The following is a California Catholic Daily exclusive story by Anna Rose:
The dissenting speakers have not ceased at Christ the King parish in Pleasant Hill. On October 1, a self-identified Christian Meditation organization called the Hesed Community has invited the ever-dissident Sr. Joan Chittister to speak at the parish.
In addition, other problematic speakers are slated to speak in the upcoming months, most notably Dr. Lisa Fullam, Fr. Padraig Greene, and Luke Hansen, SJ.
Sr. Joan Chittister was the keynote speaker at the 2015 Call to Action Conference. In 2001, the Vatican forbade her to speak at the Women’s Ordination Conference, but she ignored them. She disagrees in many areas with the Magisterium of the Church: women’s ordination, admission of homosexuals to the priesthood, the celibate priesthood, and she is, at best, a moral relativist in the areas of abortion and birth control.
A cursory glance at her teachings on contemplation reveals that she ties all into her radical agenda, not the sublime objective of giving the greatest honor to God. For example, she states in her video program, “From Contemplation to Justice”, that “The contemplative can never be again a complacent participant in an oppressive system” and that “Those that have no flame in their heart for justice, no consciousness for the reign of God, no raging commitment for human community may indeed be seeking God but make no mistake, God is still, at best, only an idea to them, not a reality.” Apparently, Sr. Joan can never see someone devoted to perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as truly knowing God. She encourages being like Martha, where the Church encourages us to be more like Mary, that is, true contemplation.
Dr. Lisa Fullam is an advocate of allowing same-sex civil marriages. She also has a skewed view of the Church’s teachings on sexual morality and our necessary obedience to them, as shown in this quote from her article entitled, “Thou Shalt Sex Beyond the List of Don’ts”: “Christian ethical reflection on sex has tended to focus on what makes individual sex acts morally right or wrong. This view of sex that looks at acts objectively and tends to regard anything sexual as probably sinful has resulted in a rule-focused sexual morality generally expressed as lists of don’ts: Don’t masturbate. Don’t have sex before marriage. Don’t use contraception when you have sex in marriage. Don’t have sex outside marriage. Don’t have sex with someone of your own sex. Don’t abuse others sexually. I’m not dismissing these don’ts out of hand: Some don’ts are of great value, some are less valuable, and some are grounded in bad biology, bad psychology, or bad theology and should be discarded.”
Dr. Fullam has also contradicted Church teaching that life begins at conception, when the egg and the sperm join to form a completely unique human being. She holds that life begins at implantation, and that contraception that blocks implantation is not an abortifacient because no pregnancy exists. A 2011 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine conducted by Dr. Farr Curlin shows that only 28 percent of the 1,000 OB/GYN’s surveyed believe that life begins at implantation. Fifty-seven percent believed it begins at conception and the rest are unsure. It’s hardly the “settled science” that Dr. Lisa Fullam puts forth. Clearly to have her as an expert on science or theology is a mistake for Catholics, yet this is the woman that the staff of Christ the King thought was the person to bring in to talk about sexual ethics of the Church regarding birth control.
Fr. Padraig Greene was arrested in 1999 by an undercover officer for lewd conduct at a city park frequented by children. He spent two days in jail and was released on $1000 bail to a rehabilitation program. The police report can be seen here. Father Greene was stationed at Christ the King parish when this incident occurred. He still works in the diocese as the parish relationship director with Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Services.
Luke Hansen, SJ, was an associate editor at America Magazine and is now an intern with FutureChurch, a pro-women’s ordination organization lobbying for ordination of women to the diaconate. His topic in the series of talks? The Ministry and Leadership of Women in the Church.
Father Paulson Mundanmani, pastor of Christ the King parish, has been on sabbatical for some time and will return on October 1, the same date of Sr. Joan Chittister’s talk. It is not known if he is aware of the upcoming slate of speakers at his parish, but he is scheduled as one of the speakers in the series.
Pope Joan?
by Donna Steichen
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=4090
Wow, excellent expose of Sr. Joan’s resume.
