Nabi Sayeth: The Games They Played in the Seminary!

This 2002 exposé burst the
lid off the scandalous goings
on in American seminaries!

Nabi sayeth: To understand the pain that has been inflicted on our people one must look deeply into the causes for such problems, most especially, at the training received by the seminarians who would one day become priests.

And while there are some good schools which are faithful to the Catholic Church’s teachings some have not been so faithful, some have rejected Catholic doctrine.

One of the seminaries used most often and for many years by the diocese in WV is located in Baltimore. And what did many of our seminarians encounter when they entered the doors of this institution in the 70-80’s?

• Women were permitted to take classes along with the seminarians.

• The Rosary was not prayed by the seminary community. If one was found to be praying the Rosary regularly one’s vocation could be called into question by the faculty evaluation committee. Yes, there were those whose use of the Rosary was called into question and they were labeled “too traditional” and not psychologically fit.

Albany Bishop Scharfenberger Condemns the Abuse of Authority

Bishop Edward Scharfenberger

Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of Albany sent a letter to all his clergy and seminarians last Friday condemning the sexual abuse problem (including sexual harassment of adult men). Sections of the letter are very powerful. I reprint a large portion here:

In negative terms, and as clearly and directly as I can repeat our Church teaching, it is a grave sin to be “sexually active” outside of a real marriage covenant. A cardinal is not excused from what a layperson or another member of the clergy is not. A member of the clergy who pledges to live a celibate life must remain as chaste in his relationship with all whom he serves as spouses within a marriage. This is what our faith teaches and what we are held to in practice. There is no “third way.” 

“Sexual activity” includes grooming and seduction – the kind of experience that one of our brothers tells of in a recent interview in America magazine that you may have seen. The psychological and spiritual destructiveness of such predatory behavior, really incestuous by a man who is held up as a spiritual father to a son in his care – even if not a minor – cannot be minimized or rationalized in any way....

Rorate Caeli Exposes What?

Update 2/28/2015: Well, there is more to the story than this video which apparently has been misrepresented by bloggers since it was not, in fact, shot the day the seminary closed. I'm linking to a post by Fr.Angelo Geiger that disputes much of what's been circulating on the internet about the papal investigation of the Friars. He doesn't discuss the reasons for the initial investigation or the suppression of the TLM withn the order by the Vatican. 

Frankly, I don't know what to make of a lot of it, but Father is himself a friar so presumably he knows what's what, and he appears to be just seeking truth and justice in the matter. Catholic World Report ran an article in 2013 and even it doesn't get the story completely straight as the comment section shows. Fairness in reporting is important to me and I don't like the thought that other bloggers are posting dishonest material as fact which I may be inadvertently promoting. So read Fr. Geiger's blog post, the CWR article, and pray for the Friars. We live in confusing times. It is sad when Catholic bloggers either deliberately or inadvertently spread false information adding to the confusion.

Original Post --

"On December 8, 2013, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Theological Seminary of the Immaculate Mediatrix (STIM) of the Franciscans of the Immaculate (FI) was closed by their Apostolic Commissioner, Fr. Fidenzio Volpi. On the same day, one of the friars filmed the entire day, which presents, along with additional footage, the way of life in that same seminary."



"A great number of the friars seen in this film