Hello Everyone,
There has been a lot going on on the Blogosphere, regarding the bad behaviour of certain Basilians, either caught red-handed, or being part of some nefarious plot to destroy Traditionalist Catholics. Just today, I happened to catch a post that smears Basilians as behaving badly on the Society of Canadian Catholic Bloggers feed. I won't link to that site though. I try to refrain as much as possible here on SUD from exposing readers to Radical Misrepresenting Traditionalist (RMT) websites, ones that could send them spiraling down a path of spiritual evil and possible, gradual separation from Holy Mother Church.
Now, the examples displayed, unfortunately, are ones of poor un-Catholic behaviour. I cannot condone the behaviours of these two priests, but they have been exposed to some degree, or fully. As to the Basilians in question, they are Fr. Thomas Rosica of Salt and Light, and Fr. Timothy Scott of the Basilian Fathers.
Fr Rosica right now is the primary target of RMTs and associated allies' blogs and websites, because he is engrossed in a potential lawsuit with a local Toronto blogger. Should you want to find out more, go do a google search on your own. The crux of the matter is that the blogger has been doing commentary on Tweets, print, and social media statements made by Fr Rosica over the years, of what is looking more like Heterodox views and encouragement of them, contrary to Catholic Church teaching. Go read the blogger if you find them and be the judge of the content yourself. Personally, I do not side with Fr. Rosica as being totally innocent, and it seems as early as his deaconship (pre-priesthood), according to a Windsor Star article, he was expressing such views. However the vitriol and hatred being thrown towards the priest is in my view, highly hypocritical and even sadistic, of the RMT bloggers, who cry fowl at what they claim of the "corrupt clergy" and the "False/Novus Ordo Catholic Church."
As for the other priest, Fr. Timothy Scott, he was caught red handed on his Twitter feed telling Cardinal Raymond Burke to Shut the F*#^ up. Vulgar, Rude, and unacceptable of a man, a Catholic man, especially a Catholic Priest in an order whose motto is to "teach me Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge." The image of his Twitter comment was caught, so this is undefensable, even after an apology was issued.
[UPDATE 26/02/2015 ... It has been confirmed by a RMT media organization that the Vicar General of the Basilians has confirmed, Fr. Scott is now FIRED from his position.]
Needless to say, the Basilians are looking, unfortunately, dire as of late.
Still, I must chime in. I am not defending, nor condoning the actions of these two Basilians. Neither I am coming out in support of the RMTs and what they are doing. I also, did NOT experience the Basilians at the university/college level, which is a different kettle of fish. However, I must, as an educated man in the Basilian Tradition via his private, all-boys Catholic high school defend the Basilian tradition and the order, despite their small numbers compared to other older orders left in the Church today.
I was thankfully educated at St. Michael's College School, at ye old Bathurst and St. Clair West near the downtown core of Toronto. St. Mikes is a grade 7-12 private college school, that seeks to educate young men in the Basilian Tradition. Although the school has few Basilian priests still actively involved due to declining vocations in the Church and an overall shift in things over the years, there is still some involvement by the order in my school, and some younger priests do take a portion of time as teachers in the school. My school boasts a number of excellent programs, from the visual arts and the musical/dramatic arts programs (drama is not a full program with courses, but the involvement in the plays alongside other schools is as intense as coursework), an excellent athletics program spanning its popular hockey as well as other sports, and a rigorous academic tradition that has not ceased to this day.
While I loathe some of the damage that has been done to the religious education program in the Gr. 11 world religious course (no more 1/2 year theology anymore ...) and the OAC non-credit course was stripped due to the pulling of grade 13 for political/financial reasons, I must say that you will not receive a better religious education in high school for the Catholic faith outside of St. Michael's. Other programs will emphasize social justice too much or watered down theology, and the Gr. 11 world religion courses in other schools can be extremely secular or anti-Catholic (see the catholic intelligence blog for Ottawa on SCCB), but not St. Michael's courses. Also, in Gr. 10 we study Church history and sacraments, NOT what the other schools teach which is definitely, NOT Church history.
I will admit, that the more I progress in the world, the more I detest it, despite many blessings that have happened in my life. While I am thankful, I now look back fondly on my time at that Basilian tradition school, and wish I could return to that time.
