The RI Independent reports this very revealing article in which young students and their parents are horrified by orthodoxy. And then comes the apology and hand wringing.
The Rev. Francis “Rocky” Hoffman, a priest of Opus Dei, an orthodox division of the Roman Catholic Church, and executive director and radio host of Relevant Radio, a Catholic radio network that broadcasts on 33 stations in 13 states and online, had spoken to a school-wide assembly at The Prout School, where Anna is a junior. The speech was being taped to be broadcast on Relevant Radio at a later date.
“She was most upset about the divisive and offensive language regarding divorce, homosexuality and even adoption,” Kathleen Schlenz said. “None of the parents or faculty knew it was being taped to be aired. They were essentially held hostage and told to clap after this man’s responses to questions, even when they didn’t agree with them.”
Father Hoffman was on retreat and unavailable for comment before the Independent went to press Wednesday.
On April 10, parents received a letter of apology from Principal David Carradini since Friday. In the new letter, Carradini announced he would not resign.
“People in our community are calling for my resignation, seeing in this event the culmination of frustration with my leadership,” Carradini wrote in the April 10 letter. ”I have taken this call very seriously, deliberating with myself for days and seeking counsel from others. I sincerely believe that my resignation as Principal is not in the best interests of The Prout School. I have this discussed this option with diocesan officials and they, too, believe that I should continue in my position as the leader of our School.”
“Many have questioned why I did not stop Fr. Hoffman when I sensed things were going badly,” Carradini wrote. “I have offered three explanations to various audiences; the truth is I do not know why I did not stop him:. Though I sensed, and shared, the distress of your daughters and sons, and of the faculty, I did not see its depth, as I was in the front of the auditorium. I desperately hoped that things might right-end themselves, and in that hope I did not stop him. Parents who are crisis management professionals have instructed me after the fact in what I ought to have done. I am grateful for their guidance.”
Students discussed staging protests and pickets in response to the speech. On Monday, fliers that read “Homosexuals are bullied because of apathy. Divorced people are bullied because of apathy. Adoptive children are bullied because of apathy. Are you apathetic?” appeared around the school.
Several Prout students and alumni tweeted about the matter.
“Prout is now an unvibrant uncatholic community,” one said.
“All the good things built up by The Prout School today just came crashing down around us with that assembly,” read another.
It’ a horror to me that young people IN CATHOLIC SCHOOL are surprised, stunned, and horrified, when they hear actual Catholic teaching.
My suggestion is to have a required course called Catechism 101 in which students are required to read the Catechism.
April 14, 2014 at 1:47 pm
This episode was horrible, but surely not that surprising? Look around you in the pews. People at Mass in cut-offs, women in immodest clothing, cell phones active until the last moment, teens with water bottles, hordes of EMHCs who view their service as a right. Can you truly imagine there are more than a few who are not woefully ignorant of their faith?
How many do you suppose are using birth control? How many have had abortions?
Worse than the reaction of the students is the very similar reaction of their parents. This ignorance is not new; it's gone on pretty much since the close of Vatican II.
April 14, 2014 at 2:39 pm
You're just a "reactionary" or something.
April 14, 2014 at 2:39 pm
This is the real FRANCIS EFFECT…..a feel good church with no doctrine or morals……and of course "who are we to judge."
April 14, 2014 at 2:57 pm
I understand that there will come a time when people will not endure sound doctrine . . .
April 14, 2014 at 3:09 pm
But is it really anything new? Don't such thing ebb and flow going back to the Jews drifting in and out of obedience to God or Saint Paul having to take the Corinthians to task?
April 14, 2014 at 3:26 pm
Thank you Stu….you are 100% right. I shouldn't get so down, and Francis does have many good qualities.
Salvation history and our personal salvation histories are and ebb and flow of holiness and sin.
Thanks for putting things in context.
April 14, 2014 at 3:28 pm
The Catholic Church is the souls in heaven, the triumphant church in heaven, the souls on earth and under the earth, the suffering souls in purgatory. To speak for the church one must be inclusive and tolerant of all of the souls. To be ignorant of the Catholic Church is to be ignorant of Christ. The human soul is immortal. All of the martyrs are in heaven waiting and praying for us.
April 14, 2014 at 3:49 pm
Well, it is easy to get frustrated. I do too at times.
I will confess that I do wish the Holy Father would have chosen some different words in make some of his more famous statements. I think the man truly has a pastor's heart but I don't believe when occupying the Chair of Saint Peter that you can't be "parish priest to the World" where everyone really knows you, your personality and what you are really saying when speaking off the cuff.
