Friday, November 21, 2014

Spain's Bishops Elect Members for Bishops' Synod -- Surprise Bishop Reig -- Little Ratzinger Elected to Chairmanship

Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Surprisingly Strong in the
Bishops' Conference of Spain
(Madrid) The Fall General Assembly of the Spanish Bishops' Conference elected  three synododalists for the Synod of Bishops on the Family in 2015 with a not insignificant surprise.
The  Cardinal Prefect of the   Congregation for Divine Worship, who was dismissed by Pope Francis and sent back as Archbishop of Valencia, Cardinal Antonio Cañizares to Spain, has been, it seems, chosen with great support to the Chairmanship  of the Conference of Bishops. He replaces the retired Archbishop of Madrid Rouco Varela.

Archbishop Blázquez and Bishop Iceta in 2015 as Synodalists in Rome

The second vote is likely some food for thought. The Spanish Episcopal Conference was represented in the first part of the Synod of Bishops, which took place as extraordinary Synod last October, automatically and exclusively by its President, while  three representatives will participate in the second part, the Annual Synod, who were elected by the bishops from their own ranks. First place will  go to the Vice President of the Bishops' Conference, then Ricardo Blazquez, archbishop of Valladolid, who was elected by a large majority. In second place comes a Mario Iceta Gavicagogeascoa, the Bishop of Bilbao who is an acknowledged expert on bioethical issues. Both are considered of "strong character and conservative," said the Spanish Catholic church historian and blogger José Francisco Fernández de la Cigoña.

Jockeying for Third Place at Synod 

For third place, however it came to a scramble.  For this spot,  the Archbishop of Madrid, Carlos Osoro Sierra, who was appointed by Pope Francis,  and him alone, would have gotten the position owing to his rank. In reality, several rounds of voting were needed because Archbishop Osoro could not gather a sufficient majority. In the end, Osoro prevailed because of one vote.. His opponent was none other than Bishop Juan Antonio Reig of Alcalá de Henares. Archbishop Reig is the Spanish bishop who speaks in the most definitive language and does not hesitate to publicly engage in clear words for faith. But he is also most severely under attack by opponents of the church and media. "If the Archbishop of Granada had been present, Archbishop Osoro would have gotten a nasty surprise," says Fernández de la Cigoña.

Surprising Moral Support for Bishop Juan Antonio Reig

The humiliating ballots are a snub for the new Archbishop of Madrid. Perhaps the voting behavior of many bishops were directed not against him, but were rather in support of the positions of Bishop Reig. The Bishop of Alcalá de Henares had to put up with a thorough drubbing in public in recent months, but stood at the forefront in the defense of non-negotiable values ​​and expressed clear positions on the controversial issues at the Synod of Bishops. The vote for him, if he ultimately lost the election, means a substantial strengthening his position in the Bishops' Conference. Bishop Reig was the one who sharply criticized the reigning bourgeois Partido Popular  because of the pandering  to the abortion party. Next year, a new parliament will be elected in Spain. The support of the bishop by his confreres can also be seen in this context and even more importantly, there is nevertheless in most of the Episcopal Conferences a certain unwillingness   to mess with  political power, and certainly not before elections.
The close defeat of Bishop Reig is a loss for the Synod of Bishops. More surprising than its failure, however, is that he could ever unite so many votes against the Archbishop of Madrid, almost half the episcopate. It may be as general custom now   such that Bishop Reig  is a replacement synodalist, should  one of the three newly elected Synod members should not be able to go to Rome.
Spain's bishops are well positioned in sum for the Bishops' Conference. Their position was clearly stated with the election of Archbishop Blázquez, Bishop Iceta and the votes for Bishop Reig.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: InfoVaticana

15 comments:

  1. Although it is not mentioned in this post, the fact that Cardinal Canizares was elected is a tremendous rebuke to Pope Francis. It is like the Spanish Bishops spitting in his face. Likewise the election of good and holy strongly conservative bishops to represent Spain in the Synod. The severe difficulty that Osoro had in winning a place at the Synod table was not only a rebuke to him and his outlook, but also another slap in the face to Pope Francis.
    I have read several articles....both on this excellent site (which I think is the best in covering Catholic news from a true Catholic perspective.....rather than as the usuall cheerleading squad for Pope Francis (like EWTN, etc.), and other sites. The fact is that there is a growing opposition to this Pope, his radical liberal and even heretical agenda, his like minded associates (Cardinals Mariadiaga, Kasper, Schonborn and Archbishop Forte), and the like minded men he appoints to important dioceses.
    So far, I know that the entire Polish Bishops, the Bishops of Ghana, some other countries, and now it looks like Spain likewise...is increasingly hostile to Pope Francis and his people. I hope the USA bishops are likewise against him,
    In 1 1/2 weeks, Pope Francis will turn 78. Let us not wish him ill, but at the same time, let us pray that his reign as Pope in 2015 will be drawing to an end.

