On April 14, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on the ‘marriage’ of the coach of the women’s basketball team at the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco, Jennifer Azzi. Ms. Azzi, who has coached the team since 2010, announced that she was ‘married’ to Ms. Blair Hardiek on March 31.
The high-profile event made national news. It also offered an important opportunity for the ostensibly Catholic university to take a stand on one of the most important and non-negotiable battles between the Church and what St. Pope John Paul II correctly identified as the Culture of Death. The president of the university, Jesuit Father Paul Fitzgerald, missed his opportunity.
From the Chronicle article:
“USF President Paul Fitzgerald did not know Azzi and Hardiek were married, but was quick to offer congratulations the day after Azzi’s announcement.”
This is surprising, especially considering that at least one past statement by Father Fitzgerald could be seen as implying that he supports the natural, Catholic definition of marriage. A June 26, 2015 Twitter post from USF’s official Twitter feed, following the Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex ‘marriage’ in Obergefell v. Hodges, said: “Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage nationwide in the wake of #SFPride: sco.lt/55xpGz – @UST_LTMC #LoveWins.”
Father Fitzgerald responded, and attempted to distance USF from its own Twitter post. He wrote, “A social media post concerning the recent Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage was posted on the University of San Francisco Twitter account in error. This post does not represent the views of the University of San Francisco, a Jesuit Catholic university. While the university deeply respects and promotes the innate dignity of all gay and lesbian students, faculty, staff, and alumni as they are created in the image and likeness of God, it does not endorse views on marriage that are inconsistent with the teaching of the Church.”
Father Fitzgerald’s statement that the university “does not endorse views on marriage that are inconsistent with the teaching of the Church” invites the question: what is “the university”? A university is an artificial construct. It cannot endorse views at all.
But it is made up of people who can, people like the openly homosexual Jesuit Father Donal Godfrey, the then-executive director of USF’s University Ministry who told Catholic San Francisco on December 13, 2008 that he “personally opposed Prop 8”— a view on marriage inconsistent with the teaching of the Church. It is made up of people like the same-sex “married” Dan McPherson, who serves as Director, Graduate Student Services in the Office of the Vice-Provost for Student Life. McPherson “endorse(s) views on marriage that are inconsistent with the teaching of the Church” every single day. It is made up of people like the openly homosexual Rev. Vincent Pizzuto, who serves as Associate Professor of New Testament in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, the Director of the Catholic Studies and Social Thought minor, and the Coordinator of the Ignatian Faculty Forum. Rev. Pizzuto, originally Catholic, is also an ordained minister in the Episcopal Church. Pizzuto not only endorses same-sex “marriages,” he performs them.
And it is made up of people like university president Paul Fitzgerald, SJ, who “was quick to offer congratulations” the day after Ms. Azzi’s announced her “marriage.”
This reminds me of the remarkable book review by Fr. Paul Shaughnessy, SJ the past decade that speaks, among other things, about the Gallery Owners, the Jesuit university presidents. I don’t know if Fr. Shaughnessy was thinking specifically of Fr. Fitzgerald when he wrote the article, but it would explain the mystifying response to this latest exhibition of perversion at USF.
It’s worth a read:
https://www.weeklystandard.com/are-the-jesuits-catholic/article/2586
FrMichael, How can the Jesuit presidents be asked to use good Catholic moral judgement when the head Jesuit says, ‘who am I to judge’ on this very issue? When confusing comments are spun around the globe from the Vatican seat in Rome, don’t weak leaders fall? Even strong leaders find it difficult to comment rightly when faced with these muddy exhortations of feelings from our Pope. I pray the Pope STOP sharing ‘himself’ and become the Church leader we all need. Truly, he must stop contradicting the traditional church teachings for a start and replace confusion statements with clarity, irregardless of his ‘feelings’ because that is what a great leader does, dies to self. And soon please.
The problems with the Jesuit university presidents, like those of the rest of the Order, can hardly be excused or blamed based on the current pope. The origins of the Jesuit corruption can be traced back at least to the earliest years of the 20th Century and the writings of George Tyrell. A steady succession of heretics since, including Teilhard, Rahner and thousands of others, have left the Order in a cesspool.
So because the Jesuits have been corrupted for years you would conclude a Jesuit Pope, with unwavering support for traditional Church doctrine in all his writings, letters & comments would NOT help set an example to his fellow brother Jesuits? It’s that bad?
Yes it is that bad. But you’re just positing a hypothetical. What Jesuit are you talking about? Are there any as you describe? None the Order hasn’t marginalized. Fessio, Pacwa, and Buckley come to mind. None hold positions of authority in the Church. No traditionalist has been elevated by the Order enough to be noticed by the Curia, who doesn’t want a traditionalist anyway. This pope exhibits way too many of the Order’s symptoms to even recognize its problems. This isn’t about an Order which is going to follow “good example.” It’s worm-ridden with homosexuals and their supporters and has paid a quarter billion in abuse settlements.
