All Hail, Catholic Inc.

“As much as I would like to disagree with Fr. Robert McTeigue — being at odds with Jesuits is all the rage these days — I read his article “The Cult of the Imperial Self” (Oct.) as if he wrote it with a kindred spirit to my own. Though the whole thing is worth reading, the following sentence encapsulates the spirit of his article and the spirit of the age: “Too many Catholics have apostatized in favor of the secular culture and the imperial self, playing the roles of entertainer and the entertained. Among them, the worship of God and the sacrifice of self continue to fade.”

This statement should serve as a wake-up call, an occasion for putting on sackcloth and ashes as we beg the Lord to spare Nineveh. Alas, Fr. McTeigue’s statement — to which many of us can relate with ease — seems to have gone largely unnoticed by the gatekeepers of what I call “Catholic Inc.”

Continue to read this Letter to the Editor on New Oxford Review.

“A couple weeks ago, I brought to your attention a 4 November piece at Catholic World Report by Fr. Robert McTeigue, SJ, which commented on the “Eucharistic Revival” which is underway under the impulse of the bench of bishops.   Fr. McTeigue pointed out a serious difficulty in advancing a “Eucharistic Revival” without also striving to revive the Sacrament of Penance, confession.  It makes sense, no?  What sort of revival would it be were the number of sacrilegious Communion to increase even beyond what the horrifying numbers are now?

Right after, on 7 November, the CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc. (I’m not making that up), Tim Glemkowski, responded to Fr. McTeigue with an emotional defense. I debated getting into that piece here, with some “zisking”, but … the efforts for “Eucharistic Revival”, though perhaps a bit narrow, are nevertheless worthy and I didn’t think embarrassing this fellow was up to the mark. Besides, I knew in my bones that Fr. McTeigue would respond to the response.

Today at Crisis, Fr. McTeigue does indeed respond to Mr. Glemkowski.”

Continue reading Fr. Z’s blog.

“Dear Tim,

Thanks so much for your response to my recent essay regarding Eucharistic Revival and the Eucharistic Congress. You were so openhanded in offering me the benefit of your erudition and experience that I’m moved to reciprocate. I’ve been a communicator as a teacher, preacher, author, and broadcaster for 33 years, and my experience will color my response. For 26 of those years, I’ve been a priest.”

Continue reading in Crisis Magazine Father’s response to Tim Glemkowski.

“As a longtime reader of Catholic World Report, I was surprised to read the recent essay “Will there be a Eucharistic revival?”, by Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J., published on November 4 on this site.

The tone of this particular article is what I found particularly concerning. Personal criticisms of the organizers and phrasing like “sins of omission” aside, I found Fr. McTeigue’s line of argumentation so confusing and ill-informed that it seemed prudent, and even just, to respond.”

Read Tim Glemkowski article on The Catholic World Report.

“Why invest so much time, personnel, and money into a form of Eucharistic Revival and a National Eucharistic Congress that cannot achieve its stated purposes?

The organizers of the Eucharistic Congress, the great capstone event of the three-year Eucharistic Revival (already underway), the people who like to remind us that, “Revival is in the air!”, have nothing else to say about confession and the Eucharistic Congress. I could end here with, “And that’s why there won’t be a Eucharistic Revival.” But let’s look closer.”

Read Father’s new essay at The Catholic World Report.

A VISIT TO NEW BABYLON

“Recently, Sampson and I drove to hear a talk by Mr. Famous Catholic. Sampson is a native of the area, so he agreed to drive us to New Babylon. I respect Famous Catholic greatly, so I gritted my teeth and braced for the difficult trip. It would be taxing due to the traffic, which is always miserable in that part of the country. It’s either excruciatingly slow or at a pace and volume that invite painful lessons in applied physics.

Along the way, I saw what most Americans see daily: strip malls, graffiti, pitted roads, litter, and a nearly complete absence of nature or beauty. How do people endure this? How can anyone say it’s not an affront and a harm to the human spirit?”

Continue reading the essay at the New Oxford Review.

Christendom Lost and Found: Meditations for a Post Post-Christian Era,
as reviewed by Michael V. McIntire

Jesuit Father Robert McTeigue refers to the Western world as we have known it — the one now being deliberately destroyed — as Christendom, a whole culture based on the truth that the decisive event in human history is the Incarnation. This Christian civilization gave us the beautiful artwork, fabulous architecture, uplifting music, hospitals, universities, and practical virtues that have shaped us. Our present “culture” is successfully erasing that legacy, creating in its place a “post-Christian” era that is openly hostile to Christianity and those who profess it. Christians are understandably frightened.

Continue reading the review at New Oxford Review.

Conscience and Church teaching: Getting it right
Are Catholic politicians able to play the “conscience card” when it comes to abortion?

Read the essay on Aleteia.

Associate Editor Matt Lamb recently joined “The Catholic Current” with Fr. Robert McTeigue, a Jesuit Catholic priest, to discuss higher education, particularly Catholic universities…

Keep reading at The College Fix.