Trust me, I am no fan of these speakers. But I see no reason to drag Fr. Greene’s name in the mud about the embarrassing incident almost 20 hrs ago. The article is about speakers who intentionally teach against church dogma, is there something wrong with the priest’s topic? Lazy journalism. I notice there is no author’s name on the article.
The author’s name is above the article.
There is indeed an author’s name attached to the article. The author is hardly lazy, that is an unfair accusation, just because you do not agree with the author, there is no need to make negative comments. The author seems to have done much more research that the average Catholic reader and is familiar with the parish and the speakers. The author knows the turf. I found the article to be informative and helpful. The author provides a valuable research service and makes us aware of what is going on in our neighborhood parishes so we can make informed decisions. People are free to form their own consciences and choose to attend or not. But Catholics who are new to the Faith or are of an impressional age are entitled to be made aware that…
Unfortunately, with this group, Greene’s “embarrassing incident” gives him street cred! Is that all you regard it, an “embarrassing incident?” No wonder we’re in the shape we’re in.
Amen
Steve– WHY must good Catholics and their families, be subjected to a DANGEROUS MAN, possibly a wolf in sheep’s clothing– in the Catholic priesthood?? WHY was this CRIMINAL, doing PUBLIC SEX PERVERT ACTS– not EXCOMMUNICATED, and SENT TO TIM-BUC-TU, along with many other CRIMINALS in Roman collars– sheep in wolves’ clothing??? VERY DANGEROUS MEN!!! WE DESERVE REAL, TRUE, HOLY, HONEST CATHOLIC PRIESTS, WHO ARE 100%+ TRUSTWORTHY!! NOT SATANIC FILTH, TO POSSIBLY HARM YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN!!!
ALL of these speakers should be EXCOMMUNICATED and sent to TIM-BUC-TU!! They are dangerous, immoral, subversive, anti-Catholic— and should be BANNED FROM THE DIOCESE!! TOTALLY 100%+ DESTRUCTIVE TO CHRIST’S HOLY CHURCH!!
Well said Linda Maria!
“ALL of these speakers should be EXCOMMUNICATED and sent to TIM-BUC-TU!! They are dangerous, immoral, subversive, anti-Catholic— and should be BANNED FROM THE DIOCESE!! TOTALLY 100%+ DESTRUCTIVE TO CHRIST’S HOLY CHURCH!!”
Thank you, Linda Maria, you’re right!
I left the Catholic Community of Pleasanton when Greene was appointed Pastor – After the incident at the Youth Sports Center “Frequented by Children”, and now attend other Catholic Churches in the area.
A lot has been left out – including information on his transfer from Ireland to Pleasanton, and whether there were any ‘incidents’ there – noting that the Church in Ireland has been as devastated by Ephebophile Abuse & Coverup / Transfers like many in America.
When I left I made the point that repentance and forgiveness of wrongs is part of our Church Teachings, and I hoped both applied to Greene – but to Promote Him as Pastor sent a very wrong message – and that I hoped he could find other work in the fields of the Church that…
Contd.
I said then and still hope he could repent and change and find other work in the fields of the Church that avoided his contact with Minors.
Perhaps his work with Funeral and Cemetery services is appropriate now, but the Promotion to Pastor in the wake of the arrest was too much for too many – particularly given the Ephebophile Abuse & Coverups that have bankrupted so many parishes and so severely harmed so Many Boys.
Fool me once, shame on you – fool me twice, shame on me.
“Perhaps his work with Funeral and Cemetery services is appropriate now?” = R U serious? Forgiveness, is one thing, AND prudence is another!
“Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:22).
Quite a big difference from the heroic bishops and priests in Mexico who are being murdered for upholding Church teaching.
