Jesuit Father Thomas Reese: Lazy, or Liar?

Religion News Service, the center-left media agency that now dominates secular newspaper coverage of religion, carries a column by Jesuit Father Thomas Reese, called Signs of the Times. It is almost always predictable viewpoints from the Jesuit who is so liberal that he was forced to resign as editor-in-chief of America Magazine thanks to Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. One column by Reese called for a ban on young Catholics attending the traditional Latin Mass.

Thomas Reese, SJ, in the center of his DC Jesuit community

In his latest column Reese decided to travel back to April 2007 and make up a story that traditional and conservative Catholics looked the other way when Pope Benedict XVI did something liberal, using Benedict's opinion that Limbo may not exist. According to Reese, had Francis done the same thing as Benedict (which was to agree with the Vatican's International Theological Commission's report dismissing Limbo) the right would have criticized him.

His first paragraph stated: "Many conservative Catholics are upset with Pope Francis, who they complain is changing church doctrine, but they hardly blinked when Pope Benedict got rid of Limbo, a Catholic doctrine that had been taught for centuries."

The problem with Reese's narrative is he is either very lazy, or he lied on this one.

In fact, one of the most widely published articles on the April 2007 issue concerning Benedict and Limbo, written by two Los Angeles Times reporters and syndicated in many other publications in print and online, quoted Reese himself, who praised Benedict as "not afraid to look at something that has been taught in the church for centuries and say it is not at the core of Catholic belief." Yet there was more to the same article.

Four paragraphs after Reese's quotes contained a section titled "Conservatives skeptical." It stated: 

Fr. John Hardon’s Commentary on a Draft of the CCC (Part 2)

Continuing from the first part, published at Rorate Caeli yesterday (here).

Father John A. Hardon’s 1990 Comments on the “Revised Draft” of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Part II)

Robert Hickson

Important study: “On Doctrinal and Moral Disorders Abiding in the Church” — Fr. John Hardon’s 1990 critique of the “revised draft” of the Catechism (Part 1)

Rorate has received from Drs. Maike and Robert Hickson the following important study, which introduces and then provides the critique written by Fr. John Hardon, S.J. (1914–2000) in 1990 when he was given the opportunity to review a “revised draft” of what would become the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The text offered here, in two parts, was first published in Christian Order in 2016 and is now being made available on the internet for the benefit of a wider readership. Ever since Pope Francis decided to use the Catechism as a Trojan Horse for his erroneous position on the death penalty, we have become aware once more of the possibility of “weaponized catechisms,” and so, Fr. Hardon’s study acquires new relevance. It should be noted that many of his just criticisms seem to have made no difference in the framing of the final text.—PAK

Father John A. Hardon’s 1990 Commentaries on the “Revised Draft” of the Catholic Catechism

(Part I)

Jesuit calls for ban on young Catholics at Latin Mass

It is always an eye-opener to read the latest thoughts from the Catholic left, who are often pro-choice as a matter of principle unless the choice runs contrary to their ideology.

Jesuit Father Thomas Reese, former editor-in-chief of America magazine (until Pope Benedict helped resolve the situation) has remained an often-quoted source for (dare I say, lazy) mainstream media reporters, and has written a column for Religion News Service. He is pictured below with the rest of the Jesuit community at Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C. (yes, this is actually their website's group photo) seated, second from the left.

In his latest manifesto, Reese not only calls for overturning Summorum Pontificum, he states:

The Jesuits officially embrace Communism

When your once-great religious order is dying, and the face of your magazine is James Martin, LGBTSJ, you may as well jump off the cliff.

America magazine, the journal of the U.S. Jesuits, has just published an essay by its Toronto correspondent entitled "The Catholic Case for Communism."

Its Jesuit editor has an accompanying piece attempting to say America magazine does not necessarily endorse communism just because it has published a lengthy essay in favor of communism.  This is a laughable argument, considering the magazine or website does not publish pieces favoring, for instance, the traditional Latin Mass.  In fact, even when it publishes an article favoring something traditional, such as the Latin language, it must contain socially leftist remarks in the piece.  This is the only way an essay gets published in America magazine.

Jesuit school no longer allowed to be called Catholic

Finally, an archbishop has used the tools in his toolbox to address opposition to Catholic teachings at a Jesuit school.

Archbishop Charles Thompson, of Indianapolis, Indiana, is expected to issue a formal statement tomorrow to prohibit Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School from calling itself Catholic.  This follows open defiance by the Jesuits on the issue of traditional marriage.

CNN has a report (guess who is quoted first...) here.

Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School has a statement from Father William Verbryke, S.J. and two other school officials complaining about the decision, here.

The provincial for the Midwest Province of the Jesuits, Father Brian Paulson, S.J., has a statement complaining about the decision here.