[Greek] σιωπάω (siōpaō), [Latin] tacere, [Latin] silere, [Latin] quiescere, [French] reposer: to be silent, silent, to be still; Mt.20:31, Mt.26:63, Mk.3:4, Mk.4:39, Mk.9:34, Mk.10:48, Mk.14:61, Lk.1:20, Lk.18:39, Lk.19:40, Acts 18:9
St. Peter Martyr of Verona (1205-1252) asking for silence: fresco by Fra. Angelico (1441). Yet he COULD NOT BE SILENCED for speaking out as he was being martyred.
Background information:
Fresco of St. Peter Martyr of Verona:
- This fresco is located at the Convent of San Marco in Florence, Italy.
- As a member of the Dominican order, he wore the blue and white habit, rather than the usual black and white habit.
- He spoke out against the 13th century neo-Manichaeism heresy of Catharism. Manichaeism held that the spirit was trapped in the evil material world.
- He murdered by the Cathars in 1252.
- At the time of his death, he wrote, “Credo in Deum” (I believe in God) on the ground with his own blood.
- He calls for silence but could NOT be silenced for what he believed.
- His canonization process took only 11 months.
Greek Hellenism: This term means to keep quiet, to hold one’s peace, to find rest, to calm oneself, and to impose a silence.
Plato: “To be sure I must; and therefore I may assume that your silence gives consent.”
Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus 980: “For I will not be silent, when you have gone so far in impious speech.”
Euripides’ The Suppliants 298: “No. I will not hold my peace to blame myself afterwards for having kept silence to my shame.”
Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound 329: “No, keep quiet and keep yourself clear of harm.”
Old Testament: This term means to consider, to be silent, to wait, to hush, to hold the tongue, to stop, and to conceal.
New Testament: This term means to be silent, to become calm, and to become speechless.
Mt.20:31: “The crowd warned them to be silent, but they [blind men] called out all the more.” (As the blind men asked Jesus to be healed, the disciples told the blind men to be silent. At the most superficial (surface) level, the disciples saw the blind men as a nuisance. In response, Jesus heals a blind man. The disciples were actually spiritually blind in failing to see Jesus’ mission in serving and healing others.)
Mt.26:63: “But Jesus was silent. Then he high priest said to Him, ‘I order you to tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” (Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin. He remained silent, refusing to respond to the claim of destroying the temple of God and rebuilding in three days. This is also probably a reference to Isa.53:7 [a sheep silent before shearers])
Mk.9:34: “But they [the disciples] remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves about who was the greatest.” (The disciples showed their lack of understanding of what it means to be a disciple. One must focus on serving others. One must focus on being humble, not on being prideful. One who wishes to be first, shall be last and servant on all.)
Acts 18:9: “One night in a vision the Lord said to Paul, ‘Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent.”
- Paul arrived in Corinth and spent time in the synagogue attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.
- Paul’s opponents opposed and reviled him.
- In his exasperation, Paul stated that he was done with this responsibility. From now on, Paul will go to the Gentiles.
- The Lord appeared to Paul in vision. The Lord sought to encourage Paul to continue speaking [“Do not be afraid. Go on speaking.”]
[Greek] φιμόω (phimoō): to muzzle, to say nothing, and to put to silence
1Tim.5:18: “For the scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle and ox when it is threshing.'” (It is the function of the oxen to thresh [trample on and separate the kernels from the chaff]. Likewise, you shall not “muzzle” presbyters [and bishops] in their responsibility to preach and teach.)
Bishop Strickland rebukes the silent US bishops at the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB)
What will it take to speak out that Francis no longer teaches the Catholic faith?
- The Synod’s final document seeks to dismantle Christ’s Church structure with a new synodal Church ==> creating a new Church (which is not Catholic).
- Pope Francis is abdicating his responsibility to serve as primary guardian of the Deposit of Faith. Every bishops make the solemn promise to be guardians of the Faith.
- The Synod seeks to decentralize Church authority and Church doctrine to the local bishop.
