The Jesuit priest Friedhelm Mennekes (pictured) demanded a reflection on the role of the priest. Each priest was in danger, "idealized to be - right up to the erotic," said the longtime artistic director of St. Peter in Cologne, the "Frankfurter Rundschau)" (Fridays. It laste an "unbelievable pressure" on the role of the priest, which would oppose the clergy. You should make it clear: "I'm quite normal - with all my faults, whims and eccentricities." The church does not deserve greater complacency than other institutions.Attorney General warns of cover-up mentality
In a widening abuse scandal in the Jesuit order in Lower Saxony Justice Bernd Busemann (CDU) has warned of a cover-up mentality. "This mentality is depressing," said Busemann the "New Media") in Hanover (Friday edition. In Lower Saxony there are then another suspicions of abuse by one of three Jesuits, which are now associated with a number of abuse cases that are related.
Sexual abuse is a crime, said the attorney general. This should be followed in every case. "And since there are no differences for priests and religious." It is difficult to understand, when superiors were silent. "There is no special right of the church, let alone a national criminal law."
Link (here) to the full article translated from German with Google Translator
17 comments:
In my mind, I am starting to think that there is something systematically pernicious about the absence of the collar...When we can no longer be certain someone is a priest.
One never sees Frs. Spitzer,Fessio or Pacwa without their collar. Hmm.
Yes indeed, the religious habit, the Roman collar, the cassock are prescribed by the Church as signs of the consecration and also as a weapon in order to resist temptations (with many other means)and to fight the Evil one who, - as Bernanos expressed it so well in his novels-, loves priests and religious to trap them. I am very saddened to see what has been going on and on for so many years in the Society of Jesus, with the complete knowledge of the superiors who spent more time persecuting faithful Jesuits (like Father Fessio and others around the world) than to face the sexual abuses with strong will and desire to clean up the mess. Let us pray, always.
Dear Padre Thomas:
You cannot possibly know how you have cheered my heart! A sign of consecration, yes, and a sign of contradiction. The habit as a weapon to resist temptation of the Evil One.I did not know this.
Fr. Hardon, now a Servant of God, was unmercifully persecuted by his own; however, so was Christ. No one wants to hear the Truth. If only the Jesuits knew how hungry we are for the Truth. So, let us keep praying for conversion of heart, yes? I pray for the Jesuits everyday at Mass.
God Bless You, Padre.
The collar--that's what it's about?! Check out the photos of the collar-wearing Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado.
father Jean-Francois
Fr Fessio broke his vow of obedience many times. We can pray for his conversion too.
There is a lot waiting to be found.
Thank you very much dear Maria for the prayers offered for our conversion as Jesuits (all Jesuits because we are all sinners).
Dear Anonymous (but it would be better to use your name),I am not naive enough to think that the religious habit is enough to protect from evil, and certainly not to lead to sainthood ! Saint John of the Cross was saying that to fight the Devil, the soul needs prayer life, humility and mortification. And the most important is humility (it is what Saint John Marie Vianney was saying also). The spiritual life is the weapon. The external sign is not enough by itself, however, it is necessary and seen as such by the ones who try to walk on the path of conversion (it seems that Fr. Maciel was hidding his true personnality, so, your example is not a good one).
Your statement on Father Fessio sounds very judgemental and subjective to me, stating that he "broke his vow of obedience many times"... Obedience in the Society of Jesus is the one to the Holy Father, to the magisterium of the Church, through the superiors who are in full communion with the Church.
Pray for my conversion too. Thanks
Actually, the example was just fine given that the argument seems to be, in Maria's words, "there is something systematically pernicious about the absence of the collar." T It seems that these German Jesuits were, as you put it, hiding their true personalities as well.
I have known many priests, brothers, and nuns. Some wore and others did not wear their religious habits and collars but that did not have a bearing on their faith and the way they led their lives. I have no idea what you mean by "The external sign is not enough by itself, however, it is necessary and seen as such by the ones who try to walk on the path of conversion."
BTW, I didn't write anything about Fr. Fessio:there are at least two of us "Anonymous" contributing. I did laugh out loud when I read your rebuttal, however, that the other Anonymous was being "very judgmental and subjective." That seems to be the whole point of this website!
Being judgemental is certainly not the point on this website which goal is to give informations. Too bad you take it that way.
By the way, the external sign of consecration (habit, collar...) is requested by the Church. Not to wear it is called disobedience.I have enough experience about this matter in religious communities to know what it is about. But, once again, wearing it is not a sufficient passport for holiness.
Sorry for my English but it is not my mother tongue.
"External sign of consecration" and "Requested by the Church" Hmmm. . . these seems to be fairly widely open to interpretation. But, of course, this is a different point than the one we were discussing.
The very title of this blog(i.e., GJBJ) says it all. This is a website of Jesuit fun facts topped with heaps of judgment and narrow-minded analysis.
Fr Jean-Francois:
"obedience in the Society of Jesus is the one to the Holy Father, to the magisterium of the Church, through the superiors who are in full communion with the Church"
and so now the subject decide if the superior is or isn't in full communion with the the Church. A convenient loophole.
The conservative cafeteria catholic into action.
So my statement on Father Fessio sounds very judgemental and subjective to you Fr, but when Joe does the same thing " he gives informations".
I see.
My point was not to argue endlessly about the religious habit as a sign of consecration. It was just to say that it can be very helpful, with some other means, to try to progress in the religious and spiritual life. It has always been seen as such by the Church.
No one will decide which superior is or is not in communion with the Church ! There are concrete facts to know if one is. And it has always been stated , in all religious orders, that obedience cannot be if the superiors require something which is against morality, doctrine, faith. It seems to be pretty basic and healthy.
I will end with this message since the Anonymous group seems more interested in confrontation than in discussion.
God bless you
Dear Fr. Thomas:
I actually found the discussion helpful. Although I had considerable disagreement with some of your previous comments and I think your last comment makes sense.
Dear Father:
Silence. Habit. Order. Merely the prerequisites, right? The disappearnace of these elements renders all of religious life at risk. Humility. Obedience. Self sacrifice and prayer. With the latter missing who can hope to remain faithful? Without these things there is no grace. No heaven without grace, no grace without prayer, right?
Padre: I think you are a man who understands each one of these things.
God Bless You.
Are you sure that the superiors required to Fr. Fessio something which was against morality, doctrine, faith? It wasn't the case.
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