The following comes from a Sept. 1 email from one of our correspondents.
On August 27, the Manresa Gallery, the art gallery inside St. Ignatius Church, the church of the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco hosted Meditation Wednesday. The gallery described the event:
“Come enjoy a moment of presence.
“The 30 minute sessions will recharge you and it is a great way to end a work day and prepare for the evening.
“Ali Naschke-Messing writes, ‘Meditation is simply a practice of presence; it hones our capacity to allow all things to be naturally as they are. This can occur in any moment, in any environment.’ She is excited to host opportunities for communal silence. There will be a little instruction, but mostly silence. No experience with meditation necessary, just an open mind.
“See-Through-Silence is available for the public to host mindful gatherings and events. If you have a book club, choir, group meeting or special project that could utilize this alcove, please contact us. We want to be able to share the warmth of the space and build appreciation for this artist-designed communal project. Reasonable restrictions apply.”
Manresa Gallery’s website describes some of the meditation exhibits: “Join Manresa Gallery and Ali Naschke-Messing for a special extension of her meditation series begun during our previous exhibition, Thresholds of Faith: Four Entries into the Beyond. That exhibition “includes four visual artists of differing faith backgrounds (Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim) who used the gallery spaces to investigated (sic) the meaning of their spiritual practices and religious backgrounds through their art making…. Utilizing one of Manresa’s missions and key concepts of gallery as lab, the exhibition provided four independent studio-like alcove spaces where investigations and experiments can take place, creating a platform from which critical contemporary interfaith dialogues and exchanges can occur….”
The description continues, “Thresholds of Faith…stretches the more traditional understanding of the limits expected of (imposed by) a faith and allows a flexibility to see how one can move beyond our fixed expectations (of wholeness and holiness) in a personal/communal journey that seeks completeness.
“On Sunday, April 13th, 2014, Manresa Gallery hosted the first in a series of performances curated by Taraneh Hemami for her installation Reverberations of Stone. Reverberations of Stone is a depiction of a Mehrab, which is a devotional niche marking the direction of prayer in a Mosque. The installation is an experiment that collapses spaces and overlapping systems of belief, creating a temporary coexistence. The inside of the alcove serves as a reorientation of perspective.”
The installation of the art gallery in Saint Ignatius required the removal and destruction of the church’s confessionals in order to create the non-Catholic space. The replacement was celebrated by USF’s Jesuits in a 2008 announcement: “St. Ignatius Church, a Jesuit parish in San Francisco, celebrated the opening of its new Manresa Gallery on September 18. Formed by four interior alcoves, which previously housed confessional boxes, the gallery is a permanent testament to St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Composition of Place…”
In 2013, the removal of confessionals was followed by the removal of pews from the back of the church to make room for ‘social gatherings.’ (See the November 19, 2013 Cal Catholic article “Secularization continues at USF’s Church.”) St. Ignatius’ August 4, 2013 parish bulletin contained the entry “Pardon Our Dust! In the next few weeks, the last three pews in the southeast corner of the church (by the statue of St. Ignatius) will be removed and put in storage. The purpose is to create space at the back of the church for social gatherings….”
The Recent Past exhibitions page on the Manresa Gallery website shows that the Cal Catholic description did more accurately reflect the motive for the pews’ removal. The page has a series of photos of large “social gatherings” –gallery openings and exhibits–by the entrance to the art gallery in the space formerly occupied by the pews. The photos show crowds of people paying great attention to the art and artists. No attention is paid whatsoever—backs are turned—to Jesus Christ, God Himself, in the Tabernacle.
Well, Francis is a Jesuit. Quite an order, isn’t it, particularly its modern version? Oh, Satan goes after any public zeal for the Faith, and his efforts appear to be winning in this world, even in the Church. Just look at how fast bishops stamp out any evidence of Tradition, such as with Cardinal Dolan (but he is certainly not alone). As fast as a more Traditional pastor can be relieved of his responsibility, why, the bishop brings in one of his lap dogs and away goes the art, incense, communion on the tongue, preaching about actually sinful things, like homosexual sex, and abortion. In comes “pastoral” which most often masks the apoligists for overtly sinful behavior. It can never be repeated enough that being “respectful” to someone does not mean that you celebrate their sinfulness, such as a family friend that leaves a spouse and shacks up with them: you can still like the person, but not welcome the “new couple” into your home. But, who really cares in the Church anymore? Notwithstanding all the stories, bishops never do change their behavior. Only the pope can do some things, as Benedict XVI was starting to do. (And, isn’t it strange that so many people said that Benedict would not be with us very much longer, and yet, here he is!! Why did he resign, after all?) USF is not a Catholic school any more and should not be labelled as such, but this is not likely to change. Just as it is not likely that the True Word of God and Catholic Tradition will ever be preached, and practiced, in MHR Church, at least under this Pope and Archbishop. Sad, but we need to wait on the Holy Ghost, who will have His will fulfulled, ultimately.