Ah, but Pope Francis has condemned so-called same-sex marriages, many times in his sermons and even in Amoris Laetitia. Just google it on line.
Sadly, the Pope says he wants to “break some of the rules,” so as to bring God’s “mercy” to the world! He says that doctrine gets in his way, of giving God’s “mercy!” A very deliberately contradictory Pope, who really has to abide by our Catholic teaching, although at times, he does not want to, because he feels Catholic doctrine is “not fair,” and obstructs “God’s mercy,” as he sees it! So— this Pope has a rough time, privately and publicly, in living with his own Faith! He is rebellious and naïve! This places an unfair burden on everyone! Poor leadership!
Linda Maria, after hearing critiques from many excellent priests, canon lawyers, cardinals and others, it seems he writes one thing then later writes something else that contradicts what he previously said.
The good news is that the official Latin version of his exhortation has not been done, and many cardinals, hopefully, are asking him to clarify what is so terribly ambiguous in it.
Anne T.- The pontificate of Pope Francis should be short, due to his age! Sorry to say such a thing, but it is true! Maybe someday, this Synod and Papal exhortation, will be totally forgotten! I hope the next Pope is truly Catholic, and orthodox! But I wonder what the cardinals who will elect the next Pope, may have in mind? It is scary!
I must admit, most of the articles posted on calcactholic could possibly be episodes from THE TWILIGHT ZONE. The majority of them portray the abnormal and heretical as mainstream Catholicism. A few of the articles are positive and uplifting, but most of them show a Church that is in a downward spiral, spinning further and further away from traditional Catholic practice, devotion and belief. But then the maxim comes to mind, ‘No news is good news’. To change a quote from what many in the GOP are saying: ‘It’s not the Church I grew up in.”
The Jesuit Order is spiritually-dead! Worse than the Arch-Betrayer of Christ, Judas Iscariot! Like Lucifer, who foolishly declared to God, “Non serviam,” and departed Heaven for Hell— the spiritually-dead, traitorous Jesuits bring down a great many “lost souls” straight to Hell, with them!
This will only lead to more people to leaving their faith, but they need to realize the modern church is not what it seems to be. They can find refuge in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Jesus is waiting for everyone of us to pay Him a visit, to open our hearts to Him. He promised to be with His Bride Holy Mother the Church until the end of time. He has and keeps His promise in the Blessed Sacrament in all of the Tabernacles reverently adorned centered on the high altars in the quiet and beautiful sanctuaries of Roman Catholic Churches throughout the world where parishoners have the old 7 Latin Sacraments and follow traditional practices. Seek and you shall find!
Up next with our Argentine Jesuit Pope we will get married priests and nuns.
Yeah, married priests…but not married to women but married to each other.
Oh how FUNNY!!!! And TOO CLOSE TO THE TRUTH!!
Folks these colleges and universities ceased being Roman Catholic years ago, and lets not even start on the Jesuits. The Church needs to be completely reformed and cleansed of Vatican II, starting with the return of the TLM. Pray that the S.S.P.X. comes home to Rome where they can do more good inside the Church as opposed being on the outside looking in.
I can think of a couple more television programs that reflect the current situation in the Catholic Church: ONE STEP BEYOND, and THE OUTER LIMITS. It appears that daily we are witnessing the norm heading in a liberal direction. I am grateful to God that perhaps the SSPX will be normalized into the Church so traditionalists can be more united against the heresy of modernism and liberalism.
For many long years– I have daily prayed, that the SSPX will actually REPLACE the current, crazy “hippie-liberal” 1960’s Vatican II Church!!
California Catholic Daily exclusive: Jesuit Father Paul Fitzgerald publicly congratulates lesbian couple.
“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander”: The Jesuit pope did the same at a personal audience in the Vatican!
Haven’t heard this one about the Pope. If this be true and not gossip, spill the beans!
Of course it’s not true. He met with an old student that he has stayed in touch with for decades, who subsequently married a man, but I don’t think we have any record that he congratulated him.
Coming from one who supports/promotes what’s EVIL. Remember there are certain body parts for ridding waste and only for that.
The Holy Father has an old friend from many years ago, who is gay, and is “married” to his boyfriend. The Pope tried to be polite, and “show God’s love and mercy” to this couple, when they came for a visit. He values his old friend, he says– and so he looks as though he is “approving” of the couple! I don’t think he wants to hurt his friend, especially as he is now the Pope! I think the Pope is probably offended— but does not want to hurt his friend.
