Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Moved With A Desire Of Serving You, Vow Before The Most Sacred Virgin Mary, And The Whole Court Of Heaven

"Almighty, everlasting God, I, John McLaughlin . . . moved with a desire of serving You, vow before the most sacred Virgin Mary, and the whole court of heaven, to Your divine majesty, perpetual poverty, chastity and obedience in the Society of Jesus," When Nixon Aide John McLaughlin became a Jesuit in 1947, that traditional vow was strictly interpreted. Moreover, Jesuits lived in community in their own houses, wore only black, and worked mostly in missionary or teaching assignments. In recent years all that has been changing. Some members of the Society of Jesus rent their own apartments, wear business suits or blue jeans, and work at various professions, including politics. Plastic Piece. McLaughlin, now 47, has become one of this new breed. Once an editor on America magazine and a popular lecturer on sex ("Intimacy Before Marriage," "Intimacy Outside Marriage"), McLaughlin turned to politics in 1970. He became a Republican, ran for the U.S. Senate from Rhode Island (John Pastore retained the seat), and then in 1971 went to work as a speechwriter on the White House staff at a salary of about $30,000. To distinguish between his sacerdotal and political roles, he abandoned the Roman collar ("a one-inch piece of plastic") except for church events. Last week McLaughlin's superior, the Very Rev. Richard Cleary, Jesuit provincial of New England, issued a statement dissociating the Society of Jesus from McLaughlin's views and summoned him to report to Boston for prayer and reflection. 
Link (here) to read the full Time Magazine article.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Updated" by Patti Reilly in the September 22, 1980, issue of People Magazine: "John Mclaughlin, Nixon's Priest, Is Now a Civilian Radio Host Who Is Married and Hoping for Fatherhood"
http://angelqueen.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=377081#377081

Anonymous said...

Correction (of link) for previous comment:

"Updated" by Patti Reilly in the September 22, 1980, issue of People Magazine: "John Mclaughlin, Nixon's Priest, Is Now a Civilian Radio Host Who Is Married and Hoping for Fatherhood"

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20077465,00.html