Correa de Oliviera.

Of course this book was an effort of the "anti-Francis" element in the church, but the Christopher White article makes the point that the opposition goes back farther than the present. They rejected  John Paul II, and actually, Vatican II. One of the authors compared VII to Christ's death as a cause for sadness. Which is a rather singular piece of hyperbole, if indeed he saw it as hyperbole.