[Greek] παροικέω (paroikeō), [Latin] peregrinus, [Latin] morare, [German] pilgerin, [French] rester, [German] sich aufhalten: to be a sojourner, to reside as a foreigner, to settle; Lk.24:18, Heb.11:9

The Hebrews journeying and wandering in the desert.
A tale of two Churches:
- Traditional Catholicism and scriptures call that Christians remain as travelers and sojourners in the world as we look to our home in heaven.
- This conveys the idea that Christians remain separate from the world and worldly influences.
- Yet, the Conciliar/Synodal Church seeks to create a worldly Church made in the image of man and his lived experiences.
- The Conciliar/Synodal Church seeks to accommodate the world by MAKING A BETTER WORLD/SEEKING FAVOR WITH THE WORLD.
- The Conciliar/Synodal Church focuses more on the environment, social justice, politics, and immigration rather than on making disciples and bringing souls into heaven.
Background information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means to dwell beside and to lie near.
- Resident aliens were often perceived as barbarians with few civic rights.
- This pertains to the stranger who lives in a place for a short period of time.
- The non-citizen (neighbor) may be a resident alien with few civic rights, but living under the common protection.
- Resident aliens, outside the Greek cultural sphere, were often perceived as barbarians (foreigners).
Isocrates’ Panegyricus 4.162: “For since the barbarians are unequal to small divisions of the Hellenes, it is not hard to foresee what their plight if they should be forced into a war against our united forces.”
Thucydides’ The Peloponnesian War 3.93: “The Thessalians were afraid that it might prove a very powerful neighbor and continually harassed and made war upon the settlers.”
Thucydides’ The Peloponnesian War. 6.82: “Our kinfolk came against their mother country and chose to be slaves themselves.”
Old Testament: This term means to dwell as an alien and to dwell together.
- The Hebrews (Israelites) themselves experienced exile and captivity.
- The Jews of the Diaspora, while retaining their Jewish ways, became resident aliens in foreign lands.
- Such sojourners included the Israelites in Egypt and the wilderness, Abraham in Egypt and Gerar, Isaac in Canaan, and Jacob in Hebron.
- The Jews of the Disapora, while retaining their Jewish ways, become resident aliens in foreign lands.
- The resident alien often forfeits both country and legal standing.
New Testament: This term means to sojourn and to visit.
- The New Testament era, in welcoming both Jew and Gentile, removes the ordinance of circumcision.
- Christians become fellow citizens of God along with saints and members of God’s household.
- Christians are still sojourners walking in the path of Jesus.
- The Church becomes a diaspora as it spreads.
- The Christians, belonging to Jesus, also must sojourn in the secular and political world.
Scripture:
Lk.24:18: “One of them names Cleopas, said to Him in reply, ‘Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?’” (The risen Christ revealed Himself not only to the disciples but also to ordinary followers burden by grief and confusion. Their question opened the way for Christ to expose their incomplete understanding and to teach them from the Scriptures.)
Heb.11:9: “By faith, Abraham sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise.” (God has pledged Canaan to Abraham’s descendants and promised through his seed all nations would be blessed. Although Canaan was promised to Abraham, he remained a resident alien its peoples. The temporary dwelling anticipates the believer’s life in a passing world toward God’s eternal dwelling.)
[Greek] παροικία (paroikia), [Latin] peregrinus, [German] pilgerin, [French] voyager: parishioners, alien residence, sojourning, non-citizens dwelling as residents, pilgrims on a journey; Act.13:17, 1Pet.1:17
Acts 13:17: “The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt. With uplifted arm He led them out of it.” (God raised them up from out of bondage into freedom. The Israelites sojourned out captivity in Egypt.)
1Pet.1:17: “Now if you invoke as Father who judges impartially according to one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning.” (This sojourning implies that the Christians are TRAVELING STRANGERS taking TEMPORARY RESIDENCE on earth. The sons and daughters of God have NOT yet found their permanent place in God’s domain.)
Other scriptures supporting the notion that we are just temporary sojourners in this world.
