Friday, April 28, 2006
SYNTHESIS DIALOGUES II
At the AGNT website is a description of Synthesis II from which new information on this activity can be discovered.
It took place June 27 to July 1, 2002 in Trent, Italy, at the Mariapolis Centre. Mariapolis is a Focolare concept. On their website you can read their mission: "We were born to contribute towards the fulfilment of unity in the world." Has anyone asked what the word "unity" means in their eyes? What they describe sounds like a social gospel. How does Christ fit into this vision? Is he just another nice god welcome in the world pool of gods? How does the doctrine of Catholicism fit into this picture?
The Synthesis II website linked above indicates that Focolare is "a group of lay monastic women affiliated with the Vatican." Russian occultist G. I. Gurdjieff, too, promoted lay monastics and called it the "Fourth Way." According to P. D. Ouspensky, his chief apologist:
The fourth way requires no retirement into the desert, does not require a man to give up and renounce everything by which he formerly lived. ...the beginning of the fourth way is easier than the beginning of the ways of the fakir, the monk, and the yogi. On the fourth way it is possible to work and to follow this way while remaining in the usual conditions of life, continuing to do the usual work, preserving former relations with people, and without renouncing or giving up anything.(IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS, p. 48-49. The channeled book has a Foreword by Marianne Williamson, of "A Course in Miracles" fame.)
At Synthesis II there were improvisational skits and music by Rickie Byars-Beckwith, who also sang at Synthesis III. She is described as an "intuitive channel of healing music" who subscribes to the "teachings of New Thought-Ancient Wisdom" according to her biography at the What is Enlightenment website dedicated to "redefining spirituality for an evolving world." Would that redefinition include Jesus Christ as THE way, truth, and life? Or would that redefinition amount to a parliament of multiple religions on equal footing?
The article on Synthesis II indicates that the dialogues are the work of The Association for Global New Thought which has convened the project with co-director, Bro. Wayne Teasdale. Teasdale, before his death, was the guru in the lead of the Catholic monks who are promoting interreligious dialogue, centering prayer, and working with the Gurdjieffian Church in Austin, Texas, so perhaps Focolare and Gurdjieff's Fourth Way do have something in common, given these associations. These same monks promote Gurdjieff's Enneagram.
The Synthesis II website indicates that
The purpose of the Dialogues is to nurture a unified relationship among influencial social leaders who are deeply concerned about human rights and nonviolence, and will support a widespread campaign to bring awareness that practical spirituality must be applied to these issues...
At what price? Must we abandon our faith in order to gain peace?
The description continues with the Tibetan model which
intends for the spiritual enterprise to suffuse governance, education and all aspects of the culture.
Theocracy? The theocracy of Christ? Will Mass be permitted in this theocracy? Not if Gurdjieff is the model. Ouspensky writes:
For instance, in all the denominations of Christianity a great part is played by the tradition of the Last Supper of Christ and his disciples. Liturgies and a whole series of dogmas, rites, and sacraments are based upon it. This has been a ground for schism, for the separation of churches, for the formation of sects; how many people have perished because they would not accept this or that interpretation of it. But, as a matter of fact nobody understands what this was precisely, or what was done by Christ and his disciples that evening. There exists no explanation that even approximately resembles the truth, because what is written in the Gospels has been, in the first place, much distorted in being copied and translated...(IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS, p. 96-97)
When asked if what Gurdjieff was teaching was compatible with Christianity, he responded "this is esoteric Christianity." (IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS, p. 102)
Esoteric Christianity has no need of rites and rituals. It relies on spirit contact.
The Synthesis II website talks about Buddhist School of Dialectics, and rendering its concepts "in non-religious language". It speaks of promoting "visibility of New Thought/Ancient Wisdom."
This is not Catholicism, folks, this is esoteric Christianity in the making, with the help of Focolare and the monks promoting interreligious dialogue, and doing it on the grounds of the papal summer residence, presumably with the approval of John Paul II.
This is the religion of anti-Christ spoken of in the Book of Revelation and being promoted in the home of the Roman Catholic Pope.
Does Benedict approve?
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
