Speaking of Father Cuenin (see post below), he was a featured speaker yesterday at Sacred Heart Parish in Lexington, Mass., for their series Women IN (sic) God’s Spirit. His topic was “Must I believe everything the Church teaches in order to be Catholic?” Based on his open dissent from fundamental Church teachings, so-called nonnegotiable dogmas, I think I know his answer to that. Seriously, if believing and professing what the Church teaches isn’t necessary to be Catholic, then what does it mean to a Catholic?
Other speakers include Mary Troxell, a Boston College professor, who asks what Pope Benedict’s papacy means for the future. I’ll engage in some prophecy myself and predict that she’ll say it means nothing good. Then we have the godfather of post-Vatican II religious education, Thomas Groome, on what makes us Catholic. My answer: certainly not post-Vatican II religious education.
Most interesting is that Father Brian Bachand, Archbishop O’Malley’s secretary and a very orthodox guy, is also on the speaker’s list. Remember the old Sesame Street song? “One of these things is not like the others…” This is an opportunity for Fr. Bachand to give them a shot of orthodoxy, something they aren’t likely to get from most of the others.
Actually, Dom, Mary Troxell appears to fall on the relatively conservative end of the campus spectrum, if this account of her participation in a St Thomas More Society forum at BC is any indication.
Prof Troxell was involved in planning the series of presentations addressing the “hookup” culture on campus, according to another report. Fellow organizers include Frs Ron Tacelli, SJ, and Paul McNellis, SJ, as well as Kerry Cronin of the Lonergan Institute, all on the orthodox end of the dial.
I see Kerry Cronin also is listed among the speakers in the Lexington series.
If Prof Troxell and Kerry Cronin and Fr Bachand are among the speakers in Lexington, it appears that efforts indeed have been made to provide a certain balance.
If what you say about Troxell is true, then I will stand corrected. But your second point begs the question, why do we feel the need to provide balance for orthodoxy? Why must there be balance with heterodoxy?
I linked through to the Wings program in Lexington, and I have to say it looks awful. I’m sorry to see this, because I participate in a Wings program in another town which has had wonderful, orthodox speakers and themes. The program generally is intended for catechesis and community-building among parish women. My group will be hearing about the Eucharist this fall, including a talk by the wonderful priest who says the Tridentine Mass in Boston. I hope blog readers will not condemn the whole concept because of this horrible program in Lexington.
I lost respect for much of what goes on in Lexington since they deemed a few years back that they can’t have a nativity scene on Lexington Common…