Php.3:19-20: “Their end is destruction, Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. Their minds are occupied with earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Enemies of the cross:
- Failing to acknowledge the cross which Jesus bore
- Failing to take up our cross and follow Him.
- Becoming indifferent to the gospel message
- Living in the indulgence of sin (sinful life)
- Having a deeper interest in worldly affairs rather in the cause of Christ
- Being opposed to the doctrines of Christ
- Mixing and mingling the laws of the world with the laws of Christ
Their God is their stomach:
- They serve their own belly, not Jesus Christ.
- They worship their own appetites.
- They live for self-indulgence and self-gratification.
- Their indulgences become mundane as food
Our citizenship is in heaven:
- Our temporary dwelling place is on earth
- “Our mind is on earth, our country is in heaven.”
- The Christians in Phillipi are now citizens of the city of heaven.
- The citizens in the world are governed by the laws of heaven.
Early 4th century:
- The diocese was a well-established term for an ecclesiastical district of jurisdiction.
- The Roman Empire was also organized by dioceses. The word diocese comes from the Greek verb dioikeo, meaning to govern.
- Doioikeo and paroikeo have the same rook oika, meaning house.
Early Church: Even after the New Testament era, the Church still regards itself as travelers and resident aliens. St. Polycarp, a 2nd century bishop, was a disciple of the Apostle John.
The Martyrdom of St. Polycarp (155-157 AD) : “The Church of God which sojourns in Smyrna, to the Church of God which sojourns in Philomelium, and to all the dioceses of the holy and Catholic Church in every place.”
The Epistle of Diognetus 5:5 (130 A.D): “The Christians dwell in their own countries, but only as sojourners; they bear their share in all things as citizens, and they endure all hardships as strangers.”
What is primary supreme law of the Catholic Church? The SALVATION OF SOULS (salus animarum suprema lex) ===> BRINGING SOULS INTO HEAVEN. All other laws and regulations within the Church are ultimately intended to serve this overarching purpose of bringing souls to salvation.
What has been the result of Vatican II and Synodality? The Vatican and Synodality has brought in “fresh air” (worldliness) and inadvertently “the smoke of Satan” (spirit of undermining and rebellion) so that the Church can “get with the times.” SYNODALITY, SEEKING TO DOUBLE DOWN ON WHAT VATICAN II STARTED, seeks to create a worldly Church made in the image of man and his lived experiences.
What has been consequences of this? The Church is more focused on MAKING A BETTER WORLD/SEEKING FAVOR WITH THE WORLD rather than on its primary mission of bringing souls into heaven. The Church acts more like a United Nations NGO rather than a divine institution. The Church is less focused on following Jesus. The Synodal Church is more focused on watered-down Catholicism, politics, immigration, social justice, climate, and questionable ecumenism.
Synodality ===> creating a new “listening” Church.
Their end is their destruction:
- They have no true religion. They will perish as with all sinners.
- Failing to follow Jesus’ teachings [to sin no more].
- Their ends will be according to their works, actions, and human traditions. (German Synodal Church leading to decline and heresy).
- Synodal human traditions: de-stigmatizing homosexuality, shared clergy/decision making, blurring vocations/rights, lived experiences
Their God is their stomach:
- They serve their own bellies (desires) rather than serving God.
- They worship their own appetites, indulgences, and self-gratifications. (The Church not following its own teachings against homosexuality.)
- Their self desires become as mundane as food. (Common prevalence of homosexuality in the priesthood.)
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
- Their hearts are set on worldly things and lived experiences.
- Lived experiences (tolerance, inclusion, false compassion) often take precedence over Church teachings. Synodality becomes an IDOL
- They may often ignore, refute, or pay lip service Church teachings.
- They may often ignore Jesus, Jesus’ statements on sin, and sinning no more.
- They are more concerned with following a “worldly “gospel” (MAKING A BETTER WORLD/SEEKING FAVOR WITH THE WORLD.
- They are more concerned with politics, immigration, illegal immigration, social justice, environment rather than with spiritual issues.
- The Vatican claims that that the Mass is an ecological school in climate change. This document pertains to “Caring for our Common Home.”
