US Bishops’ Conference Partnering with Heretical Association of Priests

The heretical Association of US Catholic Priests (AUSCP) announced earlier this year that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approached the Association, asking it to host a virtual consultation on the USCCB’s Laity Document. Public materials describe the event as a joint effort between AUSCP and the USCCB, presenting it as a continuation of synodal engagement.

The AUSCP has a long history of promoting views in direct conflict with immutable Catholic teachings regarding the ordination of women, human sexual morality, the sacraments and the nature of the priesthood.

In the latest announcement, the AUSCP confirmed that the primary speaker will be Sr. Marie Kolbe Zamora, who served in the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops during the global synod process. According to the AUSCP, she will speak about her experience in Rome, the importance of synodality to the Church in the United States, and how “deep listening” has changed her own spiritual life.

This collaboration between the USCC and the AUSCP indicates that it moves under the banner of synodality, despite the grave moral and theological concerns pertaining to the AUSCP.  Just three months ago, the AUSCP held its annual assembly in San Antonio. There, Catholic priests spoke openly about the mortal sin of masturbation as a form of prayer. These remarks were delivered from the floor, in public, during official sessions. The room responded with laughter, not outrage. Nobody in attendance raised an objection. No statement of correction followed.

And now, this dissident organization is claiming a role in shaping national Catholic policy for lay formation.

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