One bad apple...even Jesus had Judas. The CFRs are an amazing group of devout and humble friars.
They will carry on.
Query, considering the intensity of their prayer life, one can only wonder how this priest could spend so much time in adoration and communal prayer without it bothering his conscience. I understand how a diocesan priest cou…
One bad apple...even Jesus had Judas. The CFRs are an amazing group of devout and humble friars.
They will carry on.
Query, considering the intensity of their prayer life, one can only wonder how this priest could spend so much time in adoration and communal prayer without it bothering his conscience. I understand how a diocesan priest could evade conscience because he technically doesn't have to spend time in prayer except when he has to celebrate Mass, so spiritual accountability is nonexistent, but I thought the CFRs spend several hours a day in communal prayer and adoration, plus live an austere life? How does that not convict his conscience? Perhaps this friar was schizophrenic or lost his faith. But, if I stopped believing, then the last thing I'd want to do would be to continue with an intensely ascetic life of a CFR! So sad.
The enemy (I think) likes to lead people gently by small steps and small rationalizations: "this is not a big deal" or "I deserve this small personal satisfaction after all of my labors for the Church" or "other people do this so I can too"; the goal is to ease a person along from imperfect motives, to deliberate venial sins, to grave matter, by the gradual numbing of one's conscience. The enemy is also happy to take a fortress through the weakest point in its walls and leave the strongest part standing (an empty shell with no charity inside would be the pinnacle of hypocrisy so that would be fine, no need to raze it.) So it is possible for a person to look virtuous from several angles, where strong habits of virtue are intact, but to be a bit moth-eaten from the back where it is not seen in a mirror... pick one of the capital sins such as anger or gluttony and it's easy to excuse someone: he is a good preacher, so what if he likes fine dining or yells at people. There is no one whom the enemy is not *trying* to undermine so instead of pondering "how did this happen" (the order should ponder it though), I myself will ponder "where is my weak point where the enemy is sapping my fortification as we speak"; where do I make excuses for myself but would spot the rot immediately if my frenemy (person I encounter often who drives me crazy) made the same excuses.
This is at least the second CFR priest laicized for abuse - while nothing "explains" the men's actions, it seems like a missed opportunity for the order to review their discernment, formation, policies, etc to see if there are any common threads
Out of how many friars? Even good processed and judgment can be deceived by skilled manipulators. Especially if they hold off their real evil until they are ‘secure’ in ordination or final vows and have a good reputation.
I wonder if CFR's rapid growth came at the expense of thorough vetting. It also seems logical that groups that grow rapidly for good reasons (like CFR) will draw more than their share of predators seeking to join for the wrong reasons, men who perhaps rightly believe they can "sneak in", overlooked among a large number of postulants.
We diocesan priests are to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, which is spiritual nourishment and strengthens us in faith.
Many of us keep a holy hour daily or a time of dedicated pray outside of Mass or a holy hour.
While we don't have an everyday live in community of brothers to support us many have "clergy brotherhoods" or "support groups" which gather monthly for fraternity, prayer and to help keep us "honest." For a lot of us these groups nurture us and challenge us to keep on the straight and narrow way.
One bad apple...even Jesus had Judas. The CFRs are an amazing group of devout and humble friars.
They will carry on.
Query, considering the intensity of their prayer life, one can only wonder how this priest could spend so much time in adoration and communal prayer without it bothering his conscience. I understand how a diocesan priest could evade conscience because he technically doesn't have to spend time in prayer except when he has to celebrate Mass, so spiritual accountability is nonexistent, but I thought the CFRs spend several hours a day in communal prayer and adoration, plus live an austere life? How does that not convict his conscience? Perhaps this friar was schizophrenic or lost his faith. But, if I stopped believing, then the last thing I'd want to do would be to continue with an intensely ascetic life of a CFR! So sad.
The enemy (I think) likes to lead people gently by small steps and small rationalizations: "this is not a big deal" or "I deserve this small personal satisfaction after all of my labors for the Church" or "other people do this so I can too"; the goal is to ease a person along from imperfect motives, to deliberate venial sins, to grave matter, by the gradual numbing of one's conscience. The enemy is also happy to take a fortress through the weakest point in its walls and leave the strongest part standing (an empty shell with no charity inside would be the pinnacle of hypocrisy so that would be fine, no need to raze it.) So it is possible for a person to look virtuous from several angles, where strong habits of virtue are intact, but to be a bit moth-eaten from the back where it is not seen in a mirror... pick one of the capital sins such as anger or gluttony and it's easy to excuse someone: he is a good preacher, so what if he likes fine dining or yells at people. There is no one whom the enemy is not *trying* to undermine so instead of pondering "how did this happen" (the order should ponder it though), I myself will ponder "where is my weak point where the enemy is sapping my fortification as we speak"; where do I make excuses for myself but would spot the rot immediately if my frenemy (person I encounter often who drives me crazy) made the same excuses.
This is at least the second CFR priest laicized for abuse - while nothing "explains" the men's actions, it seems like a missed opportunity for the order to review their discernment, formation, policies, etc to see if there are any common threads
Let's hope and pray they do. They are otherwise such a shining example of the Gospel to the world.
Out of how many friars? Even good processed and judgment can be deceived by skilled manipulators. Especially if they hold off their real evil until they are ‘secure’ in ordination or final vows and have a good reputation.
Out of 60 priests, I had honestly assumed they were larger until I read this article
I wonder if CFR's rapid growth came at the expense of thorough vetting. It also seems logical that groups that grow rapidly for good reasons (like CFR) will draw more than their share of predators seeking to join for the wrong reasons, men who perhaps rightly believe they can "sneak in", overlooked among a large number of postulants.
We diocesan priests are to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, which is spiritual nourishment and strengthens us in faith.
Many of us keep a holy hour daily or a time of dedicated pray outside of Mass or a holy hour.
While we don't have an everyday live in community of brothers to support us many have "clergy brotherhoods" or "support groups" which gather monthly for fraternity, prayer and to help keep us "honest." For a lot of us these groups nurture us and challenge us to keep on the straight and narrow way.
Very healthy practice for holy, normal priests.Thanks for sharing.