- Pope Leo’s prayer intention for September is for “care of water” than on focusing on Mary.
- The Synodal Church evidently has little interest or concern about making disciples and bringing souls into heaven.
- More human traditions: the Synodal Church are creating the notion of an “ecological sin.” This sounds like making creation equivalent to God! This sounds like eco-paganism.
How to respond to modern society’s malaise:
- There are essentially two spiritual responses to this issue: A traditional perspective and a synodal/ecological perspective.
- Each perspective is very revealing in it owns right.
- Traditional perspective: many people are spiritually sleepwalking in this world, not paying attention to their spiritual/moral state. Sin, morality, Church teachings and doctrines are not being addressed. Many are placing their souls in eternal moral peril.
- Synodal/ecological perspective: this calls for drastic changes in how we define our relationship with the environment. We must achieve an ecological spirituality which a balance with the environment. (What is not being said: there is no focus on one’s spiritual/moral state, sin, salvation.
- There is a very clear dichotomy in the causes for this malaise: Spiritual vs. non-spiritual (This speaks volumes about the different values between traditional Catholicism and Synodality.)
Conclusion:
Peregrine, pilgrim, pilgrimage, rest, halt, parochial, parish, moratorium
Resident aliens were often perceived in the Greco-Roman culture as barbarians.
By the early part of the 4th century, the diocese was a well-established term for an ecclesiastical district. The Roman empire was also organized by dioceses. Although part of the Church, Christians are still considered sojourners on the way to heaven.
Update: It is always helpful to be reminded that we are all temporary sojourners in this world. We also need to conduct ourselves (both laity and clergy) with reverence.
The USCCB have found themselves to be financially entrenched in the world with UN agencies, charitable organizations, and govt. organizations involving social justice, immigration, and illegal immigration. This has resulted in questionable activities and inverted priorities (less focus on pro-life, abortion, and catechesis.)
Border patrol agents found that some Catholic clerics and charitable organizations were concealing their complicity with illegal immigration and child trafficking. (Refer to the attached below.)
The Conciliar/Synodal Church is more concerned about the environment, social justice, politics, immigration rather than on spiritual matters.
The Conciliar/Synodal Church looks more like a United Nations NGO, rather than the Church that Jesus established. Let that sink in.
The USCCB is now doubling down in its efforts to restore their money supply from the US government. This really sheds more light on these bishops’ priorities in “making a better world”. Let that sink in.
Inverted priorities: There will always be the poor. Yet, there seems to be an excessive focus on the illegal immigrants, rather than on helping the poor in their immediate spheres of influence.
Vatican II and Synodality have LOST THE PLOT about what it means to becoming TEMPORARY SOJOURNERS in the world.
Synodality: journeying together transforming Jesus’ Church into a more worldly synodal and less Catholic Church. More concerned about MAKING A BETTER WORLD AND SEEKING FAVOR WITH THE WORLD.
The Vatican develops the concept of “ecological sin”: The Vatican is essentially saying that we need to get right with the environment instead of getting right with God! This sounds atheistic (removing God out of the equation.) This sounds like words coming from a United Nations NGO.
Quotes:
“Ecological spirituality charts a path out of this suicidal spiral which mistreats us, makes us sick, and causes us to deteriorate.” Vatican
“Life is tough, pilgrim. It is even tougher if you’re stupid.” John Wayne
“We are travelers; not yet in our native land.” St. Augustine
“We have solemnly renounced the world and therefore, whilst we continue in it, we should behave like strangers and pilgrims.” St. Cyprian
























![Greek] ἀπειλή (apeilē), [Latin] loquere, [French] parler, [French] chasser – Resounding The Faith](https://i0.wp.com/resoundingthefaith.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/apeile1.jpg?w=978&ssl=1)


































The Greco-Roman stage often stages dramas and plays illustrating the human condition.


































