The American Spectator

Reader Mail

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1.30.08 @ 12:01AM

(Page 6 of 6)

Anyone who is even dimly aware of current developments within the Catholic Church knows of the disarray and disorder that has made the Society of Jesus, aka Jesuits, a rudderless organization, adrift, and indifferent, if not hostile, to Church dogma and its teachings. I firmly believe that past Jesuit actions, individually and collectively, approach what would have been called "heresy" before the convening of Vatican II, and the liberalization of doctrine. I might also add that this phenomenon is not new, for my comments about the escapades of the liberal darling of the Jesuits, Rev. Robert Drinan (4/19/05), also demonstrated that, even at that time, there was no firewall to separate and silence those who merited that punishment.

Neumayr's account of the circumstances surrounding the brouhaha involving Rick Majerus turns on one question: do all Catholic educational institutions, which should exclude most Jesuit schools, have the right, nay, the duty, to inquire about their faculty's adherence to Catholic doctrine? Does that include basketball coaches and their "view" on abortion? At one time, teams from Catholic colleges and universities represented their school, and by extension, their Church. Apparently, that old fashioned nostrum has also gone by the boards at St. Louis University, and, I might add, most Jesuit universities as well.

Signor Neumayr is not sanguine about future action being taken against the coach of the "Billikens," as their basketball team was known when I was young. Neither am I, for there is a very serious spiritual problem within the Jesuit order, affecting too many of them, that will not go away: they have, in large part, lost their spiritual way, and I do not say that lightly. But Christians are supposed to be charitable as well as hopeful. Given what transpired last week in Rome, I cannot be either.

At the 35th Congregation of the Society held in Rome, the Jesuits elected their new General-Director, a Spaniard, Alvaro Nicholas, as the 29th successor to Ignatius Loyola, the Society's founder. One of the reasons why this selection is troubling to many is that Padre Nicolas's credentials and outlook are very similar to those of one of his predecessors, Rev. Pedro Arrupe, whose stewardship of the Order coincided with the serious decline in vocations and influence of the Jesuits. I suspect the same will continue to happen with the new General-Director.

Recently, when I inquired of a well-known Catholic lay theologian what the prospects for the Jesuits were; he wrote this: "I don't have much hope for the new General of the Jesuits. My impression is that he's a holding action until what they regard as the Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) Nightmare is past. Then they can elect a real Hindu."

Given current Jesuit proclivities, is that last sentence an irrational conclusion? Iacta alea est! -- the die is cast.
-- Vincent Chiarello

ASSIMILATE OR DIE
Re: Christopher Orlet's reply (under "Knowing Far Right From Wrong") in Reader Mail's New Jesuit Spokesman:

Mr. Orlet brings up the only example of Muslim tolerance (Albania) to show Muslims can leave peacefully with non-Muslims. How naive. One example does not a trend make.

Well, Mr. Orlet, how about Saudi Arabia? The Sudan? Yemen? How about death sentences imposed on Christian coverts in Afghanistan? There are far more examples of Muslin intolerance than there are examples of Muslim tolerance.

And please stop this canard that assimilation means adopting Judeo-Christian values. No one demands Buddhists give up their religion as a condition for immigration. There are no demands people give up their traditions except when those traditions contradict criminal laws. Honor killings are not allowed in western civilizations. Neither is genital mutilation.

Governments may not force people to assimilate, but that doesn't mean they are powerless either. Governments can actively discourage people from coming to a country unless they intend to assimilate. Governments can demand language proficiency and job skills before issuing a visa. Governments can ignore demands that a country set aside its culture and traditions so as to not offend immigrants. And, governments can prosecute those who violate criminal laws.
-- Garry Greenwood
Gearhart, Oregon

Letter to the Editor

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