All that being said, I do agree that there are many wolves out there who are using the Pope's words to put forth that "feel good church" that you speak about/
April 14, 2014 at 4:17 pm
The Headmaster of this school is a friend of mine. He is a 100% orthodox Catholic. He's trying to hold his school together, and reach as many as possible w. the Gospel. We should pray for him, and all involved.
April 14, 2014 at 4:30 pm
I don't understand from the piece you quoted what people were upset about and what Fr. Carradini apologized for. And how in the world anyone could think he or she was "being held hostage" and "made to clap" for the radio. I have been in radio audiences AND school assemblies, no one can make anyone clap.
April 14, 2014 at 4:38 pm
The ignorance is not new but it began a lot earlier than Vatican II. Memorizing the catechism is not learning or knowing the catechism. I can show you many people in their 70's and 80's who can still parrot the responses to the Baltimore Catechism and yet don't believe Church teaching.
April 14, 2014 at 5:28 pm
wonder if they attend this type of Mass
http://www.startribune.com/galleries/255101911.html
April 14, 2014 at 6:09 pm
There's far too little here to form any kind of informed position. Saying that the priest is Opus Dei does not mean that his talk was orthodox. I've heard non-orthodox things out of Opus Dei mouths (or fingers). "Divisive and offensive language" could mean anything from an audience with perpetual progressive grievance syndrome to comments that failed in fundamental Christian charity to comments that are actually non-orthodox themselves.
Considering our fallen world and the mushy-mouthed response, we can guess the narrative here. But we should beware of developing our own grievance syndrome and not get all worked up over a guess.
April 14, 2014 at 8:13 pm
But…
In this case, the priest has a radio program so surely if he was heterodox in some viewpoint, I would wager that we would already know about it. Certainly the school would have vetted him for such criteria before inviting him.
Indeed, we don't have all of the facts but at this point I give benefit of the doubt to Father Hoffman. Hopefully we will get to hear the recording of it.
April 14, 2014 at 8:49 pm
What I ask is, why is anyone who is faithful getting caught so shocke,d and rendered speechless? Then adding the greater insult, "apologizing" to the offenders for believing the truth!
Exxxcuuuuse me for being so provocative!…not!
Having experienced (routinely) being the only one in the room to open my mouth, to speak up and defend orthodoxy against the enemies of Christ. Is, I can assure you, not that hard! Satan is already a defeated enemy! Remember that and mention it, quite often, that it is the other creature, the most Holy BVM, that did it! He absolutely hates it!
We should at any given time, be able to give an exceptional account of ourselves, faithfully! Your gonna' have to anyway, at the hour of death? So why are so many ill prepared to help others? Saving souls "is" the command of the day! Too many are in gross error! Guess there is more to do first, than to focus on going to heaven and getting yourself and others to get there too, huh?
The remnant army is very small, indeed!
April 14, 2014 at 10:15 pm
Excellent example and excellent response. I've always said you had to read the whole Psalm, but most people's eyes glaze over.
April 15, 2014 at 12:24 am
these many old people who still know their Catechism Answers and Questions, choose NOT to follow them -or maybe there are some reasons that they don't believe them – maybe their chosen 'life-style' was at odds with the 'answers' None of this is the 'fault' of the catechism.We really cannot judge that.
April 15, 2014 at 12:36 am
Of course it is not the "fault" of the catechism but more likely the method in which the pre-Vatican II generations were taught. They were in many cases not taught the reason or meaning behind the teachings presented to them. Hence when Vatican II came along and those priests, religious and laity started manipulating the council for their own ends. Some who knew their Faith kept it and struggled through the changes, others wanted and promoted the changes and the vast majority were ignorant of why they believed and so just went with the flow. The danger is pegging the present problems in the Church to Vatican II. Obviously it was a catalyst but believing that "pre-Vat II good", "post-Vat II bad" only harms our efforts to restore the Church.
April 15, 2014 at 12:41 am
The Headmaster has been at the school for about two years. The students are between, say, 12 and 18 years old. Do the math. Parents are the primary educators. It's not optional.
April 15, 2014 at 1:29 am
I memorized the catechism and I can tell you that I am so grateful to God that I did. I could never claim not to know what the truth was. If I ever had a conflict between what I wanted and what God wanted I was helped to make the right choice (God's Will) precisely because of what I memorized from my lessons. Memorization was taken out of classrooms and the ignorance has flourished to this day.