Beware the Trojan Horse in the Synodal Church

"A Synodal Church will make it much easier to overturn 'the entire moral order by permitting individual (subjective) conscience to reign supreme over objective moral law.'"

From Crisis

By John Horvat II

The "Synodal Church" attempts to eradicate the hierarchical structure of the Church as instituted by Christ, replacing it with a democratic model.

A small work is now circulating in the Catholic world that is shrouded in mystery. Published this fall by Catholics for Catholics, it is titled: The Trojan Horse in the Catholic Church—Synod of Synodality: The Attempt to Invert the Bride of Christ’s Hierarchy and Moral Order.  

What makes the book so mysterious and controversial is that no one knows from whence it came. The author is listed as just Fr. Enoch. Nothing is known about this priest save that he fears retribution and therefore writes under an assumed name. 

His choice of the name of the Old Testament prophet is also enigmatic. Enoch did not die and will return to fight the Antichrist. The use of his name contributes to the apocalyptic tone of this important book, lending it a sense of prophetic urgency.

A Cardinal’s Testimony

A final controversial element is the foreword by Cardinal Gerhard Müller, who validates the book’s thesis. This endorsement indicates that the work is not just any criticism of synodality. It is a serious work worthy of consideration. The author managed to enlist the testimony of the German cardinal, who attended both Synods on Synodality (2023 and 2024).

In the foreword, the noted prelate recounts his experience of synodality, which he does not see as a guiding “spirit” but as a manipulated process “to achieve the outcomes desired by those in charge of the workings of the Synod.” He warns of the dangers of the Synodal Church and encourages Fr. Enoch’s efforts.

All these elements come together to make this mysterious little book a must-read for those who want to understand the latest developments of the crisis inside the Church. Written just after the last conclave, the book’s central points are timelier than ever—as Leo XIV shows himself to be following in the footsteps of the late Pope Francis. 

Just to make that conclusion clear, an addendum to the text chronicles the scandalous entry of LGBTQ+ activists into St. Peter’s Basilica as part of the Jubilee Year celebrations in September. Fr. Enoch uses this as proof that something is amiss in the post-Francis era.

Clarity Emerges from the Mystery

Upon reading the text, however, the shroud of mystery is lifted, and the lightning bolts begin. What emerges is clarity. It is a refreshing clarity, as the whole synodal process operates within a climate of ambiguity, obfuscation, and outright error. 

The author has the courage to say things the way they are. He documents all his positions with ample citations, often from synodal sources. His solicitude for the truth lends the book a sense of security that helps fortify his categorical affirmations. His clarity with charity indicates he does not have a hidden agenda.

Laser Focused

Fr. Enoch remains laser-focused on the two central goals of the synodal process. He grasps onto these points and does not let go. 

The first goal is to “eradicate the hierarchical structure of the Church as instituted by Christ, replacing it with a democratic model.”

Such a claim is easy to substantiate, as the Synodal documents consistently refer to an “inverted pyramid” model as the new structure of the Synodal Church. The hierarchy is found on the bottom, “listening, accompanying and serving” the now exalted base. 

Fr. Enoch states the Church’s position on the nature of the Church very clearly: 

Our Lord personally gave authority to His Apostles and their successors in office to teach, to govern, and to sanctify the faithful, the entire People of God. The structure that Jesus established for His Church is hierarchical; and in this divinely-established order, the bishop, as the shepherd of his diocese, does not “follow” his flock; moreover, his authority is not “dependent” on “listening” and “learning” from those under his care.

Changing the Moral Order

The second goal is more serious. It presupposes the success of the first. A Synodal Church will make it much easier to overturn “the entire moral order by permitting individual (subjective) conscience to reign supreme over objective moral law.” This upending would especially result in normalizing homosexual vice and undermining the family. 
The author further notes that the structural changes of the Synodal Church would lead to the Protestantization of the Catholic Church. “Bishops in different dioceses, or in different episcopal conferences, or in different regions or continents will no doubt formulate different teachings on family, marriage, chastity, homosexual inclination and activity.”

Inside the framework of these two points, Fr. Enoch shows how this plan would fragment and relativize Church teaching. It would especially further the pro-LGBTQ+ agenda inside Church structures, which he denounces extensively.

Tragic Implementation

Thus, Fr. Enoch’s book is not just a scholarly commentary on progressive advances inside the structures of the Church. He shows how activists aim to overthrow the structures themselves, which will have concrete effects on how Catholics practice their faith. 

He further frames the debate with a sense of urgency. The Synod organizers view synodality as a process expressed by a continual and inclusive “journey” together with “everyone, everyone, everyone”—including non-Catholics and atheists. The final reports on the Synod of Synodality are due at the end of this year, and they will have consequences.

Indeed, the tragic implementation of all synodal recommendations will be cemented in place at the culminating meeting in October of 2028. In other words, directives will soon arrive that will change the parish life of countless Catholics. There is no time to lose. 

A Pandora’s Box and a Trojan Horse

Such a prospect of radical change should alarm Catholics. Indeed, the Synod on Synodality opened what authors JoséAntonio Ureta and Julio Loredo call a Pandora’s box. Fr. Enoch cites their book, The Synodal Process Is a Pandora’s Box: 100 Questions & Answers, since it indicates what is at stake in this process. 

In his book, Fr. Enoch sounds the alarm about the evils unleashed from the mythical box. These errors are now entering surreptitiously among the faithful. Fr. Enoch’s image could not be more fitting: a Trojan Horse.

Fr. Enoch warns that the Trojan Horse is already inside the walls of the Church. Clerical and lay progressives triumphantly brought it inside the walls at the close of the last Synod, asking that the faithful celebrate it. 

A Great Battle Ahead

Thus, Fr. Enoch thunders from his mysterious perch that Catholics must not be deceived by the Trojan Horse. Inside are mysterious and sinister forces that want to destroy the Church and the moral order. With the help of God’s grace, they must and will be stopped.

The author foresees a great battle ahead. However, he is not a doomsayer but one who confides. He exhorts his readers to “go forward with confident hope, knowing that if we remain close to Mary’s Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, and through her Heart, remain immersed in the Sacred Heart of her Divine Son, we should have no fear, no anxiety.”

Indeed, there is no better way to brave the storm than acting and confiding in the Immaculate Heart that will triumph.