You know the old expression “kids say the darnedest things?” Well sometimes old Jesuits say the damnedest things.
Perhaps we are at the point where writing about an old Jesuit spouting heretical stuff is like writing “dog bites man,” but let’s have a go shall we?
Roger P. Lenaers SJ,(85) of the parish Vorderhornbach in the diocese is in Innsbruck spoke at a lecture in Vienna. You know how old men tell you what they really think without the filters younger men put in place? Well Fr. Lenaers told us what he really thinks.
He started by saying** “”modern science” have brought to light that the universe follow its own laws, is autonomous and is not directed from the outside.”
It then follows, he says, that all religion should be an “atheistic faith.”
December 9, 2010 at 4:49 am
Sad…
Innsbruck is the place of a Medieval eucharistic miracle too:
From the story I heard when I was there, a knight presented himself for communion at the time that the priest was receiving communion himself and demanded the priest's host. When the priest protested that the knight was doing something sacreligious, the knight pulled his sword and forced the priest to give him communion then. As soon as the host touched the knight's tongue, he started sinking through the floor–then he reached out to grab the altar and his hand started sinking through the altar.
He called out for help, and the priest took the host from the knight's tongue. Then the knight was able to escape the from the floor–but he retired to a monastery to do penance for the rest of his life. There are still leg holes in the ground near the altar, and a handprint in the stone of the altar.
December 9, 2010 at 10:10 am
I've been around Jebs my whole life. I went to a Jesuit High School and now have my Parish (& Cluster) run by Jesuits. If I may paraphrase Forrest Gump – Jesuits are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.
December 9, 2010 at 11:56 am
Dear Creative Minority,
Everyday I see your blog. My name is Pedro Erik and I have a blog written in Portuguese, thyselfolord.blogspot.com.
This the first time I wrote to you, because I simply hate when I hear some stupidity from priests, especially from Jesuits that I love so much (St. Ignatius of Loyola).
On the subject, I recommend this debate between William Craig (he is not catholic but a great Christian apologist) and atheists:
http://bedejournal.blogspot.com/2010/11/debate-on-science-and-religion.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Quodlibeta+%28Quodlibeta%29
Best,
Pedro Erik
December 9, 2010 at 2:12 pm
more reason for the laity to donate to retirement homes and infirmaries for old Religious.
December 9, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Why don't these priests get disciplined?
December 9, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Okay.
However, although this may not be implied, I'm reminded of the contemporary American – maybe Western – notion that religion and science, faith and reason are essentially incompatible.
I can't accept that – for some of the same reasons that I converted to Catholicism.
Now, blatant self-promotion: I briefly discussed the 'science vs. religion' idea in http://catholiccitizenamerica.blogspot.com/2010/06/science-vs-relgion-same-tired-old-line.html – with links to more posts.
December 12, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Is that 85 year old Jesuit for real? Is it perhaps that something was lost in translation? This seems crazy. Also, most contemporary physicists have reached the OPPOSITE conclusion regarding the logical order (logos) underlying the universe.
December 13, 2010 at 12:32 pm
There is a fine line between genius and insanity. This Jesuit is straddling it.