I have written about the incident at the High School in Charlotte, where Dominican Sister Jane Laurel gave a talk on human sexuality that produced sparked a mob reaction. Nun UNDER The Bus and Sister explains the situation. Spittle-flecked nutty, bullying, intimidation ensue.
From LifeNews:
Charlotte diocese backs nun who gave school talk promoting Church teaching on homosexuality
CHARLOTTE, NC, April 7, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The bishop of Charlotte is backing a Dominican nun who has been at the center of a fiery controversy since last month when she gave a speech promoting Catholic teaching on sexuality to students at Charlotte Catholic High School.
After a public meeting with diocesan and school officials turned ugly, with parents and students alike shouting at administrators over what they perceived as “hateful” remarks criticizing homosexual behavior, divorce and extra-marital sex, [To think… that’s how conditioned people are now by the MSM and the “new normal”.] a spokesman for the diocese told LifeSiteNews that the nun in question, Sr. Jane Dominic Laurel, did nothing wrong and will be welcome to speak on the issue again if she chooses.
“Nothing in Sister’s talk opposed Church teaching,” Diocese of Charlotte Communications Director David Hains told LifeSiteNews in an email. “Sister would be welcomed to speak in the diocese in the future.”
Hains said Bishop Peter Jugis is expected to make further public comment on the situation soon.
Sr. Laurel’s critics have complained about a section of her talk in which she discussed scientific findings related to the causes of homosexuality. [And here I thought the Church embraced science.] According to the Charlotte Observer, she was accused of using “suspect anecdotes, antiquated data and broad generalizations to demonize gays and lesbians as well as divorced and single parents.” [That’s right… if you state what the Church teaches, that homosexual acts are disordered, that’s “demonizing”.]
But one Catholic scientist says he recently heard the sister give the exact same speech she delivered to the students, and in his opinion, there is nothing in it to which a practicing Catholic could possibly object.
“I was in attendance at the same presentation when given on Long Island, NY a few months ago,” Dr. Gerard Nadal told LifeSiteNews. “In that meeting, Sister Jane gave medical and scientific data that came from reputable sources and were presented as examples of the consequences for human behavior that contravenes the moral magisterium of the Church. As a Ph.D. in medical science, and as a Catholic schooled extensively in my faith, I saw no contradictions, but rather a seamless presentation.”
Still, in light of all the controversy, Aquinas College announced in a press release Friday that Sr. Laurel has asked to take a sabbatical from her teaching and speaking duties for an indefinite amount of time.
After the sister’s speech at a school assembly last month, students at the school launched an internet petition drive demanding an apology from everyone involved with arranging the speech, which quickly garnered thousands of signatures. Some parents also initiated a letter-writing campaign to the school’s chaplain, the bishop and even the Vatican, to complain. [Complete with pitchforks and torches.]
Last week, school and diocesan officials held a public meeting to address the issue. The meeting attracted nearly 1,000 people, most of them offended by the nun’s remarks.
The Diocese of Charlotte’s newspaper, the Catholic News-Herald, reported that the meeting was acrimonious, with those who dared to speak out in support of Sr. Laurel or the Church being shouted down by an angry mob. The paper’s sources called the atmosphere “disrespectful” and “hate-filled.”
[… READ THE REST THERE… several quotes of reactions, all interesting…]
“Darkness has fallen upon us with all of the attendant confusion which it brings,” Kauth continued. “Our Lord can speak to this darkness just as He did in the beginning and say, let there be light.”
To read Fr. Kauth’s full statement regarding Sr. Laurel’s presentation click here.
Contact:
Diocese of Charlotte
Phone: (704) 370-6299
chancery@charlottediocese.org
It is good to see that some sanity is being applied.
Fr Z kudos to Bp. Jugis. Mega kudos to Sr. Jane.
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Thanks be to God!
I’ve also got a lot of respect for Sr. Jane for having the courage and the humility to offer to go on sabbatical while this all plays out. Strikes me as the attitude of obedience and deference proper to a religious.
The human tendency here would be to desire the good sister to dig in her heels, not back down, and come out swinging. I’m sure many of us (myself included) would have cheered to see her do just that. But I think it shows admirable selflessness and concern for Holy Mother Church as a whole for Sr. Jane not to mount any defense of herself, and instead step into the background, thus giving the ordinary and her superiors time to craft and coordinate an effective, pastoral response to this challenge. After all, this rightly falls under the responsibility and competence of Bishop Jugis.
To quote St. Charles Borromeo’s personal motto: “Humilitas!”
