When Jesuits Confer, Heresy Can Result

During World Youth Day last month in Krakow, the pope conferred with 28 Polish Jesuit priests.  He had some things to say about properly forming priests - or deforming them.  Among other things, he said:

• "Some priestly formation programs run the risk of educating in the light of overly clear and distinct ideas, and therefore to act within limits and criteria that are rigidly defined a priori, and that set aside concrete situations,"  Overly clear??  I must admit this is the first time I ever heard that phrase!  Now the phrase, "overly ambiguous" makes perfect sense - but "overly clear"?  Are we hearing some kind of Freudian slip here?  What does he think of the Ten Commandments?  "Thou shalt not commit adultery" seems to be quite clear to me and most certainly does define set limits and criteria.  Do these Jesuits think the Ten Commandments should be rendered the Ten Guidelines?  As far as these "concrete situations" that don't fall within the "limits and criteria"?  There's a word for them, as old as revelation itself - sin.
• "Many people leave the confessional disappointed. Not because the priest is bad, but because the priest doesn't have the ability to discern situations, to accompany them in authentic discernment."  Let me take a stab at translating this glop.  "Ability to discern situations" means the knack for engaging in "situation ethics" and/or Amoralis Lamentia mental gymnastics to justify heinous sins while deluding the poor soul into thinking that he/she is acting virtuously while in reality they are damning their immortal souls.  However, in the case of a priest who actually understands that he is "alter Christus" and who actually cares for immortal souls enough to rebuke the sinner, well, the sinner who is unrepentant can be "disappointed" that his/her sin isn't being condoned.
• And we continue.. "In life not all is black on white or white on black. The shades of grey prevail in life."  How many "shades of grey" are there?  Dare I guess "fifty"?  And why, oh why, do they prevail?  How about God's clear, unambiguous commands "prevailing", at least within His Church?

In another account of the meeting, we see other quotes from the pope.  For instance, he said, "Young people speak directly.  They want the truth or at least a straight response."   But as we saw in the preceding quotes, he wants priests to be trained to offer them anything but direct truth - or maybe offer them progressive flim-flam while calling it truth.  Talk about wolves dressed as shepherds.

All this is merely one of the logical outcomes of Amoralis Lamentia.  In addition to prayer, expect more of this and be prepared to refute it.

How NOT To Promote Confession

The video below was posted by a young priest three years ago in an attempt to convince people to go to Confession.  One could say it's rather "novel".  See additional remarks below the video.



Unique, wasn't it?  Let's hope it remains unique, meaning "not to be repeated".

May I humbly propose my "novel" idea?  Let a video be made, where the presenter (be they cleric or lay) conducts him/herself as a rational, dignified adult as opposed to acting like a barker selling snake-oil at a carnival side-show.  Unfortunately we just saw the latter.

Moreover, how about the presenter treating his/her viewers as though they too were mature, rational adults rather than treat them as though their mental/emotional developments were stunted at the teeny-bopper level?  Again, we saw the latter.

St. John Vianney, the Cure of Ars, never tried to "entertain" his congregation into receiving the Holy Sacrament of Reconciliation.  What did he do?  He preached the truth from his pulpit.  He let his congregation knew precisely what constituted sin.  He was not afraid to preach on the Four Last Things.  He made very clear that mortal sins (and he defined them explicitly), unconfessed at the end of one's life, would cause a person to go to hell.  I read in a life of his where he told a penitent, who didn't have sufficient contrition, in no uncertain terms that he was damned if he retained his current attitudes.

The sainted Cure certainly didn't put on "dog and pony shows" such as that you just saw.  He realized that as a priest he stood as an Alter Christi, not a stand-up-comic clone.  He treated the subject matter of sin and reconciliation with all due gravity.  Were people intimidated by this?  Did they avoid his confessional?  Quite the contrary.  People came from places far and wide to have him hear their confession.  After the long travels, they would wait patiently in his line for days.  That's right - days!   Not minutes, not hours -days!

The juvenile approach that this video evinced was bad enough, but the bit about the "just-baptized feeling" borders on dangerous.  Ladies and gentlemen, the sacraments are not about "feelings" at all.  Maybe "feelings" are present and maybe they aren't.  It doesn't matter.  The efficacy of the sacraments is due to them being instituted by Jesus Christ Himself and administered by His Church.  If one properly confesses to a priest, their sins are - in fact - forgiven when the priest gives the absolution.  One can literally jot down the date and time that Father absolved them of a heinous mortal sin.  No doubt there is a peace of mind, but that is far different from "feelings".

Let me be clear about one thing.  I mean no disparagement to this young priest at all.  I've no doubt that his heart is in the right place.  At least this is an attempt to get people to avail themselves of the sacrament.  He's young.  I suspect this was part and parcel of his seminary formation.  I trust a little real-world experience will cure this.  Let us pray that the new Pontiff will correct any lackluster priestly education.

Note to commenters:  Please don't bother with "but it's cute!"  Ladies and gentlemen, "cute" is not what is needed.  The Sacraments must be treated with dignity and respect.  The truth must be presented without gimmicks.  Souls are going to hell and the Sacraments were instituted to save them.  That is a very serious matter and it's an insult to truth to try to "lighten it up".