PRIESTS’ MURDERS RATTLE MEXICAN CITY GRIPPED BY VIOLENCE
Also at the funeral, one woman slipped a note to a reporter urging an investigation of what she called unspecified government persecution of bishops in Veracruz for opposing the gay marriage proposal.
https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_MEXICO_PRIESTS_KILLED?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-09-24-13-25-01
It is HORRIBLE BYOND WORDS if a poor, suffering, grief-stricken Catholic family is seeking the help of a priest, to give their loved one the Last Rites, and bury them, and find comfort and consolation– and all the darn Church can possibly provide for them– is a HORRIBLE, FILTHY, CONVICTED SEX PERVERT CRIMINAL, IN A ROMAN COLLAR!!
Thank you for this information.
The promotion of such an individual to pastor is tacit approval of his conduct.
As the saying goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Living within 5 miles of this church-like edifice, let me assure you it is a cesspool of heresy. If Christo-Marxism is your thing, give it a try…
Psychiatrist: The Vatican’s sex ed is the most dangerous threat to youth I’ve seen in 40 years
https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/exclusive-the-new-threat-to-catholic-youth-the-meeting-point September 2, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) —
In recent years, the Catholic Church has been going through one of her most severe crises as a result of the priestly abuse of youth. The primary victims have been adolescent males
This worldwide scandal was enabled by the irresponsible and permissive behaviors of members of the hierarchy who made the mistake of “winking” at homosexuality in their priests, according to a Bishop on an EWTN show on the crisis in which I participated.
This scandal was also enabled by no small number of spiritual directors,…
One person listened to the Vatican, and so did many others. I never buy anything written by Joan Chitister. In the past I have taken her books off the shelves in secular book stores, thumbed through them and put them back on the shelves. Perhaps it was the Miraculous Medal I wore around my neck, the same type of medal I wore when the older priest told me not to take the birth control pill, and I obeyed, and so I am still alive today over twenty-five years later. You know? The medal with the snake crushed under the Virgin’s feet. I can still hear what the Blessed Mother said to the servers at the wedding feast (between a man and a woman by the way), “Do whatever he tells you.”
As a friend said to me, I guess there is something to be…
Continued: said for obedience.
Oh ghee, when I wrote my first post, I had not read all the article about the priest. Had I read it, I would not even have written my first post as the subject for it seems inappropriate along side the other. Sorry folks, I was just talking about my experience with Joan Chittister’s books and her teachings. I have no comment on any of the other. I guess it pays even when very busy to read the whole article before commenting. My apologies.
Anne T.– many years ago, I was given gifts on two separate occasions, of two different, crazy, ridiculous books, by the “Benedictine nun,” “Sister” Joan Chittister– one was on her devotion to the environment, and the other was a book on nature and astrology! STUPID “Hippie” books! STUPID beyond words!! Some vocation, eh, as a nun?? With inspiring religious books????? I laughed, and tossed them out!
Actually, I am very responsible, and conscientious, regarding the environment! But it was a great shock, many years ago– to see the nuns suddenly deciding to tell the world, that this is now their focus, instead of religion! It didn’t make any sense!
Linda Maria, you and I were brought up in the “waste not, want not” era. Our grandparents and parents had lived through the Great Depression and also had more children, so we were taught to use everything in some way as much as possible.
At our elementary public school in the 50’s each child had to go around with a handle with a nail on it and pick up trash off the school grounds each week. We had to clean up what we threw down, not the custodian. Our high school typing teacher whacked us on the knuckles with a pencil, too, if we took our fingers off the home keys. Somehow we survived all that, and without the lawsuits. If the teacher did not “kill” you when you misbehaved, your parents did.
We were also taught “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but ourselves.” Astrology was outlawed in most cities as it was considered unscientific and usually involved fraud, as it does now.
Anne T., I enjoyed your posts! Yes, I too, grew up with those same strong values! So thankful I did!
Notice how few speakers who dare Dissent from the Radical Leftist / Gender Feminist agenda of Misandry – even make it on the panel, let alone present:
“Team Obama launches a shocking broadside against religious faith
By Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/09/24/team-obama-launches-shocking-broadside-against-religious-faith.html
“The phrases ‘religious liberty’ and ‘religious freedom’ will stand for nothing except hypocrisy so long as they remain code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Christian supremacy or any form of intolerance.” — Those were the word uttered by one Mr. Castro.
