The Lepanto Institute is currently on location at the Association of US Catholic Priests 2018 Assembly in Albuquerque. Just last week we reported on the AUSCP’s membership in an international coalition of heretical “church reform” organizations called the International Church Reform Network. Despite this, we are still astounded to see the brazen support the AUSCP is giving to members of this coalition. Organizations such as FutureChurch, DignityUSA and New Ways Ministry are currently exhibiting and freely fostering their false ideologies at the AUSCP exhibition hall.
Even more disturbing is Archbishop Wester’s explicit support of this conference in his own Archdiocese. Everything presented here is happening under his watch and with his approval.
FutureChurch
As we reported previously in an article concerning Dr. Carolyn Woo’s (former CEO of Catholic Relief Services) participation in a FutureChurch-sponsored event, FutureChurch supports the ordination of women to the permanent diaconate and to the priesthood, same-sex “marriage,” and contraception.
These are a few of FutureChurch’s distorted ideologies:
- There are hundreds of pages on FutureChurch’s website dedicated to the ordination of women. As one example, FutureChurch has a Q&A page dedicated to providing apologetic arguments as to why and how the Catholic Church should ordain women to the priesthood.
- In preparation for the 2014 and 2015 Synods on the Family, FutureChurch signed on to an open declaration that calls for the Church to accept those in open homosexual relationships and to permit the use of contraception.
- In this October 2015 post on FutureChurch’s facebook feed, FutureChurch applauded the Synod proposal that promoted the use of contraception for Catholics.
- In October of 2016, FutureChurch hosted an event focused on the acceptance of homosexuality in the Catholic Church and opening the way for women’s ordination.
New Ways Ministry
New Ways Ministry, a homosexual advocacy group, is an officially condemned organization by both the Vatican and the USCCB and permanently prohibited from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons. According to the 2010 USCCB condemnation penned by Cardinal Francis George:
“No one should be misled by the claim that New Ways Ministry provides an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching and an authentic Catholic pastoral practice. Their claim to be Catholic only confuses the faithful regarding the authentic teaching and ministry of the Church with respect to persons with a homosexual inclination. Accordingly, I wish to make it clear that, like other groups that claim to be Catholic but deny central aspects of Church teaching, New Ways Ministry has no approval or recognition from the Catholic Church and that they cannot speak on behalf of the Catholic faithful in the United States.”
New Ways Ministry not only promotes homosexual “marriage equality”, it also publishes articles (examples here and here) that suggest that homosexual sexual acts are not sinful.
DignityUSA
DignityUSA is another homosexual advocacy group that:
Promotes homosexual “marriage” – Here is a recent example where DignityUSA issued a press release praising Ireland for supporting homosexual “marriage.”
Explicitly condones homosexual sexual acts – DignityUSA’s mission statement proclaims, “We believe that gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex persons can express their sexuality and gender identities and expressions in a manner that is consonant with Christ’s teaching.”
Furthermore, Dignity USA expounds on this in a document on the goodness of homosexual acts:
“Now Church officials admit that our sexual identity may not be the result of deliberate choice. To some extent they distinguish between sexual orientation and genital activity. Yet they still insist that our sexual identity is an objective disorder, a tendency toward an intrinsic moral evil, and that any genital expression of it is absolutely forbidden.
This we cannot accept. We see sexuality as an intrinsic, integral, and essential aspect of our human personhood, not a separate one. We reclaim our sexuality and its genital expression as intrinsically good.” [emphasis added]
Supports the ordination of women priests – In 2009, according to DignityUSA president Mark Matson, DignityUSA adopted a more “inclusive” mission statement that includes a call for the ordination of women to the priesthood. Furthermore, DignityUSA issued a press release “expressing outrage” that the Vatican excommunicated several women who attempted priestly ordination.
Participates in sacrilegious liturgies conducted by “ordained” women priestesses – According to DignityUSA’s NY chapter, in 2007, it celebrated a sacrilegious “Mass” conducted by an “ordained” woman priestess.
Also, DignityUSA’s current front page features an image which appears to be another pseudo-Eucharistic liturgy complete with women celebrants.
Conclusion
It is imperative that Catholics realize that the Association of United States Catholic Priests is not a fringe organization without any real influence. The fact of the matter is that this group is growing and has a presence in nearly every diocese in the United States. What’s worse is that the AUSCP is getting support from sitting bishops in major dioceses. Archbishop John Wester, the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM is currently present for the AUSCP meeting (pictures above), he is saying Mass for this organization, and he is a member of their leadership as “Episcopal Moderator.” Archbishop Wilton Gregory of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, GA has spoken at AUSCP events and given the organization his applause and support. The same is true for Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago, IL and Bp. Robert McElroy.