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  2. I'm here in America and our representatives for the synod have been chose, overall I am pleased with those who will be representing our country. They are mostly what I would call "conservative", none of which are radical. I am excited to see Chaput will be attending. Is it any coincidence that the World Meeting on the Family will be taking place in Philadelphia a couple of weeks before the 2015 Synod, with Pope Francis attending the WMOF in Philly?

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  3. I'm Anonymous @ 10:08

    I would also like to add that Francis basically got a slap in the face from the Italian Bishops Conference. Archbishop Forte was flat out rejected

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  4. Yes, the Italian Bishops are very much increasingly against Pope Francis and his agenda. They were very angry, almost to a man, that this pipsqeak Fr. Fidenzio Volpi,in the name of Pope Francis, urged the bishops not to accept any good priests/friars who leave the now destroyed Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate to seek incardination in their dioceses.
    The Italian Bishops, even the more moderate ones, are sick and tired of Pope Francis and his people....and their campaign against Catholic tradition.
    Archbishop Forte, Pope Francis' supposed "protégé" is reviled in many circles in Italy among the bishops, clergy, and faithful. By extension, it shows the growing attitude in Italy towards this Pope. I hope it festers and grows into outright rebellion against him. And I hope it spreads in other countries.
    Good riddance!!!!!!

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  5. Oh God, save us from the horror which is Pope Francis!

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  6. "with a not insignificant surprise."

    Well, Pope Francis should be happy -- since he is so open to the God of surprises (hah!)

    http://www.dailyworld.com/story/life/2014/10/23/pope-encourages-openness-god-surprises/17798169/

    Expecting heads to roll in Spain, Italy, but not U.S. where the fairy demons are firmly in charge --including kaput!

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  7. "fairy demons "
    By that, I would assume you mean the idiots who ape, imitate, and throw garlands of praise at the heretic Pope Francis; Cardinals Dolan, O'Malley, Chaput, Archbishop Cupich, et al.

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  8. The more this Pope Francis cuts down those who oppose him and his radical agenda, the more the opposition to him from good and faithful Catholics grows, and the more the hatred for him and his associates grow. I am sure he is not so stupid as to not realize that.
    I have never read of any Pope being so deeply hated by wide groups of Catholics before....but he is.
    He has earned it.

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  9. Without a doubt Anonymous at 1:56; it is easy to be hide behind your nomenclature, to say that the Pope being so "deeply hated." What kind of evil slander are you sowing against us?

    I am opposed to much of what Pope Francis has said and done and not done. I am disturbed by him. I am upset by him. To say that I or we "hate" him is a vile and unworthy comment. If we "hate" him,, God will judge us very harshly.

    We must love him as any man deserves our love. We can object to what he does and says without resorting to hate.

    You Sir, are a coward for hiding behind Anon. and a liar.

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  10. I don't hate him either. I was stating what I read at various other blogs. And what I read certainly was not love. I have read about towns in certain Eastern European countries, which ine loved this Pope, but that has grown to something else, especially since the October Synod. Perhaps hatred is strong....disgust is more like it.
    I don't hate the Pope. I object to everything he stands for and his agenda, but I don't hate him. But I was writing about sites I read where there are reports of outrage against him which certainly isn't love...or even respect.

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  11. "We must love him as any man deserves our love"

    I am not sure where you get the idea 'any man deserves our love'. Jesus said we were to love one another as He has loved us -- but he didn't say it was because we deserved it! What St. Paul said was that "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Rom 5:8

    If I had to deal personally with Francis, I would take this direction from Jesus: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. "But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues;…" Matt 10:16-17

    Also despite my love for him, I would have no problem trying Francis and executing him for heresy if he refused to recant in order to prevent him leading little ones to hell.

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  12. Anon at 3:05"
    I applaud you and your comment, especially the last piece. That's what many,many people think of Francis.....from what I read, many bishops in various countries too.
    He has generated tremendous ill will towards himself...maybe not hatred....but rather anger mixed with fear. It's the righteous anger and reaction to him from faithful Catholics who see the destruction to the Faith he is doing and trying to do.
    Also, I just read a very enlightening piece on a blog regarding a book just published about the conclave of 2013...how it was all planned (the overthrow of Benedict XVI), and the maneuvering to elect Bergoglio. as Francis. Even some aged radical Cardinals too old to vote pressured the electing Cardinals from the outside before the conclave closed it's doors. Among them were Cardinals Murphy-Connor of Britian, and Kasper of Germany. How Kasper got to enter and participate in the conclave is also in the book. He was already over 80, but he got in. It was a breach of the rules. But then again...what do Francis and Kasper care about the Catholic Church and it's rules???!!

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  13. This video shows that Canon Law needs upholding for Tradition to be maintained - it was recorded 20 years ago, but it still holds true and denounces all Heretics.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gPX7XEBdUQ


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