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Abyss Between Francis and the Dutch Bishops

The Dutch bishops “change into a refrigerator when the name [Francis] falls”, according to Jan-Willem Wits, a former spokesman of the Dutch bishops’ conference.

Writing on blendle.com (April 24), Wits states that the “Dutch people” [read: agnostic commercial media] like Francis – in contrast to the bishops [who preside over a Church that has anticipated the Bergoglio ideology and therefore, today, is reduced to shreds].

According to Wits the Dutch bishops think that Francis is a “populist”, who puts the eternal truth of the Church “for sale”.

Wits claims that an idea of inviting Francis to the Netherlands was rejected by the bishops because of their “busy schedule”.

Until the Second Vatican Council, the Church in the Netherlands was a Catholic stronghold. After the Council, it was considered the spearhead of the "renewal" wanted by the Council but this "renewal" ended in a disaster.

In the last ten years over 1000 Catholic churches have been closed down. Today, the faithful in the Netherlands are very small groups, mainly consisting of immigrants.

Picture: © Mazur, catholicchurch.org.uk, CC BY-NC-SA, #newsHkqxgbjyhx
Tess
I went to live in the Netherlands after I was married....a long time ago....1967. I found the Mass, and the casual Sacrament of Confession - sitting at a table weird and not so wonderful. That was the era when we read of women etc. sitting around a dining room table to celebrate their version of mass. It was a very hard time on faithful clergy. But, the Church will live on...even in the 'catacombs'.
aderito
i would say more political role than a sheppard ,role ,
Prayhard
This Dutch orthodoxy is a blessed relief, given how Dutch bishops led the attack on Catholic teaching and the Mass of All Time after V2 (eg the Dutch Catechism).