Is the Crisis in Formation?

The World needs heroes, and so does the Church. But how have heroes been treated in the seminary since the 'spirit' of the Second Vatican Council took hold of the Church and throttled Her? It's well known that during the 70s and 80s seminarians had their book recommendations changed from 'The Imitation of Christ' to pap churned out by modern theologians and out and out heretics. Liberation theology, Marxist interpretations of the Gospel and other heresies took hold of the Church during this period and it was an age in which even the Church allowed the 'let it all hang out' mantra into Her life.

I've been on the internet Catholic scene long enough to hear from men who were once in the seminary but who, for one reason or another, left. I heard a totally awful story about seminarian life on a priest's blog about a seminarian making a 'camp' gesture to another seminarian while they were all sitting around getting hammered and the seminarian taking exception to it and beating him near to death.

Another friend of mine, from the US, said seminarian life in the 1970s was utterly shameful. Though he himself admits he is homosexual, he maintained both orthodoxy and chastity throughout his time there. He suspects he was kicked out for being faithful to the Magisterium and for promoting Gregorian Chant, rather than for his sexuality, since the rector who kicked him out was shagging men left, right and centre and bringing young men back to the seminary for sex.

Orthodoxy seems to have made a sharp exit with sound teaching and belief, as well as a basic understanding of prayer and formation for men in the seminary from the 70s onwards. Hopefully, this has, in this country, at least, been remedied, but I don't know enough about it. I would guess much depends on the rector and the standard that is set by example and love of those responsible for the training of priests.

It seems that from the 1970s seminaries became places where men are almost encouraged to 'get it out of their system'. I like a good drink myself from time to time, but I would consider that hard core drinking is something that you kind of do before thinking of giving your life to God as a priest or perhaps I'm just naive. I expect things are not so bad as I am painting them, and perhaps never were, its just I hear stories from those who were in the seminaries and who never 'made it' through. Faith and morals seem to have collapsed in the 1970s.

We have to recall that this was a time when the Sacrament of Penance was deemed to be, by many, a tradition belonging to a bygone age. It was a time when devotion to Our Lady and to the Blessed Sacrament collapsed in an assault on some of the most basic beliefs fundamental to the formation of Christian life and prayer. It was an age in which liturgical dancing became fashionable and when all fixed ideas of the Catholic life were openly challenged by all in positions of authority and influence in the Church. The good were dismissed and evil was allowed to prosper.

I must confess that I do wonder whether Bishops are Cardinals in Europe who remain more silent on the issue of 'same-sex marriage', who have come out of the post-Vatican II/'spirit of Vatican II' seminaries keep silent because they are aware of their past deeds which could be brought to light. I know its wrong to think that, we should think the best of Shepherds of the Church, but the lacklustre campaigns by the European Church, notwithstanding France, to defend marriage and the Church, plus the kamikaze mission of Cardinal Keith O'Brien does make me wonder. How many more Cardinal Keith O'Briens do we have in the Catholic Church in Europe? For some reason, I really doubt Cardinal Keith O'Brien is the only time bomb that will be detonated. Perhaps other will be safer...as long as they don't speak out.

I've got a lot of gripes with the SSPX, I think they are rather arrogant in their dealing with the Bride of Christ, but I do just get the feeling that their seminaries, full to overflowing so I hear, would not tolerate the kind of liberalism and 'go easy on yourself' laxity that has blighted the post-Vatican II Church.

We need St Ignatius types - soldiers for Christ - not the insanity and chaos of seminaries revelling in vice. Meanwhile, a new generation of priests and the next generation of Bishops will, we pray, emerge from the muck of the 'spirit of Vatican II' Church to restore the Church, to enable men who seek God to be able to serve Him in Holy Orders unhindered by the outrages, heresies and blasphemies poured out against the just men of times gone by. These men will lead souls to Christ and declare that only Jesus Christ can bring us peace and happiness welling up to Eternal Life. If Tina Beattie types are responsible for the formation and training of men in the seminaries, hopefully it will be Tina Beattie types who are asked to leave, not sound-believing and holy men who want to be heroes for Christ and His Church.