In the heady days of the so-called post-Vatican II renewal, especially that of religious life, most religious orders actually thought that what they were doing would secure their survival and that they were actually renewing themselves as Vatican II wanted. It was done in good faith.
Much of it was also done in bad faith and a reverse misogyny, women religious who hate men who are in authority. This was the greatest error of the renewal, allowing men-haters in religious life to rise to power and cut themselves off from the Magisterium.
The clericalism of these progressive sisters is found in their touting of their academic credentials and how much smarter they are than anyone else especially the bad old men in Rome.
But even in the late 1960's and early 70's there were those who had serious misgivings. We can't undo history, but we can learn from it especially with 20/20 hindsight!
Today, though, there is hope. These come from congregations of religious women who want to turn the tide. The ones that don't want to turn the tide are dying out. It is only a matter of time when religious life will return to what it once once and what Rome desires as well as the people of God!
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Is it surprising that radical feminism followed the infiltration of Christ Church by homosexual priests? Is it surprising that this toxic mixture was seduced by artificial contraception and abortion?
The same double-speak then: "open a dialogue". A dialogue for what? To embrace, revisit or reject what is defined as Evil?
Is it surprising that the horror that is abortion has now been reduced to a "dialogue", an opinion, a "choice"?
I can usually spot the sisters at Mass. They're wearing blue polyester skirts, a blouse with a bow and sensible shoes.
I once had a Sister of Mercy teacher who was a lefty but pro-life. I remember she was very into social justice and against multinational corporations. Kind of into liberation theology. It took years for me to lose that mentality.
When these radicals sit in positions of power, they do not "dialogue" with those who disagree with them. They use raw power to shut them up, shut them out, shut them down, becoming the "evil hierarch" that they claimed to be in revolt against.
The thing that surprised me a little bit is that watching this didn't make me mad, exactly...it just made me feel sad for these misguided people. If you had told St. John XXIII early on that the Council he planned to call would be used to purposes like this, he would have been mortified!
We will know them by their fruit. Seems the FSSP is bursting with vocations at the seams.
At least the lady at the end (she's now Rev. Dr. Deborah Barrett, a "serious meditation practitioner for over 30 years in both the Christian and Zen traditions"), has enough integrity not to join (or remain in) a real congregation only to subvert it's founder's intentions.
Q: How many Catholic traditionalists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Change???
They don't look very happy at all.
Daniel,
I don't know anything about "traditionalists", but Father McDonald, and most of his followers who post comments here, are very much in favor of change.
It seems that making such a extensive commitment at such a young (often) age that maturity would bring a time when the commitment demands further reflection. The person should be allowed and encouraged to find a larger context for the commitment. But in the case of many women's orders as well as seminaries it seems they were cut adrift and challenged orient themselves without any guidance. I think this was one of our many presumptions on the Holy Spirit in that era.
Q: How many Catholic liberals does it take to change a light bulb?
A: We don't call it a "light bulb" bulb anymore, we call it a "old-fashioned, used-by-our-parents, non-green contributor to carbon emissions ". What was the question?
Feminism is a social cancer.
As the video shows, during those times, faith in God, service to GOD, was severely tested and found wanting in many in the Church. Thus the clergy thought updating the Mass with the idea of a horizontal community meal with hippie music was best, and women religious stopped wanting to serve God, and wanted to be social workers living together with other social workers, to "fulfill" themselves.
I am sure many more traditionally minded religious saw these new expressions of religious life that was against obedience (and proud of it!!) as a sure sign they were lost. Obedience by any religious, male or female, has always been the standard by which a religious is measured. Why? Because the sin of Satan is pride and disobedience.
We who lived through this as young people seem to be like those Jesus spoke of in Matt. 24: "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved."
It's been interesting times. The "nuns" in the first two videos are the type so familiar to me. I avoid their company at all costs!
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