Black Knight of the Soul
One of the strangest features of the decline in Religious life in many areas of the Western Church - at least to those who are strangers to the study of social pathology - is the tendency of its representatives to deny that anything is wrong at all. The facts, however speak for themselves in that those Orders and communities which actually ing and recruit -in the United States, France and elsewhere - have taken precisely the opposite road from the kind of "renewal" Carey describes. They are brotherhoods or sisterhood (or in some cases double communities) where the heart of Religious life is taken be the invitation to love God with peculiar directness; where a classical identity based on the historic sources and norms of monastic and Religious lie is explicitly and unembarrassedly maintained; where a strong community life pertains, complete with common ritual practice, and where consecration (simply being a Religious) is prized as well as mission (what a Religious does).
That was written 10 years ago in "Christendom Awake" by Fr. Aidan Nichols, O.P. and it is perfectly said and quite apt in consideration of the reaction to the Apostolic Visitation of American women's religious orders.
There have been so many denials of anything being wrong from these struggling orders and the usual suspects of National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal, America Magazine, and the statement issued by California bishops. How this happened shows a fail of leadership on almost every level. The Orders themselves let it happen or joined in, the local Bishops turned a blind eye, till it was left to the Holy See to finally respond long after much of the destruction had ever occurred.
The denials of there being a problem in the first place remind me of a couple of things. First the Black Knight scene in Monty Pythons Holy Grail where the Knight has all his limbs hacked off only to in the end admitting to a draw. That scene is a comedic masterpiece, but what happened to religious life in so many areas is not funny at all. The loss of so many religious is certainly akin to having all your limbs removed and those that stayed decided to enable even more flesh wounds.
It also reminds me of Baghdad Bob's assertions "We have them surrounded in their tanks" and "There are no American infidels in Baghdad. Never!" This is no different than all the whines about the Apostolic Visitation and framing it as a persecution or new inquisition. Rampant dissent with orders following a phony feminism and worship of creation without a mention of the creator. A social justice mission that is not a whit different than what is done by a county social worker.
For them the cure is worse than the disease. They can hardly fail to actually see the lessons of the vibrant religious orders that are faithful to the Church. Or maybe they see the growing of these Orders as some kind of punishment from God for their orthodoxy. They started by jettisoning the habit, but they did not stop there and jettisoned much of their faith. The path to repentance begins with the acknowledgement that we have sinned. These Black Knight denials are so very sad because of this.
Known as 
To quote Bucky Katt: "The sad kills the funny." It is far too true.
"For them the cure is worth than the disease."
I think you are absolutely right, Jeff. When I went through RCIA, I had one of those moments when you completely understand something. I realized: these people do not want vocations. Their vision of "church" is "equality," no hierarchy, hence can't have a clergy/lay differentiation.
There are a couple of Dominican provinces that have simply given up on vocations. They argue that there is no need for religious life in the Church Age of the Laity. This was an unfortunate fashion in the '70's, a horrible application of the non-existent "Spirit of Vatican Two." Seeing themselves as divinely inspired, they appointed themselves "prophets" and fulfilled in their own religious lives a suicidal wish for extinction. They are getting their wish. In their dotage these religious are helped financially by large bank accounts...money donated by faithful Catholics who believed they were giving to a committed cause. Had they known. . .
Fr. Philip, OP
Of course they see the decline but they're going through the motions, biding their time, all the while preparing to be pastors or ministers. Heck, one Sisters of Providence school has a Master of the Arts in Pastoral Theology (no theology and perspectives on Hebrew Scripture and Christian Scripture) that trains its grads to be pastors. The Catholic Theological Union has a similar program called the MAP. Be very afraid of pseudo-
Catholic schools forming lay ecclesial ministers.
So who are the good Catholics besides you, Jeff? Poor old Benny and Boy Georg? Bernie Law? Gluttonous Timmy Dolan, with his cigars, wit and whiskey blossoms?
The old dykes down at the settlement house don't really seem that bad to me. They took Vatican II the way it was explained to them at the time and ran with it. Now you want to change the rules, say it was all a mistake and pretend like the old girls are some kind of outlaw biker gang. They're not. There were no nuns hammering out the precepts in Rome 55 years ago. They live clean and simple, don't tell anybody else how to live their lives and don't molest the children. They do charitable work, usually with little support. They are loved and valued by those they serve. They are already old. They'll all be dead in another 10-15 years anyway and there's no more coming up behind them. Why do you pick on them? You seem kind of mean.
I think this Visitation is about 20 years over due!!!
As visible religious women have steadily disappeared so has true authentic Catholic teaching!
I think this Visitation is about 20 years over due!!!
As visible religious women have steadily disappeared so has true authentic Catholic teaching!
And the solution to this problem is also there in the Book of Python.
Bring forth the Holy hand-grenade of Antioch...
Second Brother
"And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, 'O Lord, bless this Thy hand grenade that, with it, Thou mayest blow Thine enemies to tiny bits in Thy mercy.' And the Lord did grin, and the people did feast upon the lambs and sloths and carp and anchovies and orangutans and breakfast cereals and fruit bats and large chu--"
MAYNARD:
"Skip a bit, Brother."
SECOND BROTHER:
"And the Lord spake, saying, 'First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three. No more. No less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then, lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it.'"
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