LA Catholic tells us about Fr. Bill Messenger, a priest of the Los Angeles archdiocese, who wrote in the National Catholic Reporter back in 1981, when he was ordained:
“I, for one, did not choose celibacy. I chose priesthood and accepted celibacy because there was no choice. I do not consider myself to have been free. There was simply no other way to be ordained.”
“We must face the truth that celibacy in the diocesan clergy is abnormal. As in any abnormal situation, the individual must seek compensation.”
For his troubles, Fr. Messenger was eventually sent to be chaplain at the University of Southern California (USC). He was well-loved there, probably not leat because of his articles and homilies that say that contraception and abortion and the usual litany of immoral objects is just okay with him and thus should be okay for the kids at USC. (Their mascot is the Trojan, you know.)
Given this track record, imagine my shock and surprise at hearing that Father Messenger has been suspended after a male student alleged he had engaged in “inappropriate physical contact.” (The LA Times story is the one that said it was a male student.)
The public statement is the typical psychobabble mishmash you’d expect to get from a bureaucracy, not from an institution of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church:
Both the archdiocese and the university have received a report about a serious violation of ministerial ethics and essential professional boundaries involving inappropriate physical conduct by our campus minister, Father Bill Messenger.”
Funny, but I don’t remember much talk in Scripture or the early Church fathers about “ministerial ethics,” “essential professional boundaries,” or “inappropriate physical conduct.” Lots of talk about sin though. The language is so bland, you could be talking about a basketball player making an intentional foul on the court.
While the archdiocesan review board investigates the allegation of inappopriate ... something, odds are that they won’t be investigating him for ministerial malpractice and heresy. What’s wrong with this picture?
“It’s good to see a pastor with a lot of the same views as college students - it makes it easier for college students to incorporate religion into their daily lives, and it encourages more students to attend mass,” said Brian Gendron, a member of the Catholic Trojans.
Which is the more Christ-like and orthodox priest: the one whose views are different from college students’ who nevertheless teaches them why it is better to conform oneself to Christ and His teachings or the one whose views are just like students’, is their pal, doesn’t confront them, and fills the pews for a guilt-free Mass? Thought so.
Anyway, what are we left with? A priest who said from the get-go that he didn’t choose celibacy and that it was forced on him ends up being accused of “inappropriate physical conduct” and boundary violations. Couldn’t see that coming.
he-he Catholic Trojans, he-he
Just anothe LA priest in the “spirit of Vatican II” biting the dust. He was so bisy maintaining bourndries with Christ and His Church, that he didn’t bother to have any with that kid it would seem.
This guy is another of that sorry ilk.
There was a former priest in my home town who created a popular following with his folksy, touchy feely sermons.
On a return visit home, I attended a mass there and from the pulpit he called for women priest and a change in the Church’s teaching on contraception.
I mentioned he was a former priest as he apparently had the same issue with celibacy as covered in the LA Times story.
Dom,
Both you and Diogenes, while offering the correct link for the “articles and homilies”…actually don’t. One needs to dig a bit more.
For the wacky sermons and articles, go to the link offered. THEN click on the “Information” button and THEN click on the “Faith Discussion” button.
Or, still at “Information,” you might click on the “Homilies” button. First one is this:
http://catholictrojan.org/popup.asp?section=homilies&name=abortion
“Both the archdiocese and the university have received a report about a serious violation of ministerial ethics and essential professional boundaries involving inappropriate physical conduct by our campus minister, Father Bill Messenger.”
STOP IT!!!!
Excuse me. We’re talking not about a report (and can you can the “ministerial ethics” crapola? Please?)
Evil, disguised as “faith” and “homiletics” is what we’re facing. Again.
“Before I speak of what we gain, I should like to explain how much we promise so that you cannot say that you were deceived and did not understand. Do not be like some Nuns who do no more than promise, and excuse themselves from fulfilling their vows by saying that they did not know what they were undertaking. This may well happen, for to say that we give up our will to another seems very easy, until, in the proving, we find that nothing is harder…”
Saint Teresa of Jesus: The Way of Perfection – Chapter XXXIV (34)
Fiat voluntas Tua, sicut in caelo et in terra
I think it is a bit early to jump all over what is apparently only a report at this point.
My problem with Fr. Bill, as the students call him, is that he has been put in a position where he has great influence over kids who are in their formative years and has been teaching them things that are contrary to the faith, especially in the area of the Church’s moral teachings.
My brother attended the university and still goes to the USC Catholic center and puts alot of stock into what this priest says. Most recently he told me that Fr. Bill said it was ok to vote for California’s cloning legislation because ESCR did not involve ensouled humans. When I pointed out to him that this was contrary to the Church’s moral teaching, as well as statements by Fr. Bill on his own webpage, he confronted him. Fr. Bill told him that he intended to update his webpage to include a new article on the non-personhood of the embryo. Fr. Bill has apparently convinced him that a person absolutely doesn’t have a soul before 8 weeks gestation.
The long and short is that my brother supports abortion and ESCR and cloning because of what Fr. Bill has told him.
The article appeared in the National Catholic Reporter, not the Register.
Two totally different papers with different missions.
You’re right, slip of the fingers. I’ll fix that now.
“I, for one, did not choose monogomy. I chose marriage and accepted monogomy because there was no choice. I do not consider myself to have been free. There was simply no other way to be married.”
“I, for one, did not choose work. I chose survival and accepted work because there was no choice. I do not consider myself to have been free. There was simply no other way to survive.”
Kelly <—-actually the above reads like something she might actually write
I would just like to state how amazingly intelligent all of you are. This man is no heretic. His homilies are challenging and are not full of the condemnatory BS that you ortho people love.