Jesuit Mucking It Up (Again)

...this time in the US.

Twenty years ago, I was told by a bishop from New York that "the Jesuits are the cause of all the problems in the American Church."

At the time, I was attending a Jesuit high school and staunchly defended the Society of Jesus.

And I still do.

The problem is that with Jesuits like Fr. Edward Salmon (Salmonella?) of McQuaid (so tempted to make fun of this name) Jesuit High School, it becomes so much harder to do so.

Headline says it all:

McQuaid Jesuit High School To Let Gay Couples Attend Prom

Note what Fr. Salmon says:

"[I]n the hope that I and all of us at McQuaid Jesuit will let a ray of light break through the darkness and the heavy clouds that have surrounded us, I have made the decision that, if our two brothers who have asked to attend the Junior Ball together wish to do so, they will be welcomed," it said."

So consenting on something so against Catholic doctrine is now considered letting a ray of light break through the darkness and heavy clouds.  Note that our "infallible" Jesuit says that "he" had made the decision.  He also says that they will be "welcomed".  Not even "tolerated" but "welcomed." And Jesuits wonder why other religious orders look on them with suspicion.

This part he kinda got right:

He urged members of the McQuaid community to "confront their own fears about homosexuality and to curb the humor and discrimination that offend homosexual persons," noting that he is not "encouraging nor am I condoning homosexual activity just as I do not encourage or condone heterosexual activity at a dance."

The point is not being intolerant or being uncharitable towards homosexuals.  The point is that homosexual behaviour is sinful in the Catholic Church (don't like it? don't be Catholic, and yes yes I know about pedophile priests - that's different and an unfortunate headache on the part of Catholics like I).  Hence, there should be no behaviour on our part, or especially on the part of a Catholic educator, that even HINTS at consent of such sin.

Note also this:

Same-sex marriage has been legal in New York since 2011, a fact that many people stated in their messages to the school in favor of its eventual decision. It seems only fair that, if these students are allowed to get married in the state, being able to go to junior prom together should be a non-issue.

Legal doesn't mean right.  Baby-in-womb murder Abortion is legal yet only the most obstinate "Catholic" dissenters would insist that it is not so.

Also the difference is that getting married civily is not the same as getting married in the Church, and this is supposed to be a Catholic School darn it.

And the most eye rolling moment:

The most hopeful section of Salmon's letter read: "The teachings of the Church make it clear that the fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to eliminate any forms of injustice, oppression, or violence against them."

The Teachings of the Church also make it clear that a) sin is sin and that b) we should not condone sin.
In this case, the good Father Salmon is seemingly so concerned about not doing injustice, oppression or violence to students that he forgets that by condoning sin he does injustice, oppression and violence to God.  Defending the fundamental rights of homosexual persons means not treating them like garbage.  It does not mean condoning their sins.

One may ask, what is so sinful about a gay couple attending a dance together?  It's not the attendance itself that is problematic, but the consent to it.  You consent that they are a couple.  You therefore imply that all the behaviours associated with being a couple are okay.  I suggest that Fr. Salmon look up the word "scandal" in his Catholic dictionary.

Then again I should not be surprised.  This is precisely the kind of logic also followed by Catholics who support artificial contraception or abortion.  Sure it's sinful and evil but we must not deprive people of the choice not to partake of them.  Duh, if it's sinful and evil and one truly believes in that then it doesn't really matter if others are Catholic or not.  Evil is evil and must be opposed.

On the other hand, this priest is just following the example of some higher ranking bishops who just "live and let live".  This mentality seems to be prevalent with regards to pedophile priests.  How can we expect individual priests to carry out the principles of the Church when the higher ups seemingly don't?

Sigh.

Oh and happy easter everyone!

Catholic Schoolteachers Required to Teach Catholic Doctrine. Duh.

Kudos to Bishop Robert Vasa of the Diocese of Sta. Rosa in the US for coming up with this:

http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/1994/Bishop-Vasa-Asks-Diocesan-Teachers-to-Uphold-the-Churchs-Teachings.aspx#

It's about time someone put their foot down and actually require instructors in Catholic schools to actually stick to the Catholic faith.  After all, I am a parent myself who spends not a small amount of tuition to send my offspring to a Catholic school.

The least I would want for my investment would be to have Catholic doctrines taught to students.

Unfortunately in the Philippines we have the Ateneo de Davao hosting groups like "Catholics for RH" who openly defy multiple levels of authoritative doctrine on contraception.  To think that at one time the Society of Jesus was actually involved in DEFENDING the Church against it's enemies!

But back to Bishop Vasa: part of the document that teachers are required to sign.  The good bishop says,

 “I am simply fulfilling my duty and responsibility to make sure that the Catholic faith, as it is presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is clearly and consistently taught in the Catholic institutions of the Diocese.”

It is unfortunate that our own Bishops don't seem keen on fulfilling their own similar duties, allowing so-called Jesuits to mouth off on how artificial contraception is evil and yet a Catholic can supposedly support a law promoting evil with a good conscience, or priests and nuns and religious brothers gallivanting about with pseudo-new age practices like the enneagram.

It asks teachers to "agree that it is my duty, to the best of my ability, to believe, teach/administer and live in accord with what the Catholic Church holds and professes."

Given that you are teaching in a Catholic school, this is the LEAST you should recognize as your duty.    I like the "live" part, most especially.  That way we can throw out pedophile priests.

"I am especially cognizant of the fact that modern errors -- including but not limited to matters that gravely offend human dignity and the common good such as contraception, abortion, homosexual 'marriage' and euthanasia -- while broadly accepted in society, are not consistent with the clear teachings of the Catholic Church."

