Monday, January 31, 2005
SOCIETY OF ST. JOHN STILL RAISING FUNDS
The Society of St. John was suppressed by the Bishop of Scranton. One would think that they would drop off the radar screen. No, they are still very much around.
I have a letter signed by Father Daniel J. Fullerton, dated Dec. 28, 2004, Feast of the Holy Innocents. In it he says:
You have heard the news. Yes, the new Bishop of Scranton has issued a decree, suppressing the priestly work of the Society of Saint John as a community in his diocese. And, yes, we believe that the decision is a misinformed one and that there are no grounds to justify it.
But what counts is not our opinion, but the Church's. Of course, the Church is not infallible in decisions of this kind, but she is the only authority delegated by God to make such decisions on this earth....We will, therefore, obey with joy in our hearts and peace in our spirits.
But what does he mean by "obey" one might ask? According to the letter:
Am I saying that the priests and brothers of the Society of Saint John will resign and abandon our work in the vineyard just like that? No, of course not. I can sincerely affirm that the Society of Saint John will remain faithful to you and to God, in spite of all trials and against all prophets of doom.
We will commit ourselves to the bitter end. It is in hard times such as these that one can see the true motivation of people. We believe that throughout all these difficulties we are, by God's grace, proving our true motivation. Not that we are anything, but that God's grace is powerful enough to work through such unworthy instruments.
Thanks be to Jesus Christ for the fact that the decree of suppression of the Society of Saint John by the new Bishop of Scranton is not the final decision. We are Roman Catholics, and it belongs to Rome to have the final word on this matter. The Society of Saint John has, therefore, appealed the Bishop's decree because we believe that misinformation has led to a groundless and unlawful decision....
Indeed, we are confident that our loving Father in heaven has the perfect solution in mind for us. In the meantime, we are keeping our strict schedule of prayer and work here in Shohola (with Sunday Solemn High Mass at 11 a.m., if you are in the neighborhood).
What, then, does "suppression" mean? It would appear that the Society intends to conduct business as usual while admitting the Bishop has suppressed the order. I, for one, do not understand this. Will Rome override the Bishop's power? A Bishop Rome has just appointed? Has anything changed about the way the Society does business now that they are under suppression?
The envelope in which this letter arrived had no return address. The upper-left corner had merely "Society of Saint John" in the return address slot. The Business Reply Mail envelope included with the letter had no problem boldly proclaiming their address as 702 Route 434, Shohola, PA 18458-9979. Yes, the letter closed with a plea for cash. Business as usual in the finance department. I no longer even feel guilty about being cynical. The Society has simply snubbed the Bishop as though he does not even count, and they will do whatever they want in spite of what he says. It's looking more and more like no one is in charge.