Pope Francis is our Pope…..be very careful when you use such a broad brush when you refer to “all” Jesuit’s as being in grave error. There are many, many, faithful and holy Jesuit’s and our dear Pope is one of them. Shame on you.
“SandrD”: Your blogs are often inspiring, and your shame unwelcomed. But, the point is not that all Jesuits are always wrong (which was not the intent), but many, many Jesuits are simply lost. In fact, that order is generally known for its inattention to liturgy, and Tradition, altogether. This may well explain much of why Francis was attracted to the Jesuits (its casualness, its feeling of being free to question all things). Indeed, again in more modern times, the Jesuits have become the questioners, the inquisitors if you will, of Church orthodoxy. Not to better assure orthodoxy, but to question this and that about Church beliefs, often with destructive results. Jesuits were, and are, attracted to Eastern religiions and philosophies, such as Buddism, Zen, and the like, and no longer appear to find the fulness of Faith sufficient. If this seems like a too broad brush, the Jesuits have earned it. Just look at what they have done to higher education: USF, Georgetown, Boston College and the like: all rife with heresy. The Jesuits also question many Catholic beliefs. We also must be careful not to “worship” the Pope, any Pope. The Pope is specially gifted by the Holy Ghost, but Popes also make ghastly mistakes, many of them. Who knows what Francis will ultimately stand up for, or destroy; but things do not look good for Tradition, and Francis simplyl does not seem to care. He seems to feel that more is gained by having Mass on the Copacabana Beach than in securing Tradition to the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate; go figure (espeically as Brazil has few that actually practice the Catholic Faith — but they do like to party, and have sex, and take drugs). It is likely safe to say that not many Jesuits are “faithful and holy” (although some certainly are). We should all pray for Pope Francis, but maybe he needs a little help, too.
Needless to say, these phony charlatans need to be thrown off the premises, along with the skaff and raff of their new age trappings. Take out pews and confessionals so mediocre, brain-dead zombies can fill the space with road apples? (What we call horse droppings). Mordor just keeps cranking these people out, I declare!
Heck, LMU has a Master of Arts in Yoga Studies program, too.
It’s getting to be more newsworthy to report when a Jesuit school does something Catholic anymore.
Yet the S.S.P.X. is still “not” in communion with Rome! How our Lord Jesus Christ and his blessed Mother weep at what has become of their Holy Roman Church since Vatican II. Yet the Franciscans of The Immaculate are all but destroyed by this Pope in Rome, oh how Satan has loved the last 50 years since that council.
But it appears the SSPX was allowed to offer mass at St. Peters:
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/08/sspx-priest-celebrates-mass-in-saint.html
Guess all those Mr. Magisteriums out there decrying schism should write to Pope Francis in protest. Or perhaps just for some clarification.
No, we accept the decisions of the hierarchy. We don’t write in protest or for clarification. We are faithful.
Would you have been faithful to the pope who had orgies with young girls?
You guys are making an idol of the papacy. We love St. Peter, we worship Jesus Christ!
If you are indeed faithful, Anonymous, and follow the hierarchy, perhaps you should be less strident in your persecutions of those you falsely accuse of being schismatic – specifically, those who attend SSPX chapels.
God bless.
Attending an SSPX chapel does not make one a schismatic. I have never claimed that it did.
Schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” [Code of Canon Law c.751]
I know there are people who attend SSPX Masses who are schismatics and there are those who are not. I do not persecute either of them.
The Jesuits ceased being Roman Catholic let alone Christian decades ago.
You will be interested to know that the Marists share their logo with the jesuits and are in fact where they launder their dirty linen.
Although I have learned about other religions all my life, especially in Social Studies in public schools in the 1950s and have been friends with those of other faiths, a Catholic church should be for Catholic teaching. It is all right for a Catholic teacher to tell what others believe, but right along with that a Catholic teacher should tell Catholic students why we do not believe some of the things that others do and why, Taking out Catholic pews and other Catholic symbols in a Catholic church or school is just plain wrong.
“In 2013, the removal of confessionals was followed by the removal of pews from the back of the church to make room for ‘social gatherings.”
Approved Messages of Our Lady of Akita, Japan
“As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and priests.”
“The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres (other priests); churches and altars will be sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.”
“The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them.”
What a perfect description of what is happening today. Very sad.
God willing the craziness will come to a head and demand some clarity in teaching and practice from the top down. Prayers for the upcoming Synod!
I think the “mosque installation’ as you call it ended in June.