Hear, hear! The Catholic Faith is not about being accepted in society.  It is about sticking to the teachings of Christ.  Of course, the pretended reformers and their successors have their own interpretations of what constituties the teachings of Christ, but that's another topic.

Dear Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines: please require such things from the staff in your "Catholic" institutions like the Ateneo, UST, DLSU and others.   Be not afraid to preserve the purity of the Apostolic Faith!

Oh wait, if they are required to "live" the Catholic faith, how then do we deal with corrupt bishops who know more about finance than theology?  Hmmm.

“I am simply fulfilling my duty and responsibility to make sure that the Catholic faith, as it is presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is clearly and consistently taught in the Catholic institutions of the Diocese,” said Bishop Vasa. - See more at: http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/1994/Bishop-Vasa-Asks-Diocesan-Teachers-to-Uphold-the-Churchs-Teachings.aspx#sthash.RbgqVmuy.eLhMjqJ8.dpuf

“I am simply fulfilling my duty and responsibility to make sure that the Catholic faith, as it is presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is clearly and consistently taught in the Catholic institutions of the Diocese,” said Bishop Vasa. - See more at: http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/1994/Bishop-Vasa-Asks-Diocesan-Teachers-to-Uphold-the-Churchs-Teachings.aspx#sthash.RbgqVmuy.eLhMjqJ8.dpuf

“I am simply fulfilling my duty and responsibility to make sure that the Catholic faith, as it is presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is clearly and consistently taught in the Catholic institutions of the Diocese,” said Bishop Vasa. - See more at: http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/1994/Bishop-Vasa-Asks-Diocesan-Teachers-to-Uphold-the-Churchs-Teachings.aspx#sthash.RbgqVmuy.eLhMjqJ8.dp

“I am simply fulfilling my duty and responsibility to make sure that the Catholic faith, as it is presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is clearly and consistently taught in the Catholic institutions of the Diocese,” said Bishop Vasa. - See more at: http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/1994/Bishop-Vasa-Asks-Diocesan-Teachers-to-Uphold-the-Churchs-Teachings.aspx#sthash.RbgqVmuy.eLhMjqJ8.dpuf

Let's Get Serious

When I was attending a Jesuit high school in San Juan, I ran into some questions that no one seemed to want to (or be able to) answer.  I recall these questions to belong to two general categories:

a) Marian doctrines such as the Immaculate Conception and
b) Soteriology questions, particularly the reconciliation between God's justice and God's mercy, and the biblical evidence, if any, for purgatory.

Now, I know what the typical reaction of you, the reader, would be.

What in tarnation are you doing during HIGH SCHOOL thinking about such things?

Well, I'm the kind of person who believes, but wants to know WHY I believe.  That way I can justify it to those who ask my reasons.  That way I can justify it to myself.


I have in fact been accused of being too cerebral.  If my belief is based on intellect then it is not faith, I have been told.

Au contraire! A faith that is anchored on nothing will simply end up getting lost.  A faith that is anchored on error will only lead one to more error.

Hence, faith must be anchored on Truth, and I believe that Truth to be the Gospel as taught by our Lord Jesus Christ through the Apostles.

The fact of the matter is this: I want to turn the tables on the devil-may-care attitude of today's Catholics and tell them that it is not I who am too cerebral, it is the majority that are not cerebral enough.

Ask an everyday Catholic a question such as, "why do you believe that Mary is conceived without original sin?"

You can almost hear the the gears in the heads trying to turn.  Note that I said, "trying."

Heck, the typical Philippine Catholic probably couldn't look up a Bible verse if his life depended on it.  Some might even go, "what's a verse?"

This, more than anything else, is the reason that our Philippine Church is in chaos.  It does not help that some priests and religious who are supposed to be the ones promoting truth are the ones promoting dissent and rebellion through their own ignorance and pride.

The typical Filipino Catholic, being left on their own due to poor instruction and catechesis, is left to try to find the answers on their own.  Unfortunately inane "teachers" like the priests and religious who are too busy doing other things than actually teaching sound doctrine to their charges.

Left to their own devices, the youths are corrupted by ideas contrary to Christianity.  They daydream about freedom without responsibility, they reject apostolic authority and thus are lost when it comes to navigating the complexities of the Scriptures.  Easy prey for the pretended reformers.  Easy prey for dissenters and rebels and wolves in sheep's clothing.

Worst of all, when corrected by their elders and bishops, they even cry that they are bullied and compare themselves to Christ being persecuted by Pharisees.  They consider any attempt at correction as arrogance on the part of the corrector.  They think themselves "humble" and "searching for truth" when the painful part is that the Truth is already there in the form of the Gospel and the Church.

Back to me.I was graced that despite my inadequate religious instruction (in a Jesuit school, no less), I was able to find the truth after being introduced to the writings of the Fathers of the Church, of Scott Hahn, Karl Keating, Tim Staples, William G. Most and in college, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine.  I was saved from the inanity of Philippine Catholic pedagogal idiocy. It was from their writings that I learned the answers to my earlier questions, and sealed my current Catholic identity.  Heck, after reading Most, Hahn, Keating and Staples, I couldn't be protestant even if I wanted to.

Let's get serious about our faith and the instruction of our youths.  We need to take a long hard look at the religious instruction of our Catholic institutions. 

If ever I am in charge of the religious formation of youngsters, the authors I mentioned will be required reading.  No more of this complex philosophical gobbydegook.  Let's get to the basics.  The Life of Christ, Church history.  Apologetics.  Doctrinal development, Bible studies.  The catechism.

Let's get back to the roots of it all. And let's take our faith seriously this time.