Up to Abp. Cordileone to speak up on this. Uncertain of what his juridical rights are, but he has the bully pulpit, certainly. And, he can take steps within the Church to seek to have the school prohibited from using the “Catholic” description. Of course, the Pope will not permit this, so it is likely moot, but Abp. Cordileone should try.
Abp. Cordileone will do nothing.
Academentia = Paying top dollar to fill the trough feeding the most radical Misandrists around – while they trash the very Church the ‘university’ is allegedly associated with.
Larry Brinkin’s retirement party was attended by then-Mayor (now Lieutenant Governor) Gavin Newsom,
State Senator Mark Leno, State Senator Tom Ammiano, and he was lauded by SF Supervisor David Campos, declared an “LGBT Hero” by PBS, and honored by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Both Hay and Brinkin have served as grand marshalls of San Francisco’s Gay Pride Parade.
SEE
San Francisco’s Gay Icon Larry Brinkin Guilty of Felony Child Porn Possession
https://cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/san-francisco-s-gay-icon-larry-brinkin-guilty-felony-child-porn
Ted Haggard, Larry Brinkin, And Glaring Media Bias
https://townhall…
The ONLY Jesuit I have any respect for is Father John Hardon.
And unfortunately, Father Hardon passed away December 30, 2000. When former USF Present Stephen Privett SJ was asked if he had any comment on the passing of Fr Hardon, his response was “never heard of him.”
Is it any wonder that our USF graduate son will not admit attending there?
This is BEYOND shameful! Talk about the scandal given.
May God have mercy on USF, a former, with the St. Ignatious Institue, stellar institute of higher learning.
I can’t believe I read this. :( What a big disappointment. I have respected the Jesuits for a long time.
The fact that the Pope met with a sodomite is bad enough. He may have congratulated him on his immoral lover. We really will not know for sure, but a scandal was created. When Christ mingled with sinners He told them their sins were forgiven, and to go and sin no more. 100 years ago, Pope St. Pius X refused to have an audience with the US President, Theodore Roosevelt (I guess because TR was a Protestant). But now the Pope meets with Sanders, Sodomites and others. Ave Maria Purrissima !
There are good Jesuits, but the dissident ones give the good ones a bad time.
This isn’t a matter of a few giving a bad name to the many. Rather, it’s the opposite – the dissidents are in control of the Order, and in control of their 58 high schools and 28 colleges, which provide disordered education to hundreds of thousands of Catholics across the nation. They’ve paid out a quarter billion in homosexual abuse settlements. Orthodox Jesuits are exiled or marginalized from influence in the Order. It’s good that there are a few good Jesuits in hiding, but your comment implies a silent majority, and that’s simply not the case.
Any semblance of ‘Catholicism’ that is left at U.S.F. needs to be taken away!
This is a major scandal and there should be consequences to such things.
And as far as ‘judgmental goes….we are to judge ACTIONS!!!!!
Will everyone please spread the word that we are to judge ACTIONS!
The Progressives/Liberals love to bring that up, so I simply respond, we are to judge ACTIONS. That usually quiets them down. And you can give examples, i.e. like if someone is robbing a bank, living and acting immorally, etc…..
The Lord did not mean that we are not to make judgments. That is humanly impossible, and sometimes making good judgments is part of our responsibilities and to not make them is irresponsible If one reads the whole context of what he said, he meant that we are to make fair, just and impartial judgments and to be sure that we are not doing the same things ourselves, and if we are to correct ourselves, too.
The Jesuits are a dying order. Their order once was the best of the best. But now it is the worst of the worst. Look at all the Jesuit universities and colleges that are now closed. It is not a happy site. The corruption of the best is terrible, and the modernists have been infiltrating the Jesuits since the 1920’s. Ave Maria Purrissima !
Please – what Jesuit universities and colleges are now closed? Do you have a list? Personally, I’m not aware of any, although I can name a few that should be closed.
Jesusita the forces of darkness and evil have infiltrated into many Catholic and non Catholic universities across North America and beyond not just Jesuit universities. There are many good people in the Jesuit order as well. There is good and bad everywhere if you just look hard enough. Keep the faith and don’t give up hope for the kingdom of God almighty is near. Till Jesus Christ King of Kings Lord of Lords True God and True Man comes keep praying for mankind and for our Priests who need much prayer during this diabolicle spiritual war.
That’s fine, but evil in non-Catholic universities is irrelevant to the discussion. The point is to publicize that so-called Jesuit/Catholic universities in this country are apostate, and to warn parents that they are not getting what they think they are buying, i.e., Catholic education. “Good people” in the Jesuit order apparently have had no influence on the schools. Also, these smallish schools seem to make it their mission to distort and re-design the faith into a mish-mash of Marxism/feminism/homosexualism and brainwash the tightly controlled campuses into submission. At least a Catholic can go to a public school and largely be left alone.