A Catholic church is SACRED!! If Catholics want to learn to meditate– why can’t a Jesuit priest give the famous St. Ignatius Retreat, or various shortened forms of it?? Also, why not hold regular Holy Hours of Adoration, along with confessions– and Confession boxes– for the students?? They need it! If one makes regular Holy Hours devoutly all the time– one will gradually be led, by Christ Himself, into deeper states of prayer, and meditation! Christ Himself is there to lead you! Adore Him devoutly, and kneel or sit patiently for an hour or so, in silence and adoration– and ask His guidance, and don’t give up! Persevere! He will answer your prayer! In Heaven, that is what the purified saints and angels do– adore God perpetually, in deep contemplation! That is also the goal of our religion, that we may become very pure, and that the Blessed Trinity may fully dwell in our souls! So– who needs this secularized, Godless “meditation baloney??” Some of this “baloney” also originates from a diabolic source, misleading people! The Devil loves to do that! And I think many Jesuits, sadly, have abandoned Christ, and sold their souls to the Devil!
How Our Lady of Akita was sooooooooo correct! All of this has happend since the Second Vatican Council and still Rome will not correct itself, the Church is upsidedown and with no sign of correcting itself anytime soon.
A couple of years ago, some members of the Congregation of the Holy Cross (the same congregation that runs Notre Dame University, told me that at Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal,the Hindus set up a prayer space. This shows that this terrible practice is not just confined to USF. A few years ago, different pagan religions were allowed to pray at St. Adalbert’s Basilica in Grand Rapids, MI, but the police were called when a group of Catholics began praying the Rosary in the basilica, and that was considered unlawful. Sister Lucia called this diabolical disorientation, and that it the disease infecting the Church today. In other words, what is bad is good, and what is good is bad.. All this in the name of ecumenism, but hardly anyone is converting to the Catholic Church, while crowds are abandoning Holy Mother Church, and joining pagan religions. This is tragic, and it is demonic. May God have mercy on us!
God hear our prayers…..Jesus, Mary and Joseph save souls from this grave error.
In Australia Russian Orthodox are allowed and they pay less then the Catholics at these schools.
In addition many famous Catholics are now with a lot of publicity having their send in the Catholic cathedral but are buried in Anglican cemetaries with no publicity.
We should be offering prayers for AB Cordioleone that he will muster up the courage and grace to face the head of the Jesuit Order and to please ask him to return the Catholic Universities in the United States to being one, true, holy, Catholic Universities. What has happened at USF, Santa Clara, LMU, and Georgetown is truly demonic. I know there are other Universities, too, but cannot name them all. The devil has succeeded in turning these once outstanding schools away from God and His holy church. St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
When you think you have heard it all…….
Replacing the confessionals……these people need to go to confession.
Appaulling to say the least, and I pray like Amy, that the Archbishop will have a ‘dutch uncle’ talk with these Jesuits.
And if that doesn’t work……I pray that he will inform the Holy Father of this sad, sad situation!!!
The Pope will not take action. He’s a Jesuit just like they are. There’s a canonical petition already pending in the Vatican to strip Georgetown of its Catholic standing, and that appears to be stalled. None of this is new. The condition of the Jesuit schools at this point is old boring news. Nothing has been done. The schools cannot be cleaned up without cleaning up the Jesuit order anyway. And that’s not going to happen. Pope Francis is not going to discipline his own order. It’s not at all clear he sees anything wrong with it in the first place.
Each Diocese Bishop has power/authority for everything “Catholic” that happens within his own Diocese. This includes colleges and universities that advertise themselves as “Catholic”.
Bishops with cause can also make them remove the name ‘Catholic” from all their advertising – per Code of Canon Law: Catholic Education #793 – 821
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_INDEX.HTM
Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities:
https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_15081990_ex-corde-ecclesiae_en.html
Each of us has an Obligation and Duty to report abuses to the appropriate Diocese Bishop: Code of Canon Law 212 #3, and CCC #907.
Pete – Please go ahead report it to Abp Cordelione. I never said don’t report it to him. In this particular case, he probably already knows about it, but go ahead. Just like he knows all about the overwhelming apostasy that has been going on at USF for years (and places like Holy Redeemer Church, also in his jurisdiction). Not a single bishop in this country (to my knowledge) has ever advanced any serious confrontation with any of the 28 Jesuit colleges/ universities or 49 Jesuit high schools. My comment to Elizabeth is that IMO, it’s naïve to think even if reported to the Holy Father, that anything can be expected to be done about the Jesuit problem. I really don’t think that Abp. Cordelione would want to be coming into conflict with Pope Francis, do you? So while Canon Law is nice, and I appreciate you quoting it (although it’s common knowledge), realistically it’s not going to be adhered to any more than the Ten Commandments are these days. But thanks.
Cathrine and All,
From your blog, what do you suppose Our Lady of Akita, Japan meant when she said: ‘ . . . . . The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary.”?
Why does Our Lady talk about the only arms we will have is the Rosary? Why wouldn’t She mention any of the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist and the Mass?
