The Jesuit temptation is to become a self-authenticating elite that, imagining itself more enlightened than the Church's authoritative leadership, no longer holds itself truly accountable to that authority.
Link (here) to the mentioned portion of George Weigel's book, Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II
10 comments:
That doesn't match the Jesuit history that we were taught at all. It does match the "cleaned-up" version we were also taught.
The Jesuits had a history before association with the Church. The unique vow of obedience should indicate, even to those who don't know the real history, that something was distinctly different about the Jesuits. They served God even before their association with the Church.
So this characterization of Ignatius, his motivations, his beliefs, and the Church motivations ends up being a fabrication.
I wonder if this is what they teach current Jesuits? I know that the "simplified message" intended for Catholics often included other Jesuits. There seemed to be a belief that either you were smart enough to figure it out or you were someone who believed such drivel.
It takes a lot of cheek for a man who promoted himself as a confidante of the Pope, and then nevertheless told the world that the Pope didn't know what he was talking about when it came to Iraq, to criticize others for dissenting from party line.
It says a lot about Weigel's loyalties, seriousness, and those of the people with whom he travels.
I don't think this temptation is found just among Jesuits. It is a Church-wide problem. I think we all need to pray for the grace to surrender and to be vulnerable -- this isn't easy to do but it is following in the example of Christ.
Weigel is a hack with really bad Latin skills.
Rev. Thomas J. Reese, S.J. and his association with Voice of the Faithful fit Weigel's profile.
"The Jesuit temptation is to become a self-authenticating elite that, imagining itself more enlightened than the Church's authoritative leadership, no longer holds itself truly accountable to that authority."
"the Church's authoritative leadership"
How would Fr. Reese and VOTF be doing that?
How on earth are Fr. Reese & the VOTF folks a "self-authenticating elite"?
"Twenty-five years of teaching the most highly intellectual people that the Church can gather, members of the Society of Jesus, oh how hungry men can be for knowledge. But whatever the possession, whether as cheap a thing as money, or special things say as, secular knowledge or even spiritual wisdom, the beginning is to become wealthy and thus to attain to recognition, praise, honor. How well I know, I’ve lived with too many people, too many highly gifted individuals, who have fallen like cheap tinder because they’ve allowed themselves to be beguiled by the evil spirit".
Poor Padre Hardon, oft deleted at America Mag. Wonder why?
--John Hardon SJ
Because, dear Maria, they have asked that contributors keep their comments brief and to the point--and that they use their own words. They are not "picking" on Fr. Hardon.
BTW, why don't you begin a blog dedicated solely to him?
Maria,
I agree with Anon/1:12PM that a blog dedicated to Fr. Hardon would be an appropriate idea.
Sometimes, there can be benefits that are hard to measure, even if the blog seems to be a failure.
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