The local Fort Worth news did a little piece on the fact that the local Benedictine seminary continues to grow. The rector makes a clear emphasis on being challenged spiritually and intellectually, but also very much so physically. You may remember from my post 5 minutes ago that the Benedictines are also growing in many other places around the world. The video of the new broadcast is available by clicking here.
FORT WORTH (CBS 11) - No sex, no money, and complete obedience. Not what you think the average 20-year-old guy would go for. But according to the Catholic Church, the number of men joining the priesthood is up.
In the Diocese of Fort Worth alone, the number of seminarians has nearly doubled in the last 10 years.
And who is joining might surprise you.
Brett Metzler bench presses 250 pounds, squats 305, and can shoot hoops with the best of them.
But the former high school Athlete of the Year is not your typical college student.
20-year-old Brett believes becoming a priest is a better fit.
The Denton County native is preparing for the priesthood at Saint Joseph’s Seminary College in Covington, Louisiana–1200 acres of woods, water, and worship north of New Orleans....
Was it just me or did I hear the Hail Mary being said in Latin in that video? Gregorian chant?
Why are the Benedictines all growing so much? Fruits of the last pope?
The biological solution continues: evil (or even an inadequately good thing) destroys itself, good perpetuates itself.
News comes today from Wisques, France that the once great Benedictine Abbey of Saint Paul is changing hands from an old liberal group of monks whose average age is 75 to a brand new group of 18 monks (Solesmes Congregation) overflowing from the already packed nearbyAbbey of Notre-Dame de Fontgombault, famous for celebrating holy Mass in the Extraordinary form of the Roman Rite with beautiful sacred music in a 'dead language.'
The Solesmes Congregation is famous for beautiful liturgy and is considered the reference for gregorian chant. Their Abbey in Oklahoma (Clear Creek Abbey), United States has been growing by leaps an bounds as well, so much so that an expansion was required.
CNS released their interview with the Cardinal today following his leading of the Italian March for Life where Pope Francis also joined.
The Holy Father also had the following message at the March: “I greet the participants of the March for Life which took place this morning in Rome and invite everyone to stay focused on the important issue of respect for human life, from the moment of conception."
Not that you need them to inform you of this state of affairs, but suprisingly, The Washington Post admits that it accidentally slants the abortion issue each year after the March for Life as is obvious in our articles: 1, 2, 3.
During today’s annual meeting of shareholders of The Washington Post Company, a shareholder activist of the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Free Enterprise Project told Post Company management that biased reporting is causing “a credibility problem that’s obviously hurting your bottom line.”
Making an example of the Washington Post’s lopsided coverage of abortion activism, David Almasi, the National Center’s executive director, noted the Post’s lack of reporting on major anti-abortion events such as the annual March for Life, in comparison to smaller environmentalist and pro-gun control events this past January and February. Almasi pointed out that his critique closely resembles criticism raised in 1990 by the Post’s then-ombudsman and its managing editor.
Noting that almost identical lapses in objectivity are noticeable today, Almasi noted: “The big difference between now and 23 years ago is that the Post has abolished the position of ombudsman.”
Almasi added: “With the public politically-divided, you do not serve the shareholders well when you alienate half the people all of the time. It’s not a winning business model.”
A copy of the complete question asked by Almasi, as it was prepared for delivery, can be foundhere.
In response, Post Company chairman and CEO Donald Graham, who served as the paper’s publisher in 1990, said he agreed with the criticism of the paper’s abortion reporting at that time and said the Post’s job in reporting the news is “not to take sides.” However, he added, “that’s not to say we don’t make mistakes.”
Graham handed off the question to current Post publisher Katherine Weymouth, who added: “[W]e’re far from perfect — we do make mistakes.” In a private conversation with Almasi after the conclusion of the meeting, Weymouth suggested around “90 percent” of the Post newsroom holds liberal political beliefs and “obviously their bias comes through” on occasion. “We can’t be perfect,” Weymouth reiterated. Almasi pointed out that the Post’s apparent bias against large pro-life events such as the annual March for Life is a recurring problem with the paper.
“Every year, the hundreds of thousands of people who trek to Washington in January — often in snow and rain — for the March for Life get a small story in the Metro section for their efforts. And it usually includes a photo of the handful of pro-abortion counter-protesters who show up — diluting the coverage and potentially making someone not reading the article think it was a pro-abortion event. This year, the apparent bias was compounded when a gun control rally of less than 1,000 people the next day received better coverage. And another smaller rally against the Keystone XL pipeline made the front section,” said Almasi. “People consider Congress more credible than the reporters who cover them these days, and the Washington Post is seen as the poster child for bias for this kind of reporting.”
The National Center participated in the Washington Post Company shareholder meeting through the use of shares in company stock owned by Accuracy in Media (AIM)...
Clearly you didn't need them to tell you that. With a number like 90% don't expect any different behavior in the future, especially since its not that important to have accurate reporting.