The AUSCP has the appearance of legitimacy because of the endorsement and support of these prelates! And given the AUSCP’s intimate involvement with and promotion of outright heretical organizations such as the ones we just outlined, it must be concluded that these prelates support and endorse FutureChurch, DignityUSA, and New Ways Ministry as well.
The only way for these bishops to disabuse the impression that they support AUSCP in its alliances is to immediately, definitively, and without mental reservation condemn and disassociate from the AUSCP, completely.
They should resign or.be removed as b. Barros was from his chilean bishopric . Such apostate clerics given approval by bishops and Ab. In Usa europe and latin Amer…….. Then they wonder at lack.of vocations in Europe etc.. Or the mass exodus of euro ethnic cino people who desert the rump cino.scarcely rc church.in the dying west.
I agree there is cause for concern, yet the reality is that this is made up almost entirely of “senior clergy” to use the NcR’s terminology.
As I read about this, there seems to be more of a spirit of nostalgia for years long past rather than energy for the future.
Bear in mind that “priestly formation” is the theme of this year’s assembly.
I keep chanting in my head that the gates of hell will not prevail…
It’s very sad that a woman can be excommunicated for having an abortion, yet these heretics have been thriving for years, desecrating the altars, and spewing false and demonic information to unsuspecting Catholics,mostly by so call Bishops! And they remain in the church!!! Nothing is done!! In the Old Testament, the Israelite did the exact same thing turned their backs on God, started false religions and followed pagan gods! You know what happened to them in the end? God had had enough and let their enemies capture them and enslaved them for hundreds of years, until they begged God to save them and was repentant! We will get this good thrashing from God also, because we are asking for it!
just last month Father Peter Mary Banks emphasized on ‘abortion’ and forgiveness – it was St Pope John Paul the 2nd who largely spoke of GOD’s endless Mercy for all who come to HIM, including/especially women who ended the life of their unborn babies through abortion – nowhere have i heard/read of excommunication women who’ve had abortion if and when repented for having done so – and yes, i fully agree that unless GOD is sought through HIS true teachings and repentance, we shall reap the results of what we saw – let’s never stop praying for our brothers and sisters who are continually digging deeper the hole that leads to hell; we must pray for them every day and offer Holy Mass for their conversion – we want them to repent and not to be destroyed for all eternity – it was HE WHO said: “FATHER, forgive them for they not know what they do:” – we must kneel before GOD at all times and thus able to stand before anyone –
All of this started with the death of Pope Pius Xll — and if any of you watched the election of the new pope at that time, it was the first time that white smoke came out of the chimney – signifying the election of a new pope – for almost 5 minutes — and then, all of a sudden, it started to turn black.
They explained it away by saying “something malfunctioned” – but it is recorded that a new pope WAS elected but was stopped from coming out dressed as the new Pope by the liberals in the church who had promised the Masons they would only elect a progressive cardinal, intent on destroying the Mass, as pope ! The cardinal who was elected was “hidden away” for all those years and not permitted to say anything about what happened. He does have a successor and at the right moment , God will reveal him to us. Yes, evil did enter the sanctuary of the Catholic Church in Rome… more than once ! So, what are we supposed to do ? Attend a Mass which is not a “real” Mass and hope that the host is duly consecrated and we are at least receiving the true Body and Blood of Christ ? There is no Latin Mass within 2 and 1/2 hours of our home and my husband is bedridden… we used to go at least once a month – and it was like being in Heaven — but now, there is no way for me to get there… Please help me to know what is the right thing to do in these circumstances…. It is very hard, knowing that this pope, who is in office now, makes such absurd statements – some are even heretical sounding – and he caters to the media – he doesn’t sound like he is following the teachings of Christ at all… ! And, why haven’t any of the Vat. 2 popes done the Consecration of Russia, with all the bishops of the world, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as our dear Blessed Mother has asked a hundred years ago ? I’m afraid we are in for a rude awakening ! May God have Mercy on us …
I am a new Catholic 4 years ago and love it. I am 60 now and was raised protestant. But, IMO, the protestant church was becoming to liberal and I couldn’t take it anymore,, so switched to Catholic church. Now I hear old time Catholic’s saying the Catholic Church is becoming to liberal ! So, what’s a person to do ? The American Churches are ALL becoming to liberal. It’s a sign of the time I guess. We must remain steadfast in the Lord and keep praying !
What we shouldn’t do is abandon the Church. She needs us now more than ever to fight against the evil that permeates from the Vatican and the Heretical Pope.
All these bishops and cardinals who provide cover for gay and dissident groups are likely all active gay men. They need to be purged from the hierarchy and banned from all ministry. That Pope Francis protects and promotes them is of the deepest concern.