I’m not as familiar with Christendom. One can argue that the school taking federal money is different than the student taking federal money.
I know that many of us would be unable to afford a private school education if it were not for grants and loans through the government and other organizations. Back in my day, credits were over $200.00. That’s a lot of money for some students. I was there for only a year to get some theology credits. I was sent to Catholic U. and then to Rome to finish. Private schools are expensive to operate, especially if they want to get into the area of science and technology. The faculties of liberal arts and letters are less expensive to operate. The research is cheaper. That’s one reason why the Vatican expanded its center for astronomic studies to the USA. In the USA it could get federal funds and funds from other countries as well. It’s an incredible place to do research, if astro physics and astronomy are your vocation.
Since this is your first post, just so you know…
It goes beyond just being apart of the SSPX.In my experience, this is pretty common among people who define themselves as traditionalist these days.
That sounds like stuff I heard from an SSPX parish I visited.
Now, that’s crazy talk!
When you go to a spiritual director you don’t go to discuss what he believes or what he likes. Spiritual direction is about discernment. You go to a spiritual director with whom you can discern the Will of God.
I agree. Many very well educated women and high powered women have contributed to the growth of the Church, to the apostolic work of the Church and to the general welfare of humanity. I remember one of my favorite women, Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Many people don’t realize that the first thing she did when she left the cloister was to go to a teaching hospital run by religious sisters called The Medical Mission Sisters. These sisters are physicians, pharmacists, lab technicians, nurses, dieticians, etc. There played a key role in getting Mother Teresa started. For many years Mother would send her sisters to be trained by the Medical Mission Sisters. What would have happened if these women had not gone to medical school?
From what I’ve seen, it is more than a difference in rite. It’s an approach, a way of viewing one’s Catholic walk, but it doesn’t have to be negative.
I can’t imagine any priest saying this, because he would be annuling over 150 religious communities, more than that in lay movements. Let’s use that example.
The problem is that many people have heard from priests things such as TrueLight describes. If people had not heard such things – had not experienced the “annuling” of tradition from their priests – this Traditional Catholicism forum would probably not exist.
Thanks. I understand this a lot better now.I can’t imagine any priest saying this, because he would be annuling over 150 religious communities, more than that in lay movements. Let’s use that example.
If a priest or a spiritual director (remember the SD does not have to be a priest) says something that is contrary to the teaching of the Church, he is not a good spritual director for anyone.
By the way, the EF and OF are the same rite. They are forms of the one Roman Rite. One need not be inclined to one form or the other to be a good spiritual guide. The spiritual guide knows that it’s not about him, but about discerning the Will of God.
I do a lot of spiritual direction. My community is not an EF only community. Franciscans have never used Gregorian chant, as you have read in other posts that I have written. We are very austere in our celebration of the liturgy, whereas the FSSP is very elegant in its celebration. When you walk in the door and say, “I’ve come for spiritual direction,” I want to know about your life of prayer, your struggles with sin, your spiritual goals, what you have done thus far so that I can see what works or does not work for you. Then we take off from there.
I always inform the person that I come at the spiritual life from the Franciscan Tradition. When a person tells me that they prefer the EF, I tell them that the Franciscan Tradition is not committed to either the EF or the OF. It’s not an issue for me I understand the EF and its spirituality, but we’re not hee to discuss rubrics, we’re here to talk about your journey into the mind of God, as Mother Angelica said, “We’re going to talk about Jesus.” I then invite the person to ask questions. Often they will ask me what makes the Franciscan Tradition different from anyone else. This is an opportunity to introduce the person to the different traditions of Christian spirituality. The persons responses to my explanations will tell us if Franciscan spirituality is appropriate for him or her.
Sometimes I find that the person leans more toward an ascetical spirituality such as the Carmelite school or the person may lean more toward one of self analysis and self-awareness such as the Ignatian school. I go with that flow.
It’s not about me, it’s about God’s work in the life of the person to whom I’m ministering. Obviously, I have human liminations. One of those is that the spiritual school that I know best is the Franciscan school, so I tell the person. It does not mean that I don’t know anything about the other schools. If something comes up that I don’t know about, I tell the person that I don’t know. For examnple, I once had a person who was Chaldean. I know very little about their spirituality. I had another person who was Mozarabic. I know a lot about them. You are always looking out for what will help the person who comes to you, regardless of your preferences.
If the person to whom you go to allows his preferences to interfere, this may not be a good guide. The ministry is about serving the Holy Spirit, not serving oneself.
I don’t know if that helps.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
I’m afraid that happens a lot. I have heard priests give very bad advice and even go against the teaching of the church. Alarming.*I can’t imagine any priest saying this, because he would be annuling over 150 religious communities, more than that in lay movements. *Br. JR, OSF
That is inappropriate. It is one thing to have an opinion and another to contradict the Church. My advice is to politely thank the person and leave.
Such things happened in confession. I wonder if you could suggest how to respond to a priest when he contradicts church teaching? Since I am there as a penitent I don’t know if it is even appropriate to engage in discussion, but on the other hand some things are just plain wrong. (for example to say that certain mortal sin is nothing to really worry about).That is inappropriate. It is one thing to have an opinion and another to contradict the Church. My advice is to politely thank the person and leave.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
what are you basing this on? You do know that the SSPX run St Mary’s College where they admit women? So why are you saying they discourage college education of females?
What’s crazy about it?
Its one thing for a woman to decide not to go to go to college, its quite another thing for a woman to say she does not want to go to college because a Catholic woman should not. This may be your belief and we can respect it but it is certainly not mine or that of the person who posted this about her ex girlfriend.
