Tuesday, May 22, 2012

New Jesuit Novice Shares Critics' Questions Of The Church

Daniel Kennedy is entering the Jesuit novitiate at a time when membership in religious orders is shrinking. The Jesuits’ ranks worldwide have dwindled to about half their peak of 36,000 in the mid-1960s.
 Just 32 Americans entered the order as novices last year. The Roman Catholic Church is still reeling from the sexual abuse crisis and facing a severe shortage of priests in the United States. Recent actions by the church hierarchy - including the Vatican’s reprimand of American nuns and the US bishops’ investigation of the Girl Scouts - have drawn scathing criticism. 
Kennedy says he sees the church as a dynamic institution, and that he feels responsible for helping to bring about its renewal. “I’m not entering the church of 50 years ago or 500 years ago. I’m entering the church in 2012,’’ he said. “So you have to be realistic about the challenges of the images of priesthood in this day and age. . . . I don’t find it daunting, but it’s going to be a challenge.’’ 
He says he shares some of the critics’ questions, such as why the Vatican decided to investigate the US nuns, and why the church has taken such a hard line against gay relationships. He talks about the importance of lay empowerment and of affirming the role of women as leaders in the church. When he becomes a priest, he says, he plans to adopt a consensus-building approach, as some of the best priests he knows have done.  
“The intentions of leadership within the church I don’t think are bad - I don’t think they wake up every day and say, ‘How can we make someone’s life miserable?’’’ he said. “But . . . what is the lived experience of Catholics today? You have to account for that.’’
Link (here) to read the full story at Boston.com 
Fr. James Martin, S.J. on the subject (here)

7 comments:

L-1011 said...

This guy could be a Provincial while still a Scholastic with that attitude

Anonymous said...

the jesuits are lucky to have him thankfully the Jesuits go through a long process to become priests

on the other hand most seminaries are garbage they simply trade schools where boys go because they are scared to be men - you need to interact with the larger world to be a true leader and imitator of christ not holed up with a bunch of men learning how to bow down to rome so one day maybe you can get that litttle red hat and really do nothing ....

Maria said...

HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT “DAN-O” FROM THE ARTICLE. I POINTED OUT A FEW OF THESE THINGS OUT AT AMERICA MAG YESTERDAY BUT MY REMARKS WERE DELETED. THE DIRTY LITTLE SECRET AT AMERICA MAG IS THAT THEY ARE ALL FOR HOMOSEXUALS AND PAGANS AND OPPRESSED LESBIAN NUNS AND CONTRACETPION. THEY ARE JUST NOT SO WELCOMING TO WOMEN WHO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH. TAKE IT AWAY “DAN-O”

He… questions…why the VATICAN DECIDED TO INVESTIGATE THE US NUNS, and WHY THE CHURCH HAS TAKEN SUCH A HARD LINE AGAINST GAY RELATIONSHIPS. He talks about the IMPORTANCE OF LAY EMPOWERMENT AND AFFRIMING THE ROLE OF WOMEN AS LEADERS IN THE CHURCH. When he becomes a priest, he says, HE PLANS TO ADOPT A CONCENSUS-BUILDING APPROACH, AS SOME OF THE BEST PRIESTS HE KNOWS HAVE DONE. Yeah! It is all about overthrowing the Church. Fr. Fairbanks, of the illustrious babysitting team in the Chicago province assigned to “monitor” Don McGuire, was guiding Kennedy. Kyrie Eleison. Bring your sacramentals, Dan-O.


…” what is the LIVED EXPERIENCE of Catholics today? You have to account for that.’’ CODE FOR CATHOLICISM MEANS WHAT WE SAY IT MEANS.


***KENNEDY NEVER DATED IN HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE*** DING DING DING DING DING. ALARM BELLS, FOLKS. ALARM BELLS. I GUESS IT IS A REQUIREMENT NOW~NO INTEREST IN THE OPPOSITE SEX~ HUH?


His atheist friend participates in INFORMAL “EXAMENS” THAT KENNEDY HELD FOR FRIENDS IN HIS ROOM”. WHO KNEW? WE DON’T NEED PRIESTS ANYMORE? WOW. WHAT A RELIEF. WE CAN DO IT ALL OURSELVES!



HE ATTENDS MASS “AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.” TRULY INSPIRATIONAL.


OH AND HE STUDIED TIBETAN BUDDHISM.
WELL, WON’T WE BE SAYING A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING?

Anonymous said...

Most diocesan priests (especially the young ones) are narrow-minded nitwits with a third-rate education and hack religious views.

Maria said...

Really? Well, I will take a narrow minded nitwit with a third rate education over a well schooled infidel, who believes in God and the Church He founded, any day day of the week, my friend.

Anonymous said...

Jesuits=infidels?!

C'mon, that's crazy talk.

Maria said...

You must not read America Magazine, my friend.