Gloria.TV News on the 5th of October 2015

Manipulation: Voice of the Family fears that the Synod on the Family will again be manipulated and gives seven reasons for it. [1] The liberal manipulators of last year’s Synod remain in control. [2] The Instrumentum Laboris used undermines Catholic morals. [3] The participants were surprise by a last minute change in running the Synod. [4] Cardinal Baldisseri, the Synod’s secretary general, refused to explain how the membership of the small groups was determined. [5] He refused to affirm that a 2/3 majority for approval is still required. [6] Pope Francis entrusted leading dissenters with drafting the final report. [7] A supervising committee includes Baldisseri and Archbishop Forte, meaning that they supervise themselves.

Suicide Gay Baiting: Father George Byers has commented on the Vatican monsignor who last Saturday outed himself as a homosexual, abandoning the Vatican and the Church. Quote: “I hope he doesn’t commit suicide, something which has already been brought up by those who know him.” And: “I would lay the blame for that at the feet of the Synod manipulators. It’s called suicide gay baiting, which is very serious and irresponsible.”

Excommunicated: The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in Cyprus has excommunicated lay theologian and former member of EU Parliament, Andreas Pitsillídis. He had expressed heterodox and immoral views on abortion, homosexuality, confession and the Eucharist. The Synod quoted 1 Tim 6,3: “Whoever does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness, is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. From these come envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions.”

Omission: Sandro Magister has pointed out to an omission in the encyclical “Laudato si”. In its second chapter Francis quotes Deuteronomy 22,4-6 in order to point out that the Bible insists on respecting nature. But, surprise, he omits Dt 22,5. Why? Here is the verse: “A woman shall not wear a man’s apparel, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment; for whoever does such things is abhorrent to the Lord your God.”