09/27/2022
LAST CALL: Read the details below and please let us know if you plan to attend this important meeting in Anchorage on Thursday.
THURSDAY, Sept. 29th, at ST. COYOTE'S RESTAURANT.
Moral Confusion: What are faithful Alaskan Catholics to make of archdiocese's synod report?
St. Catherine of Siena Chapter of Catholics United for the Faith is pleased to announce our next presentation for Thursday, Sept. 29, at St. Coyote's Restaurant (135 Dimond Blvd., Suite 111).
While the wider culture embraces confused and harmful notions about gender fluidity, LGBTQ identity and abortion, Catholics have long held the line when it comes to defending, articulating and spreading the truth about human s*xuality, the sanctity of life and the definition of marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman.
A recent report issued by the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau, however, draws into question the church’s teachings on numerous matters and threatens to sow confusion among the faithful about what the church actually teaches, and why.
While the report does not say the church should change its fundamental teachings, it does proport to be a faithful representation of how area Catholics and those outside the faith want the church to change in order to accommodate modern notions about human s*xuality, marriage and other hot-button issues. The report was issued after the archdiocese held a series of “listening sessions” as part of a global “synod” effort spearheaded by Pope Francis. The stated aim was to get a sense of what people wanted out of the church in the years ahead.
In surveying roughly 1,300 Alaskans, the Anchorage-Juneau Archdiocese hosted sessions with LGBTQ activists, local parishioners, and people who have rejected Catholicism. The final summary fails to include any hard data or specific statistics, but does claims that many people want the church to ordain women priests, offer Holy Communion to non-Catholics, approve of married clergy and accept the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community, including welcoming them to participate in “all aspects of sacramental life.”
Despite these obvious challenges to established church teachings, the report highlights that some people think the church spends too much time emphasizing apologetics and doctrine.
The report also mentions hot-button moral issues such as abortion, birth control, marriage equality and racism, and claims that “one participant” feels it is necessary to “enter the complexity and ‘discover where God is in all’ of it.”
To address the report, and the synod process in general, Philip Gray, the national president of Catholics United for the Faith and a renowned expert on the laws of the Catholic Church, will be in Anchorage on Thursday, Sept. 29th, to give a free presentation that will unpack what a synod is in Canon Law, what it should actually look like in practice, and the kind of results a synod can be expected to produce in real life. He will then look at how the recent synod requested by Pope Francis fits into this framework.
Gray completed his undergraduate studies in Theology and Mental Health/Human Services at the University of Steubenville and earned his licentiate in Canon Law from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. He now serves as the canonist and president of the Saint Joseph Foundation.
Gray’s talk will occur at Saint Cayote restaurant in Anchorage (135 Dimond Blvd, Suite 111). It runs 7-8:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. The evening will include a 45-minute presentation followed by Q&A with the audience.
Those who wish to eat dinner are asked to contribute $20 to dine from the buffet, which will include an assortment of hot meats and side dishes. Drinks can be purchased separately. Please send an RSVP to [email protected] if you plan to eat as it greatly helps in facilitating our events with restaurant management. Please bring checks or cash if possible.
For more information, visit the St. Catherine of Siena page.
Please feel free to share this notice and invite friends who may be interested in our monthly presentations.
