[Greek] συγχέω (sygcheō), [Latin] confundere, [French] meler, [French] exciter: to confuse, to stir up, to throw into disorder, to blur; Acts 2:6, Acts 9:22, Acts 19:32, Acts 21:27,31
Pope Francis’ papacy has left behind a legacy of confusion and chaos in the Church. Unfortunately, As Pope Leo continues down this same road of Synodality, he is also creating confusion and ambiguity. Pope Leo still has not yet settled the muddled issue of allowing the Traditional Latin Mass. Pope Leo’s silence on hot-button issues (scandals) is already being perceived as implied assent.
Background information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means to confuse, to pour together, to throw into confusion, to bewilder, to stir up, to cause disorder, and to blur.
Euripides’ Bacchae 349: “Let someone go quickly to the seat where he watches the flight of birds, upset and overturn it with levers, turning it upside down.”
Polybius’ Histories 1.40.13: “They turned and bore down upon them and throwing their own lives into utter disorder and confusion.”
Homer’s Odyssey 8.139: “For to my mind there is naught worse than the sea to confound a man, be never so strong.”
Euripides’ Medea 1005: “Ah, why are you standing in distress when your fortune is good?” (Euripides, as a non-Christian, may have unknowingly realized that one cannot be truly happy even with earthly riches.)
Old Testament: This term means to confound, to make uneasy, to make embarrassed, to startle, and to displease.
Tower of Babel: The whole world had spoken the same language. In their ARROGANCE, the people had built up a tower to reach up into the heavens.
How does God respond? The Lord confuses their language so that none could understand each other.
New Testament: This term means to confuse, to confound, to stir up, and to be in an uproar.
Scripture:
Acts 2:6: “At this sound [from the sky] Jews from every nation gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.”
- At Pentecost there came a noise from the sky like a driving wind.
- Tongues as of fire came to rest upon them, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
- The devout Jews from every nation were confused because each heard them speaking in his own language.
- They were hearing of the might acts of God.
Acts 9:22: “But Saul grew all the stronger and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah.” (In Damascus, Paul preached in the synagogues proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God. Many were astounded, knowing that this was the rabid Pharisee who had persecuted the Christians.)
Acts 19:32: “Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, others something else; the assembly was in chaos, and most of the people had no idea why they had come together.” (Paul claimed that these hand-made gods are not gods at all. The silversmiths were alarmed that Saul was going to destroy their livelihood. Although the larger crowd had no clue for the disturbance, a few had known the cause. According to the silversmiths, Paul was stating “dis-information”.)
Vatican II: a source of worldliness, confusion, and ambiguity for the Church.
- Pope John XXIII stated that the Church needed to “bring in fresh air [worldliness] into the Church so that the Church “can get with the times.”
- Pope Paul VI stated that the “smoke of Satan” [spirit of confusion and undermining] has entered into the Church.
- It is no wonder that Vatican II has been viewed as a spiritual and pastoral disaster for the Church.
Further confusion and ambiguity by Pope Leo.
- Abortion: Senator Durbin’s overall work, not just his support of abortion, should be considered. Pope was supportive of Sr. Durbin receiving a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Archdiocese of Chicago.
- Death penalty: One cannot be pro-life if one is in favor of the death penalty.
- Immigration: Opposition to immigration is equated with not being pro-life. This is ignoring that is inhuman to flood illegal immigrants and inadvertently permit child trafficking into a country.
- TLM: Pope Leo still has not stated a position on how the Church should deal with the TLM. We now have more and more bishop feeling empowered to further restrict the TLM.
- LGBTQ: Pope Leo still remains officially quiet on this issue. However, it has discovered that Pope Leo quietly permitted the Vatican LGBTQ Jubilee. Not surprisingly, Pope Leo has remained quiet about the resulting scandal of this event. Pope Leo continues to allow for Fr. James Martin to continue in his “ministry”.
A very troublesome and misleading statement by Pope Leo: “We have to change attitudes before we ever change doctrine”. (This could easily apply to the Church’s teachings on LGBTQ.)
- Why should Church doctrine be subject to changing attitudes? This is very dangerous. Church doctrine, reflective of objective moral truths, must not be changed to suit the culture.
- Why is Pope Leo signaling that Church doctrine could change? In Synodality, this can become a very real possibility that this could happen.
- In Synodality, lived experiences, tolerance, false compassion, inclusion quite often take precedence over doctrine, sin, objective moral truths, forgiveness, and conversion of heart.
- Pope Leo has indicated that he is also following the Synodal path of his predecessor Pope Francis. Pope Leo is essentially become Pope Francis II.
Archbishop denounces “plague of relativism” and the “madness of LGBTQ ideology”.
- In the Church there is a push to change her moral teachings and sexual ethic.
- The secular acceptance of homosexuality and “same-sex marriage” has lead to the Church’s further acceptance of these issues.
- Conversion therapy, which seeks to assist men and women in the acceptance of their natural biological sex is now being condemned.
- The Church faces growing legal threats when its good works are challenged the intolerance of some extremists.
- The Church’s pastoral response must be grounded in charity and TRUTH.
- “If the devil can confuse society about sex and gender, he obscures our understanding of God’s plan for humanity.”
Etymology: The Greek verb sugcheo means to pour (-cheo) together (sug-). The Latin verb confundere also means to pour together, to combine, and to blur. The past participle is confusus. A melee is a confused conflict among many persons.
Conclusion
Confound, confounding, confusion, confused, melee, excite
Update: It has been generally acknowledged that Synodality continues to sew seeds of confusion: lack of clarity about homosexuality, not calling out sin, pagan ceremonies, synodality, attempting to redefine dogma, changing church teachings, and giving the laity increased decision-making authority in the Church (what could ever go wrong with that???)
In response to the universal criticism of Pope Francis (and his policies), The Vatican has espoused a new heresy of the ‘doctrine of the Holy Father’. If you criticize Pope Francis, you are being divisive and schismatic. This is essentially believing that the pope has become an oracle of God.
Pope Francis’ legion of sycophants (“pope-splainers”) are out in full force employing “verbal gymnastics” in defending and explaining Pope Francis controversial and confusing statements and documents.
Unfortunately, we are living in a time where clergy may get expelled, cancelled, and laicized for speaking about traditional teachings or speaking out against Pope Francis and his inner circle. Traditional priests are now despised by Pope Francis. Traditional and conservative Catholics (and Christians) are continually being marginalized and discriminated by the Vatican.
Despite the Traditional Latin Mass’s long-lasting history in the Church, more and more empowered bishop are restricting the TLM. Therefore, having two Mass rites has become “divisive”.
It is perhaps not confusing or surprising to understand why many clergy (cardinals, bishops, and priests) are either cowardly silent or are tacitly supportive of these questionable Modernist teachings.
In their outreach to the LGBTQ community, the Vatican speaks of “radical inclusion and mercy” rather than calling out sinful behavior. The Vatican is permitting sinful behavior rather then stating Church teachings against sin. Many souls are being led into eternal moral peril. No wonder this can be confusing and misleading to the faithful.
Fiducia Supplican: this misleading and confusing document both state Church teachings against homosexuality and then allows for “non-liturgical blessings” to same same-sex unions. It is claimed that the these blessings are for the individuals in this relationship but not or their relationship. Of course, that would never be confusing!
“Deliberate or persistent ambiguity–anything that fuels misunderstanding or seems to leave an opening for objectively sinful behavior–is not of God. And it inevitably results in damage to individual souls and to our common life.” Archbishop Chaput
“The devil is capable of confusing the most brilliant mind.” St. Padre Pio