W
wolverine
Guest
My inquiry relates to the various religious orders in the Catholic church. I’m currently a college student, in the process of conversion to the Catholic faith, and I’m deeply interested in the religious life. I’ve thought about it since my days at a Jesuit high school, and although I’m not yet Catholic, I feel strongly that the Lord is calling me to serve His Church.
Anyway, I’ve spent several great years in the company of Jesuits (some very good ones indeed), but lately I’ve read more than a few articles (some by Jesuits themselves!) indicting the Society of Jesus for, among other things, disloyalty to the Church and Her leadership. These accounts worry me, to be frank, because one of my primary reasons for becoming Catholic is my reverence for the authority of the Church and its active leadership of its members. I don’t think that I could comfortably serve in an order where strong distaste for such authority is endemic.
Some of my worries regarding the Society of Jesus and its current state have led me to investigate other orders, e.g., the Legionaries of Christ. I’ve read some promising accounts of their work but also some fairly harsh criticisms of their, among other things, interference with ordinary parish life.
So my general question, I suppose, is: are certain orders more conducive now to faithful service of the church and its leadership, while others are more prone to heterodoxy and dissent? Or am I simply being fooled by sensational media accounts of religious life? I’d appreciate any comments or suggestions that may be instructive in these matters.
Anyway, I’ve spent several great years in the company of Jesuits (some very good ones indeed), but lately I’ve read more than a few articles (some by Jesuits themselves!) indicting the Society of Jesus for, among other things, disloyalty to the Church and Her leadership. These accounts worry me, to be frank, because one of my primary reasons for becoming Catholic is my reverence for the authority of the Church and its active leadership of its members. I don’t think that I could comfortably serve in an order where strong distaste for such authority is endemic.
Some of my worries regarding the Society of Jesus and its current state have led me to investigate other orders, e.g., the Legionaries of Christ. I’ve read some promising accounts of their work but also some fairly harsh criticisms of their, among other things, interference with ordinary parish life.
So my general question, I suppose, is: are certain orders more conducive now to faithful service of the church and its leadership, while others are more prone to heterodoxy and dissent? Or am I simply being fooled by sensational media accounts of religious life? I’d appreciate any comments or suggestions that may be instructive in these matters.