Posted on 01/07/2008 8:03:28 PM PST by topher
LifeSiteNews.com
Monday January 7, 2008
Top Vatican Cardinal Tells the Jesuits to Clean Up their Act
Repeatedly spoke about his "sorrow and anxiety" at the state of the Jesuit order in terms of infidelity to the teachings of the Church.
By John-Henry Westen
ROME, January 7, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The top Vatican official who deals with religious orders, Cardinal Franc Rode, addressed the 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) today. Cardinal Rode who was installed by Pope Benedict XVI as Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life spoke repeatedly about his "sorrow and anxiety" at the state of the Jesuit order in terms of infidelity to the teachings of the Church.
Cardinal Rode recalled the founder of the Society of Jesus, St. Ignatius and his primary formula for the order: "To serve the Lord and his Spouse the Church under the Roman Pontiff"
"It is with sorrow and anxiety that I see that the sentire cum ecclesia (thinking with the church) of which your founder frequently spoke is diminishing even in some members of religious families," he said.
The once illustrious Jesuits, the great defenders of faith, have over the last 40 years been steeped in dissident controversy. Jesuit priests have featured prominently in the homosexual priest scandal and Jesuit universities and their theologians have been hotbeds of dissent on Church teachings especially those on life and family.
Pope Benedict has put an end to some of the scandal issuing public corrections of several prominent Jesuit theologians. Last year, the editor of the U.S. Jesuit flagship publication 'America', Thomas J. Reese was abruptly resigned after a career of increasing hostility to Church teaching.
The Cardinal's address is being seen by Vatican watchers as another move in the Pope's efforts to restore the order to its former glory.
Later in his address, the Cardinal added, "With sadness and anxiety I also see a growing distancing from the Hierarchy." He explained: "The Ignatian spirituality of apostolic service 'under the Roman Pontiff' does not allow for this separation. In the Constitutions which he left you, Ignatius . . . wrote 'we must always keep our mind prepared and quick to obey' . . . the Hierarchical Church"
Addressing specific areas the Prefect said, "May those who, according to your legislation, have to oversee the doctrine of your magazines and publications do so in the light of and according to the "rules for sentire cum ecclesia", with love and respect."
Cardinal Rode did not content himself with correction but challenged the Jesuits to avant-garde position in the culture war - the very area where there have been so many traitors within the ranks of the Jesuits.
"The Tradition of the Society, from the first beginnings of the Collegio Romano always placed itself at the crossroads between Church and society, between faith and culture, between religion and secularism," said the Cardinal. "Recover these avant-garde positions which are so necessary to transmit the eternal truth to today's world, in today's language. Do not abandon this challenge."
See the full address of Cardinal Rode here:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2008/jan/080107b.html
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This news, coupled with the return of the Latin Mass makes me very happy.
signed,
a fallen Catholic and poor Christian trying to stumble back to God's grace.
Just what I was going to say. All I need to see now is the complete Third Secret.
I’m impressed. It’s about time they cleaned it up.
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This is good to hear.
Perhaps he was a bit distracted by some bigger fish to fry like defeating the Soviet Union in eastern Europed including his home country of Poland.
A true saint will suffer sorrow when the church falls astray...
The Seven Sorrows of Mary comes to mind as an example.
On the other hand, Saint Padre Pio, when he had to, harshly criticized sinners in the confessional so they would be truly repenant.
He did feel bad about getting so much pleasure out of such scolding of sinners in the confessional...
The final example is Jesus in the Temple with the money changers. He had no patience whatsoever or charity for them. He took whips after them... So His punishment of those sinners in the Temple were quite severe.
However, the Jesuits are deeply within the Temple of the Lord, so lashing out at them and their sins may be similar to what Jesus did in the Gospel with the Money Changers...
This could adversely affect the Democratic Party this year, if the Catholic Church starts rejecting socialism and liberal ideas such as homosexuality, abortion, and other things the Jesuits allowed to enter the Church -- especially in Catholic Universities...
When you hear of some priests getting shot in the head in Central America, guess what,....It turn out to be Jesuit's. It seems they were helping the commies run guns or something to Pi$$ off the local dictator. It never fails. They need to stay out of the local politics, but it seems they are always more interested in getting along with the Che Guevara or Chavez types than saving lost souls. They will tell you Jesus was a communist, if you ask them. They seem to have gotten the Church and government mixed up. If you are Christian, you are supposed to give your cloak to a stranger, not take everyone else's cloak and give it to whom you think worthy.
I've often wondered why some of the "good Jesuits" (such as Fr. Fessio) didn't seek permission to start some new order. However, the Jesuit order had a very strong charism, that is, a unique mission and spirituality, and perhaps they hung in there hoping that there would be a return to that someday. The order has been more than decimated; I believe it is the order that has had the sharpest decline in membership and, not coincidentally, the highest AIDS rate of all of them. So perhaps the "good Jesuits" are hoping that they'll be the last men standing and thus will inherit the order and be able to reform it.
Personally, I think so much damage has been done to its internal life and external reputation that this would be impossible, but as you say, with God...
“At least 40 years late, but Im glad to see the clean up begin.”
40 years ago would be 1967. I am curious if that year is of any significance to you personally, because it to me. 1967 was my freshman year in a Jesuit college. For 4 years, I was brainwashed by their “situational ethics” approach to morality. It took me a good 10 years after graduation in 1971 to finally put that nonsense behind me.
During that time,I did and said things that today I am embarrassed to even think of. It is amazing the things you can and will do when you think there are no absolutes.
I am glad I came to my senses before I had children.
The Jesuits were completely liberal, both in politics and their heresies to the Christian scriptures.
But what shocked me more than anything was being invited to a party once, and seeing two male Jesuit priests kissing and groping each other in the corner.
I agree. The Jesuits will only sneer at this speech (and that was all it was), and will wear their defiance as a "Badge of Honor."
The Pope has to defrock, punish, and pour publc shame over scores of Jesuits (and liberal priests) before anything will change.
They are too grounded in their liberalism and heresy.
Only negative reinforcement will get through to them.
Amen and right on!
Fr. Fitzdesmond fitz Fr. Fitzgerald? I hope they don't try any funny stuff with the Christian Brothers. BTW, just had to leave during a "sermon." The prancing pastor sounded as if he were attempting to sell the latest permanent wave machine to a colleague. Cracked me up, actually.
>>Perhaps he was a bit distracted by some bigger fish to fry like defeating the Soviet Union in eastern Europed including his home country of Poland.<<
So what was the excuse after the 80’s?
JPII was a wonderfully spiritual man who let the libs run away with the church. He spent more time talking to heathens than the conservative Catholics, who were begging him to do something.
B16 is cleaning up his mess.
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