- Pope Francis has stated that God wills the existence of all religions. All religions are a path to God.
- Pope Francis is actively opposing the divine truths of our Catholic faith.
- It is the responsibility of you bishops to speak out against this. Or do you remain silent in accepting those thirty pieces of silver.
- You must accept this Truth. However, this Truth must be accepted privately and publicly.
Conclusion:
Tacit, silent, silence, repose, quiet
Plato indicates that even silence may indicate a tacit (implicit) acceptance or agreement with something. Cowardice often follows this.
Sophocles indicates that there could be times where silence is not acceptable. Therefore, one must speak up (out).
Euripides indicates that silence may come from shame.
Update: As a result of the Modernists’ efforts to create a synodal Church, the Church has become more divided than ever. Those who opposes synodalism are often deemed as rigid and as nuisances.
A whole legion of pope-splainers have not been silent in gleefully proclaiming that those who oppose Pope Francis’ are “schismatic”. This is quite ironic. These pope-splainers are actually the next generation of neo-Ultramontantists who claim that the pope virtually speaks with papal infallibility. They promote the heretical notion of the “doctrine of the Holy Father”.
These pope-splainers often defend Pope Francis, using “verbal gymnastics” and scouring the internet to explain away Pope Francis’ questionable and heretical statements. Let that sink in!
Many clergy (cardinals, bishops, priests) often remain silent about stating Church teachings on sin. Some clergy perhaps no longer believe in the Church’s teachings.
Some clergy remain silent and cowardly for fear of being deposed, cancelled, removed, or laicized by their superiors.
Some clergy reman silent for fearful of being passed over for promotions and advancement in the Church.
These silent and cowardly clergy are putting their souls (and other souls) in mortal peril by not teaching about the sinful nature of such actions.
Bishop Strickland, already deposed by Pope Francis, is NOT staying silent about the grave evils of synodality. He asks his fellow bishops what will it take for them to speak out. Bishop Strickland has already been made a “white martyr” for standing up for traditional Catholic teaching.
Like an ox who threshes, Bishop Strickland undertakes his duties and responsibilities as a faithful bishop.
From Outreach Magazine (a LGBTQ “Catholic” organization: [already huge red flags!]
A Synod panelist stated, ‘Get to know the real people who are forced to wear a mask because of the Church.’ (This panelist is essentially saying that the Catholic Church’s teachings are harmful because the Church does not accept their lifestyle. The quiet part not being said is that “the Church needs to changes its teachings on homosexuality”. They are blaming the Church. Let that sink in! There is no mention of Church’s teaching on homosexuality –> shocker!
Let’s not forget: Fr. James Martin has essentially said that St. Paul was wrong on homosexuality! Also, Pope Francis has been Fr. James Martin’s greatest supporter and cheerleader. What does that say about Pope Francis’ beliefs? Let that sink in! That is why we have Fuducia Supplicans!
Quotes:
“In some cases silence is dangerous.” St. Ambrose
“The greatest obstacle in the apostolate of the Church is the timidity or rather the cowardice of the faithful.” St. Pius X
“All the evils of the world is due to lukewarm Catholics.” St. Pius V
“Because his religion will be a brotherhood of man without the Fatherhood of God, he [the Devil] will set up a counter church…the ape of the Church. It will have the characteristics of the Church, but it will be emptied of its divine content. This will be a new religion without a cross, a liturgy without a world to come, one that renders unto Caesar even the things that are God’s.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen
- This synodal Church is made in the image of man (and his lived experiences.)
- This synodal Church’s divine content is being marginalized, fossilized, undermined, remained, reformed, and renewed.
- This synodal Church walks with the world, taking on secularism, equal clergy/laity decision-making, worldly values, spiritual idolatry, new situational moralities, paganism, sin, and evil.
- This synodal Church engages in moral relativism, worldly causes, situational moralities, activism, and practical atheism (worldly status, social activism, and giving lip service to Christ.)
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