Wednesday, October 03, 2007
WHY THE LAY PRESS IS ESSENTIAL TO THE REFORMATION OF THE PRIESTHOOD
Check out Matt Abbott's column today. You don't want to miss this one! From the column:
St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary recently sent out two vocation-recruiting catalogs to prospective seminarians. One version — which contained only articles and no advertisements — targeted straight men. The other version — which did contain advertisements, including the one pictured below, with two bare-chested men standing next to each other in a hot tub — targeted homosexual men.
I have, in my possession, a copy of the latter. (This is addressed to those who might cast doubt on the authenticity of the "gay-friendly" version, as certain individuals did with regard to the photos in my June 19, 2007 column.)
The catalogs were also sent to Miami pastors, at least one of whom was infuriated by the advertisements included in the "gay-friendly" version. Incidentally, said version has reportedly been "recalled" — whatever that may mean.
And down near the end of the column:
Interestingly, Archbishop John Favalora is now promoting the Courage ministry. (See his letter below, which reportedly was sent out after the catalogs were put into circulation.)
While you're over there, click his link to his June 19 column. He has added some new pictures to the liturgical dance spectacle arranged by the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate.
And in case you're wondering, YES this makes me ANGRY! It makes me reduce my Sunday contribution. It makes me contribute my Catholic Charities money to a diocese that is known to be orthodox.
The pictures and letters are over there in Abbott's column. There is no question about the implication in the gay-friendly version. The men are not standing innocently side by side.
It is outrageous that after the scandal we are still seeing something this scandalous coming out of our seminaries. Where is Benedict? Why has he not cleaned up the rot? Where are the faithful bishops? Why are they not censoring their scandalous cohorts?
Diocesan publications are not going to report this. Fortunately we have the lay Catholic press.
Lord have mercy on us!
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UPDATE
Apparently the distribution of the publication with the homosexual ads was a mistake of the printer. Matt Abbott has posted the following update at the website:
Update as of Oct. 3, 2007 —
I received the following e-mail from Jim Frankowiak, of the Coastal Public Relations Group:
"I am contacting you on behalf of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary and your column in Renew America regarding advertisements in the seminary's quarterly magazine, Dialogue, that are directed to the gay community.
"I have been associated with the seminary since 2002. I have been part of the editorial staff of the publication since its inception and I have helped proof every edition that has been produced. We had one report from one priest in the Archdiocese of Miami regarding a copy that received with the questionable ad. He made reference to other copies and reports of other priests receiving similar copies but has been unable to provide their names.
"He did provide us with a copy. Dialogue had 13 numbered pages. The pages with the questionable ads were on pages 26 and 27. Our printer subcontracted the production and printing of Dialogue to another printer. That printer had produced other publications containing the ad promoting its product to the gay community. It appears that during the production process at least one copy of Dialogue inadvertently received pages from another publication that contained the ad. The call from the priest in the Miami archdiocese is the only report of this matter that we have received. Given that single incident, the seminary had taken no further action. That is, until we were made aware of your article....
