More on Fr. Altier

I’ve been getting lots of emails about Fr. Robert Altier, who I mentioned in the previous post. Some people just want to reiterate their high regard for Altier and how surprised they are by these actions. Others are passing on their conviction that the silencing has to do with Altier’s strong opposition to the Virtus and Talking about Touching training. There’s still no hard information, so I’ll hold off on direct speculation.

However, I will say that Archbishop Flynn, Altier’s bishop, is the chairman of the US bishops’ Ad-Hoc Committee on child and youth protection and thus it is important to his national credibility that all of the “safe environment sex education” training programs be implemented in his archdiocese. Having a prominent priest—who is heard on a national Catholic radio network and whose homilies are posted online and read throughout the country—opposing him on this is not good for his image.

Contrast the action taken against Altier with the (in)action against the infamous St. Joan of Arc parish in the same archdiocese. Outright heterodoxy from priests and people of that parish were tolerated for years until the pastor left on his own terms. There was no silencing, no rebuking. Just tolerance of stuff like a gay/lesbian ministry that openly defies the Church’s teachings.

Problems with Talking about Touching

Update: See new info after the jump.

Technorati Tags: bishops, Catholic, Minneapolis, priesthood, sex-abuse

Last October, Altier gave a homily, that was posted online, that directly challenged these “safe environment sex ed” programs and brought up the Teresa Kettelkamp controversy. (See other entries 1, 2, 3).

Flynn came out in strong defense of Kettelkamp, attacking those who were criticizing her. I can see where Altier’s criticism would upset him. Heterodoxy at St. Joan’s is one thing, but one of his own priests making him look bad must be quite another.

I’m not saying this is why Altier was silenced, but absent any other information it does look bad for Flynn. The only reason people can find for this silencing, the only public disagreement between the two, is this.

I will say that according to the information the Minneapolis archdiocese has put online, their program is actually better than in Boston. For one thing, while they are using Talking about Touching, pastors may ask for permission to use a different curriculum. In addition, parishes and schools may instead hold a Family Safety Fair. And parents can choose to opt out altogether. This still doesn’t answer my objections to such programs in the first place, but it’s better than Boston’s policies, which isn’t saying much.

Update: An article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press doesn’t shed much more new information except the following:

Archdiocese spokesman Dennis McGrath could not confirm the reason for Flynn’s directive because the archbishop did not discuss any communication he had with Altier. McGrath said no impropriety had occurred. “Any communication between a priest and the archbishop is personal and confidential,’’ McGrath said. “But obviously there is a point of disagreement there someplace in his homilies or some of the things on the radio.’‘

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