Posted on 04/10/2004 12:09:26 PM PDT by Maximilian
Bishop Kenneth Untener, who led the Saginaw, Mich., diocese for 24 years... died March 27 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Infirmary in Monroe, Mich., of a form of leukemia. He was 66.
“The posture we take toward the world, toward our own people, the images we present … tend toward corporate severity rather than softness. It is like a prevailing wind always moving us in that direction, and I worry about it.” It is clear now that almost everything he did and tried to do in his 24 years as bishop of Saginaw was against that wind.
“He was one of the few bishops for all those alienated women in the church and for liberal Catholics,” said Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese, editor of America magazine.
[Snipped: praise from the most infamous dissenters such as Sr. Theresa Kane, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton and Bishop Joseph Imesch.]
Three years later, in 1980, at the age of 44, he was named bishop of Saginaw, Mich., a sprawling 11-county, 110-parish diocese in the middle of the state. It was then that Untener faced a crisis that served to define his approach to his job. The appointment was very nearly rescinded due to controversy over a sexuality workshop he had authorized at St. John’s. It included talks by psychologists and other outside experts and films aimed at helping seminarians relate to their own sexuality. But it offended certain Catholics who had secretly filmed some sessions. They filed complaints with the Vatican, charging Untener with promoting “promiscuity.”
Twice during an 11-day period just before his scheduled consecration, Untener flew back and forth across the Atlantic to Rome to defend his position; on the second trip he was accompanied by Detroit Cardinal John Dearden, who assured Pope John Paul II of Untener’s integrity and warned that a cancellation of the consecration would be an embarrassment for the whole church.
He was consecrated bishop on Nov. 24, 1980, afterward greeting a mass of friends and supporters at the Detroit Civic Center with the oft-remembered words: “Hello, I am Ken and I am going to be your waiter.”
... He was very explicit, however, in disagreeing with the church’s refusal to reconsider the ban on artificial contraception. At a meeting of the U.S. bishops in 1990 he commented on a new document dealing with sex education: “We briefly restate the teaching on birth control and say we hope that the logic expressed here is compelling to the Catholic laity. I wonder how we can claim credibility when we make a statement like that, knowing in fact that the logic is not compelling to the Catholic laity … not compelling to many priests … and not compelling to many bishops."
(Excerpt) Read more at ncronline.org ...
But what is really interesting is their admission that this information about Untener was on the table before he was appointed bishop of Saginaw. Loyal Catholic laypeople had filmed Untener presenting pornography to his seminarians. This information was sent to Rome. It was known before the appointment was made official.
Yet for some reason, Untener was appointed bishop anyway. Otherwise history would have lost that immortal line, "Hi, I'm Ken and I'm going to be your bishop."
At this time JPII has already been pope for 2 years. If he were a president he'd be halfway through his term. He finds out that someone scheduled to be appointed bishop, someone who is young enough to be bishop for more than 30 years, has been caught on tape promoting sexual promiscuity in his position as seminary rector. What does he do? He appoints him bishop anyway!! And Saginaw gets to suffer under Untener for the next 24 years (which could have been many more if he didn't have the decency to die young).
How can this be explained? Those who are quick to explain away the scandals, and to claim that the pope "didn't know," what do you say to this one? In this case he absolutely did know. And with all the scandals going on today, this represents the culmination -- a perverted seminary rector who teaches "promiscuity" to his seminarians becomes a bishop who is the best friend of every liberal feminist kook in the Church.
I'd be interested to see more background information from "The Wanderer" or similar sources regarding the video tape and the events of 1980 that led to his ordination.
Perhaps you could point it out, unless, of course, you're making assumptions.
Try this for more information on the sexually explicit material presented to the seminarians:
The Roots of the Scandal by Michael Rose
The use of sexually explicit textbooks that undermine teaching on sexual morality was part of a wider program of “sexual reassessment” or desensitization that seminarians were forced to undergo during their formation for the holy priesthood.Isn't it interesting how the 2 seminary directors showing gay porno to their seminarians are each made bishops within a couple years? It shows you what was the direct route to promotion. Can anyone say "Gay mafia"?At the same time Father Kosnik was teaching seminarians at St. John’s in Michigan (attended by seminarians from all dioceses in that state), sexually explicit movies were shown to seminarians as a part of a morality course. Fathers Kenneth Untener and Robert Rose were seminary administrators at the time. (Father Untener was named Bishop of Saginaw in 1980 and Father Rose was named Bishop of Gaylord in 1981, and later Bishop of Grand Rapids.) Shortly after the Vatican announced that Untener was going to lead the Saginaw diocese, the Detroit Free Press and the National Catholic Register reported that he was summoned to Rome to explain his seminary program. With the help of Detroit’s Cardinal John Dearden, he apparently argued successfully in his own defense.
According to Detroit priest Father Eduard Perrone, the “porno flicks” were shown at the seminary as part of a class on morality. “They showed a man masturbating, a woman masturbating, couples copulating, homosexuals humping,” he recalled. The crudely produced films, he said, were supposedly put together by doctors who worked for clinical sex study institutes. “There were ladies in the class too,” he explained, “because at that time they were already teaching seminarians and laity together.”
And if you think this wasn't part of a coordinated program and a homosexual promotion network, it turns out Untener wasn't the only one showing porno movies to his seminarians:
Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee also routinely allowed seminary students to participate in a sexually explicit program entitled, “Sexual Attitude Reassessment,” so that seminarians could “rethink” their views on sexuality and conform with what the archbishop considered to be his more positive attitude. The program’s registration form promised to examine “how we were trained (or not trained) to hold restricting attitudes about our sexuality.” For at least ten years (1978-1988), Milwaukee seminarians and others attending these workshops at the archdiocesan center viewed a series of explicit movies. These showcased on the big screen male and female masturbation, heterosexual and homosexual intercourse, and variations of oral sex. The program drew protests for years, but it was not until 1988, when a local Christian television station exposed the program that the court of public opinion forced the archdiocese to shut it down.
There was a really great article posted here a week or two back about this topic, how conservative Catholics are always put off with the line, "We're working on a special present for you in the basement, but it will spoil the surprise if we let you know about it before Christmas." But then Christmas never comes for the loyal Catholics waiting for their present from the bishop.
This went right to the top. Only the pope ultimately makes the appointment. Cardinal Dearden of Detroit accompanied Untener to Rome to plead his case.
And actually, President Bush probably does know the names of most Asst. Secretaries of Commerce. And you can be sure that if one of them is named "Mohammed Atta" or if there is documented evidence that he is a member of the Communist Party, there is absolutely no doubt that Pres. Bush will personally intervene to get rid of his sorry ass and the sorry excuse who placed him in that position in the first place. If the Pope were doing his job, not only would he have refused to appoint Untener bishop of Saginaw, he would demanded Dearden's resignation as well.
At the time it was closed most of the faculty of St. John's was brought to Sacred Heart,(tenure/law suits) but, as they have left or died their replacements have been, for the most part, very solid. Bishop Vigneron did a lot to bring Sacred Heart out of its bad reputation. Not soon enough for Micheal Rose's book unfortunately. I got a chance to speak briefly with Rose when he came to Detroit and he said he was encouraged by the good reports he had gotten concerning Sacred Heart Seminary.
Here in Detroit we pray that our Cardinal Maida will continue to support the current "track" Sacred Heart is on. Just a few more years and there will be a good number of very devout solid Catholic priests in this Diocese. Many of these young Sacred Heart seminarians are very good, they know their Catholic Faith and they know it is going to be a difficult task to re-Catechise this diocese. Please pray for them.
Also, BIG BUMP for The Wanderer !
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.