Now, here is where I must defend the Basilian tradition further, as I will provide examples of a couple of Basilians who still show that tradition is lively and vibrant. Although the impact might be less as I will not use their real names, just falsified last initials, these examples show that not ALL the Basilians have abandoned their values, and some still maintain that tradition of the great St. Basil.
Fr. S is probably in his 70's to 80's. He was one of the last generation of his time to be ordained a priest in the minor orders and the Extraordinary form of the Roman Rite. Fr. S lives modestly in an apartment, and must ask permission for further expenses depending on the situation (e.g. cab fare, trips, pilgrimages, etc.). Personal mass supplies are either basic as provided by the order, and anything extra is via donations. Fr. S is also the chaplain of a Knights of Columbus chapter and believe it or not, has the awesome ability to say the Low Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. This priest relies on the charity of his brother Knights to assist him in his transportation, and does not live the lavish lifestyle that some other Basilian Priests do, forsaking their vow of poverty. I thankfully have known this priest since my time at St. Michael's from 1997-2002, as he took over the archery club after the death of the previous moderator, another great priest by the name of Fr. Matthew Mulcahy (R.I.P., and I will work harder to "keep my anchor straight" Father!).
Fr. R is also likely around the same age as Fr. S. Fr. R has been a Basilian priest for countless years since his youth, and has been a firm contributor to St. Michael's College School. Over the years, Fr. R has taught numerous religious courses, and is choirmaster for the School's choir. This choir is not a professional, road-tripping one currently (maybe in past?), but it still provides beautiful English Chant and hymns for the school's Masses. At one point, the choir was even disbanded by administration at some point in the last couple decades, but because the students valued Fr. R's contribution to the life of the school and love him as a true example of Christ's priesthood (as he is frequently spoken of as a "legend,") they petitioned to have the choir reinstated. During my time, I had the pleasure to receive one of the best religion courses in that school, the non-credit Theology/Philosophy (beginner)/Catechesis course for Grade 13. No credit course philosophy for me, that's too over my head and my science-minded brain! The course covered many topics such as the Fall of Man and Original Sin, the characteristics of God (a,k.a. the 12 I's), Sanctifying vs. Actual Grace; the Mind, Intellect and the will ..... It was a bit of rehash, new material, and insight all into one, and YET despite receiving no credit, we still had to do essays, letters and assignments! And our tests always included parts of the Universal Prayer for All Things Necessary for Salvation!!!!
Further, Fr. R is always a pleasure to see at every Turkey Roll at St. Mike's that occurs every November and will give students a tour of the school, ending in his famous room 9. Although all the photos are now in the school archives, it would be a highlight to go back and see those photos he takes of many students over the last several decades since handheld photography became widespread for the general public (we are talking 1960's and 70's here!!!). Also, I have had the blessing on an occasion to be able to see him, catch up, and seek spiritual counselling on issues pressing me at the time. I still have a long way to go, but regardless, it was great to hear his wisdom, but also to know that even he knows, that there were significant changes to the liturgy in the Novus Ordo that really impacted the faithful, as well as priests in the spiritual realm. He did NOT advocate its removal, but rather expressed a sadness of such changes and the effects they have had on the laity and clergy alike.
My main point, then, is that looking at the examples of Frs. R and S, despite how some modern Basilians may not be keeping to their vows of chastity, obedience, poverty, and the mission to teach people goodness, knowledge, and discipline (as poorly exhibited by their actions,) those ones whom RMT bloggers are smearing, are only 2 or so people of the whole order. There are still good Basilians out there, whose mission and legacy is still surviving and persisting in one way or the other. Further, as the Church is gradually seeing a more conservative uptick in its seminarians and ordained priests, perhaps this might in turn spill over to the Basilians. While I do not foresee their order booming rapidly again in the near future, maybe some new recruits might just start sticking back to the foundations of the Order of St. Basil, and prove that there is still good being done Basilians worldwide.
While one's sins are one's errors, public or not, a few rotten apples spoil the bunch, always. Don't let a couple of bad apples ruin one's impression of the whole batch, being touted by a bunch of "pickle-faced pepper" people whose greatest joys in their spiritual life is hurting others and crying afoul of a Church they struggle to be faithful to, or secretly hate in not meeting their unrealistic standards of religion. It doesn't mean you partake in their struggles, and their sins.