Serious food for thought? What does Our Lady know that we are to blind to see?
James,
That IS serious food for thought James. Our Lady is perhaps warning us that Masses will not always be available because of persecution.
Take for example… While being held in captivity journalist James Foley no longer had the freedom to attend Mass to receive the Blessed Sacrament or any sacrament but he certainly had the knowledge and made use of the rosary to arm himself with faith before being beheaded.
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/Blog/3321/slain_journalist_james_foley_on_praying_the_rosary_in_captivity.aspx
Thank God James Foley had the Faith and Our Lady!
Tragically, in Vatican II, it was decided that local bishops no longer have any authority, over Catholic schools and universities, in their dioceses. The Church has been truly “anti-clerical power and authority,” since the Council! That also means: NO CHURCH LEADERSHIP!! RIDICULOUS!! Tell that to the Pope, and the Vatican– they will just say, “Too bad, that is the way it has to be! And we will not change that! This is now a new era, the Vatican II era!
In the past, we were too cruel and unjust, with our power, authority, and leadership! So, there will be: NO CHURCH LEADERSHIP!!” That is “glorious,” “freedom-loving,” Vatican II for you!! (This way of thinking, to me— is too IGNORANT!!)
Research the Land O’Lakes Conference of 1967. That’s what sent Catholic universities into the death spiral of lunacy we see today – not VII as far as I know.
Vatican II (1965), Land O’Lakes (1967), the revolt against Humanae Vitae (1968). All three were products of the modernist revolt of the era. Each was a separate fire set in the same neighborhood by subversives of the same strain. By revolution, wayward churchmen gave themselves fictitious license to do whatever they wanted, inspiring and energizing each other every step of the way like the 60’s radicals they were. In the process, they managed to incite the mob, which has been doing their bidding ever since.
Jesus Christ, true GOD and true man said, HE WHO IS NOT WITH ME, IS AGAINST ME; HE WHO DOES NOT GATHER WITH ME, SCATTERS! Since Vatican II, the Church has been acting as if the enemies of the Church were her friends. How many mosques have allowed a Catholic Mass in their buildings? Neither the Jews nor the Moslems are friends of the Catholic Church. We must not hate them, but pray for their conversion. But to treat them as if they are right and we are wrong is evil. It is also wrong to consider that they do not need to convert to Catholicism. Christ commanded us to teach and baptize all nations, NOT to have them convert us, or for us to approve their wrong ways.
Fidel Castro was taught by Jesuits and Hillsong was established by fake catholics.
One need only read a few chapters of Malachi Martin’s great book, “The Jesuits – The Society of Jesus and the Betrayal of the Roman Catholic Church” to get a sense of how far the Jesuits have fallen. And, of course, it was the rebel generation of Jesuits in Latin America–of which the current Bishop of Rome is a member–that did, perhaps, the greatest damage to the society and the Church in general. Of course, it is easy to criticize, and after all, who am I to judge?
“I thank God that I live in a day when the enemy is outside the
Church, and I know where he is, and what he is up to. But, I foresee a day
when the enemy will be both outside and inside the Church … and, I pray for
the poor faithful who will be caught in the crossfire.” –John
Henry Cardinal Newman
This article is well written, and points out how this Jesuit institution has lost it’s way because it no longer understands it’s Catholic identity, which is to lead people to Jesus Christ through the sacraments of confession and the Holy Eucharist.
Remember, in the End Times , good will be known as evil
and evil will be known as good. Hmmmmmm
Deviations from:
a Catholic Bible,
and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”
are sinful for any Catholic, and are dangerous to the Salvation of Souls.
CCC: ” 2105 The duty of offering God genuine worship concerns man both individually and socially. This is the traditional Catholic teaching on the moral duty of individuals and societies toward the true religion and the one Church of Christ.
By constantly evangelizing men, the Church works toward enabling them to infuse the Christian spirit into the mentality and mores, laws and structures of the communities in which [they] live. The social duty of Christians is to respect and awaken in each man the love of the TRUE and the good.
It requires them to make known the worship of the ONE TRUE RELIGION which subsists in the CATHOLIC and apostolic CHURCH.
Christians are called to be the light of the world. Thus, the Church shows forth the kingship of Christ over all creation and in particular over human societies. ”
Institutionalizing, approving and setting up false religions for worship violates the teachings of our Faith.
(Those of other Faiths can worship as they see fit within the privacy of their own rooms while studying at Catholic Universities, or leave campus for their own places of worship.)
” APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
JOHN PAUL II ON CATHOLIC UNIVERSITIES ” – Ex Corde Ecclesiae –
https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_15081990_ex-corde-ecclesiae_en.html
Someone needs to contact the Diocese Bishop who is responsible for everything “Catholic” within his own Diocese.