Not Fidel.
Rather, one Martin…
Counted.
Rather, one Martin Castro, the chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, who launched a broadside recently against religious faith, degrading the vision of the Founding Fathers that made this country the envy of the world.
Castro, an Obama appointee, released a report on September 7 on protections against discrimination. His finding, in part, is that Americans need to be protected from Bible-thumpers, and anyone else whose beliefs run afoul of the administration’s PC police. Religious folk need not apply.
Presumably the Oakland Chancery is aware of these speakers appearing on parish grounds. I’m surprised there is no comment from them in the article. After, all, they appear only at the tacit consent of the Bishop.
You’d be surprised what parishes do that bishops aren’t aware of until outraged lay Catholics bring it to their attention. But don’t be surprised when bishops don’t do anything after having been told about it.
Consider how long there have been heresy and liturgical abuse at the Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, and how Cardinal Mahoney and Archbishop Gomez have been made aware again and again about such things, and how nothing ever improves; indeed, things have worsened, as evidenced by the transgender workshops and gay couple bringing up gifts at the offertory.
Bishops can no longer rule their dioceses responsibly, since Vatican II “freedoms” were initiated, after the Second Vatican Council!! It is “against their religion!” “Freedom for all” is their new belief!! No more mean ol’ Church “authority figure,” to tell you that you are doing wrong, and must stop! Ridiculous, and irresponsible!!
Even worse– the “Catholic” colleges and universities, in the Oakland Diocese, are all very tragic, infested with EVIL and SIN!! As usual, in the post-Conciliar Church! All the “FREEDOM” in the world, to do ANY SIN THEY WANT– in “ACADEMIC PLAYLAND!!” I suppose the dumb Fathers of Vatican II are just ECSTATIC, with their “HIPPPIE FREEDOMS!!” HORRIBLE!!
I think all these people have spoken at the Religious Education Congress at one point or another. Since they have the blessing of Archbishop Gomez, why would they even be questioned?
Wouldn’t it be a lovely sign if no one attended this ‘scandal’ of an event?
Why isn’t she considered excommunicated for her lack of obedience?
God only knows why things like this happen but pride has something to do with it. Her pride in thinking she knows better. Hubris! Before the fall…….
Oh my….I missed the bio of the ‘caught in the lewd act’ priest. Why isn’t he in a monastery repenting or Siberia? How low can these dissenting speaker groups go? This bunch cries to heaven.
This is the devils playground. Attendance at this event, aligns you (your soul) with their mocking of God. Only God knows what kind of spiritual blackness this brings down on those that knowingly attend. But God will not be mocked.
FTP – You need to ‘FTM’ = Follow the Money. Many of these Anti Catholic Activists would have trouble getting janitor jobs, were it not for their pretense at piety – and many who hire them with the Funds of the Faithful are simply sneering at the ‘ignorance’ of those who they would not allow in Church – save for the Collection.
MMcD, Very true. Speaking of “FTM”….Here’s the figures on how much ($$ from the government) the USCCB gets for the silence, on mostly everything. This funding is for their ‘help’ in the refugee area. SEE: http://www.remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/2746-the-money-trail-why-catholic-bishops-are-silent-on-hillary
The snake bites it’s own tail. God help us.
The former pastor, cannot remember his name, should have been removed years ago and sent for psychiatric help. And all of the insane antics that he
started continue. The biggest question is why the Bishops have allowed it?
Is Bishop Barber aware of the heretics that are invited to speak at this parish. How sad for the parishioners who have been so indoctrinated.
chittister’s webpage has an article from june 1st,2015 in which she meditates on the astrological sign of gemini and it’s practical application to one’s life. without digging through her backlog of articles, one has the impression that she regularly looks to the stars to give spiritual guidance to her subscribers. one cannot serve two masters.