Pax, Julian.
My Reality, Your Reality
No not relativism. Just an update 1.) to apprise the reader of my status, namely, that I did not fall off the face of the earth. and 2.) to disabuse whoever has eyes to see of the unreality of the latest “news” or “reporting” on the status of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. Just because people say things does not make it true.
First, thanks to all those who have been praying for me. I made it to the end of the semester at the Angelicum still standing. I have one more final, but most of the stress is now behind me. I hope to blog at least a couple of times during the break.
Second, Rorate Caeli has posted a video by one of our former friars, which by all accounts is a fairly nice vocation video for the Institute as it stands now, but it has been posted with a predictable interpretation and broadcasted further by others.
Several clarifications:
- At least 90% of the footage was taken by a seminarian who remains in the community and is quite happy to do so. Some of his footage was used for a 2013 vocation video which is was used by the producer of the new video without permission. The parts of the new video that are not in the 2013 vocation video were shot for the vocation video and archived. I have checked all my facts here from the seminarian in question, who watched the video in its entirety. RC says that the “footage was then kept in secret, witness of something no longer tolerable to those in power, unseen until now.” This is simply false, as is evidenced by the video on YouTube.
- About half of the seminarians who are in the video are no longer in the Institute, but to them others have been added who have passed through the novitiate. When the seminary closed there were 51 seminarians. Today there are 28. The same pattern is true of the schola that sang in the video. It still exists and the members sing regularly at our liturgy. We continue, for example, to use the Liber Usualis every day for various parts of the liturgy. Please keep in mind that for those who have orchestrated the exodus, with outside from help from willing collaborators like those at RC, this is exactly what they wanted. Seminarians were being contacted clandestinely, and encouraged as well as pressured by both former friars and those still in the Institute to leave. This planned and well-orchestrated effort, unfortunately, was highly successful (and contrary to the explicit will of Pope Francis, BTW).
- Everything that is witnessed in the video, with the exception of the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the liturgy—a temporary restriction contingent on the temporary Commission—and the year long night rising for Matins we still do. The Holy Father told us face to face that his intention was not to permanently forbid its celebration, but solely to see to it that the liturgy was not a source of division within the community. Furthermore, the horarium has not changed, except for the continuous night rising, which was never part of our legislation anyway, and was only introduced in the seminary in November of 2011. (We still rise at night for Matins during Lent—a practice mandated by our ecclesiastically approved Constitutions. Prior to the change in 2011, this had been the practice since 1990 and it remains in force.).
- Thus, the quotations in the video from our legislation are norms still in force which we continue to observe.
- The statement of RC that there now exists within the Institute “a new atmosphere of doctrinal corruption and moral relaxation, of the disintegration of the religious observance” is gratuitous, offered without evidence because there is none.
- This is a fine example of a propaganda piece which says little in terms of facts, but effectively conveys an conclusion necessary to a world-view. It is called: “painting the target around the arrow.” For example, RC claims that the video was shot on the very day the seminary closed, in order to achieve a maximum sympathetic response. But in fact, the friar who shot the material, who was able to identify all the various elements, and who was present when the seminary closed, did not see anything that was shot on the day the seminary closed.
RC writes:
But perhaps our Lady, on her feastday, is offering a vision very different to that which seems to dominate presently in the Church — a vision of the consecrated life which is, as Simeon says of Christ, a sign of contradiction.
Indeed, I couldn’t agree more. May we have the grace to correspond to our vocation. But I don’t think any of the friars, including most who would like to see things the way RC wants to see them, would presume they are the ideal, or that the Church is without many other fine religious communities and holy religious.
After all is said and done, after everyone has had their say and shouted from the rooftops what they speculate might be reality—though they are convinced that their opinion is more than that—there remains only one thing to do, especially for vowed religious: obey the Church. Anything else would be a patent absurdity—a contradiction for sure, but not the sign of contradiction.
I kindly ask Rorate Caeli to link to this post, in the interests of truth, and also out of justice, since the footage does not belong to Rorate Caeli, but has its origin in the Institute and was the work of a friar still present in the community.