The Jesuit school decided it was a good idea to find a politician whose major contribution so far to mankind is trying to legalize abortion in Ireland. Great move.
Archdiocese of Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley said today that he plans to boycott Boston College’s commencement ceremony May 20 because it will feature Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny as its commencement speaker. The College is scheduled to award Kenny an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Kenny supports loosening the country’s legislation against abortion.
“Since the university has not withdrawn the invitation and because the Taoiseach (prime minister) has not seen fit to decline, I shall not attend the graduation,’’ O’Malley said in a statement released this afternoon. “It is my ardent hope that Boston College will work to redress the confusion, disappointment and harm caused by not adhering to the Bishops’ directives,” he added, referencing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops instruction that Catholic institutions not honor those whose views are inconsistent with the Church’s teachings.
Traditionally, the Boston archbishop delivers the final benediction at Boston College’s commencement each year.
Continued Cardinal O’Malley’s statement:
The Irish Bishops have responded to that development by affirming the Church’s teaching that “the deliberate decision to deprive an innocent human being of life is always morally wrong” and expressed serious concern that the proposed legislation “represents a dramatic and morally unacceptable change to Irish law.”
“Boston College invited Prime Minister Kenny a year ago to speak at our commencement to celebrate its heritage and relationship with Ireland and our desire to recognize and celebrate our heritage,” Boston College Spokesman Jack Dunn told the Boston Globe. “Our invitation is independent of the proposed bill that will be debated in the Irish parliament this summer.”
I can tell you that Boston College is not at all intimidated by the Cardinal...its just what his withdrawal of support might do to their pocket books.
Pope Francis was formed as a Jesuit, before before the reforms reached South America. The inner old style Jesuit is coming out more and more, especially yesterday with his homily which went right to the point about dialogue.
First, he stated summarily in his daily homily 07 May 2013:
"There can be no dialogue with the prince of this world: let this be clear! Today, dialogue is necessary among us humans, it is necessary for peace. Dialogue is a habit, it is an attitude that we must have among us to feel and understand each other…and that [dialogue] must be maintained forever. Dialogue comes from charity, from love. But with that prince, it is impossible to dialogue: one can only respond with the Word of God who defends us, for the world hates us – and just as he did with Jesus, so will he do with us. ‘Only look,’ he will say, ‘just do this one small little scam…it is a small matter, nothing really – and so he begins to lead us on a road that is slightly off. This is a pious lie: ‘Do it, do it, do it: there is no problem,' and it begins little by little, always, no? Then [he says]: ‘But ... you're good, you're a good person: You [get away with] it.’ It is flattering – and he softens us by flattery: and then, we fall into the trap.” (Vatican News)
The word "dialogue" is a word which is often abused today. Francis is quite clear that dialogue can and should take place between people but not between people and the devil. I see this as sort of a poke at those who use 'dialogue' as an excuse to bend, soften or reformulate the church's moral stances to make them more digestible for those who disagree with them.
Second, right after the "Goat Rodeo Show" that took place in the Vatican the past couple days regarding the condition of the US nuns, Francis spoke in his address 08 May 2013 to the participants in the plenary assembly of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) to say something fairly direct and relevant:
“Your vocation is a fundamental charism for the Church's journey and it isn't possible that a consecrated woman or man might 'feel' themselves not to be with the Church. A 'feeling' with the Church that has generated us in Baptism; a 'feeling' [sensus fidelium] with the Church that finds its filial expression in fidelity to the Magisterium, in communion with the Bishops and the Successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome, a visible sign of that unity,” the pontiff added, citing Paul VI: “It is an absurd dichotomy to think of living with Jesus but without the Church, of following Jesus outside of the Church, of loving Jesus without loving the Church. Feel the responsibility that you have of caring for the formation of your Institutes in sound Church doctrine, in love of the Church, and in an ecclesial spirit.”
“The centrality of Christ and his Gospel, authority as a service of love, and 'feeling' in and with the Mother Church: [these are] three suggestions that I wish to leave you, to which I again add my gratitude for your work, which is not always easy. What would the Church be without you? She would be missing maternity, affection, tenderness! A Mother's intuition.” (Vatican Information Service)
These are not the traditional comments of a liberal theologian.
In fact with regard to the second set of remarks, the only escape hatch a theological liberal would have remaining to twist his words is by claiming to follow the magisterium, just an evolving one, rather than the constant magisterium which is to be interpreted always in the same sense and purport (St. Pius X). In this evolving view, the magisterium is made up in its entire essence of the teachings of the current pope and the bishops in communion with him and not necessarily also in communion with the teachings of prior popes and bishops in communion with him (i.e. leaves open the theoretical possibility a future pope could teach something in contradiction to a prior one).
That's it. If Francis closes that hatch in the future by restating the eternal validity of the deposit of the faith and subsequent magisterial councils, the liberal giddiness following Francis' election will be over before it started.
The pontifical council for the new evangelization has announced that 2 June 2013 will be in worldwide day of Eucharistic adoration coordinated from Rome.
