I've finished a book by Michael Rose, about the state of Seminaries in the United States, called Goodbye, Good Men. It was written in 2002, but is likely still valid. I knew things were bad in some of the seminaries, but these charges are completely outrageous.
The salient points, and Rose provides many explicit examples.. there is an orchestrated effort to deny admission to seminaries for those who hold views that are in accordance with Church teachings, even, or especially in dioceses where there is a critical lack of priests.
The exclusion is first done at the admissions level. These are often delegated to nun, and more specifically a radical nun, with ambitions to be a priestess. She, without followup by a committee of priests and academics, can deny admission, based on 'rigidity' and 'reactionary attitudes'.. read that orthodox views. This can effectively blackball a candidate from any hope of entering another seminary. These views include ACCEPTING Church teachings on
-homosexuality
-womens ordination
-celibacy
-feminist ideals in family and society
-devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic Adoration
-Marian devotion, praying the Rosary
These things will get you excluded as being too traditional
Once in these seminaries, if an orthodox candidate makes it through that, he is faced with conditions so degraded that they are virtually untenable.. such as
-homosexual cliques, that can make up to a third of the vetted registrants (homosexuality is in NO way considered exclusionary), which produce decadent, overt and flamboyant displays of all aspects of 'gay' culture, and blatantly effeminate mannerisms.. all supported by the administration.
-routine denunciation of Church doctrine (up to and including denial of Christ's divinity)... ignoring of liturgical and sacramental norms.
-demphasis on community prayers, especially the Rosary, manly recreation, pro life and evangelical service.. but attending gay bars is allowed, as being part of exploring ones 'true sexual identity'
-graphic pornography is used in the teaching of sex ed courses, much of it homosexual in character.
-there no stipulation for the wearing of clerical dress, as part of a denial any attempt to develop an exclusive and separate priestly identity.
-interior prayer life is also openly discouraged, as in the prayers from the Book of Hours.
-classes are conducted with lay students, often apostate non Catholics. In one notorious case with a self described lesbian witch, seeking a priestess positions with Metropolitan Community Church (which serves an exclusive homosexual membership).
In the 1960s Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers developed the psychological credo of post structural society. Maslow's hierarchy of needs defined human objectives in terms of self fulfillment, Rogers developed the encounter session as the chief instrument of indoctrination of politically correct ideology. These have become the mainstays of these seminaries pedagogy. They are in direct contradiction to Catholic spiritual values and formation of self sacrifice, replacing that with temporal and material gratification as the highest things to strive for in life.
Candidates are sent for batteries of psychological tests to ferret out 'rigid thinking'.. 'homophobia' ... 'misogyny'. Those candidates who make it through and retain some loyalty of the Pope or Magisterium are subjected to ridicule and psychological councelling.. ie. encounter groups that have been proven very effective in inculcating revisionist views in young seminarians (read that brain washing). In one case to a psychologist who was the Worshipful Master of the local Masonic Lodge.
Rose mentioned there are orthodox seminaries and orthodox dioceses. In fact they may be on the increase, and of course we have Benedict's exhortation as to eliminating those with deep seated homosexual tendencies from consideration. This book thinks things might be getting better, or at least, some organized opposition has developed to what had become a predominate culture. But you'd have to think it has a long way to go. It notes orthodox seminaries manage to fill their quotas for priests. Revisionist seminaries never do, and there is speculation this is on purpose, to forward the need to open the priesthood to women, homosexuals, married people.. and encourage community worship.. communion services rather than Mass and elimination of Penance. If you look at the abuse scandal and shortage of priests you'd be best to look at the state of the semarier and quality of semiarians before looking to Church doctrine. One of the seminarians noted that he used used to go to bed at night with feeling of omnipresent Evil.. all around him.
The State of the Seminary
Moderators:Johnna, MarieT, Denise
Well I'm not sure about Amy Welborn, Denise, but this but I get a little worried when I see this
One might say that putting methodology above principle is exactly what got these seminaries in the state they are in the first place. Rose makes a very convincing case.. on principle.I questioned Rose's methodology