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Thank you Bishop Jugis. I will pray for him, because I am sure he will be attacked for this.
If these people do not want their children to hear Catholic teaching then why on God’s good earth do they send their children to Catholic schools in the first place? They should take the plank of hypocrisy out of their own eyes before they try to remove any putative speck from the good sister’s eye. This sounds like a demonic inversion of morality.
I have given these kind of talks in state schools and not received this awful treatment meted out to Sr. Jane Laurel. The worst I have had to put up with was respectful disagreement, not this kind of rabid mob. We all owe a debt of great thanks to the Sr. because she was prepared to proclaim the loving truth of God’s plan in a veritable nest of vipers. Shame on those parents who feed their children poisonous lies.
Kudos to Bp. Jugis! I pray before each Mass for our priests and bishops to be strong in the face of intimidation and persecution, both of which seem on the rise. I pray also for them to teach the fullness of truth, however unpopular it may be.
When you hear “anger,” “screaming,” at a meeting that is supposed to uphold Catholic teaching, Satan himself has taken control. Homosexual rights have a completely polarized opinion and it seems that the Catholic Church is the major receiver. Was it not Mary at Fatima that forecasted this apostasy by catholics? It is very hard for the pew catholic to stay on message and Bp. Jugis is doing his job, honorably and in concordance with the teachings of the church. My only concern is the school where this happened. What will the Bishop do with them? It seems that he has a school that needs to be closed.
I am waiting to see a blog post with Bishop Jurgis’s remarks. I look forward to a rare appearance of Fr. Z’s “Episcopal Spine” Award.
This whole situation makes me sad. I heard a presentation from Sr. Jane Dominic several years ago at the Motherhouse and she is one of the most dynamic speakers I have ever heard. She is not a polemic rattle-rouser but gentle, clear, and pastoral. Prayers for her as she endures this storm.
Alas, Sister Jane Laurel is coming under fire because way too many priests and bishops have not been willing to clearly preach the Church’s teaching on these matters in recent years.
Still prophets are often ignored by the masses, and ultimately the masses come to regret their deafness.
I am just curious, is there some way we can show Sister Jane that there are many Catholics who support her preaching of the truth and that we are praying for her?
Job #1 for Catholic schools: teach students and their parents the essentials of the Faith and to FORM A CORRECT CONSCIENCE. Everything else, as important as it is for their future in this world, is superfluous for the next.
And students and their parents should be reminded, frequently, that the Church is teaching eternal truths to be held by members of the Church, and is not instead presenting “both sides” of various theological and moral issues for students to make up their own minds on.
Parents who are either luke-warm members of the Church or non-members, should realize that there is more to the price of sending their children to Catholic high schools than just the financial costs.
I’m starting to wonder if priests should record their homilies as well, or at least keep a transcript. It looks like the new mission fields are in the Church herself.
What a wonderful example by Sister Jane in her practice of obedience to her superiors, and wonderful that Bishop Jurgis is willing to courageously defend the truth. Prayers for all involved.
Bishop Jugis is an upright and honorable Bishop, and I am glad he is our Good Shepherd. I heard about this this morning from my Priest after Daily Mass, and he sent me the web site link. Thank God that the wagons are being circled, and true Catholic teaching is being defended here.
My family had the distinct pleasure of hosting Sister Laurel when she gave the same presentation in our diocese. I could not find a more joy-filled, holy woman. Her talk was also dynamic and a cogent explanation of Catholic teaching on sexuality, marriage and the awesome complementarity between men and women. Sadly, these distinctions are being blurred by a society that wants to tell us that there is none and use it to foist all kind of perverion upon us. God bless her and the bishop. They are in our prayers.
Truth prevails, and as i have said in my many posts on all the blogs covering this story, there was no way the Sisters were backing down or being thrown under the bus, even though it may appear that way to the public…especially those who love these Sisters and feared they were wavering. There was a LOT going on behind the scenes at the Motherhouse and as soon at the Motherhouse became aware of what was happening in Charlotte, their first and foremost obligation was to keep Sister Jane safe…while hoping and praying the story would fade from the spotlight so they could move forward. If you have to ask ‘why’ the Congregation itself hasn’t been loud to defend Sister or post on all the websites and social media they have through the many schools where they teach, it is because they knew something good would eventually come from this…and…from a practical standpoint, the less they are in the spotlight, the less chance a nutjob shows up on their door (think about it). Now that the Bishop has finally gotten his public statement together, let’s join in prayer with the Sisters so they can continue their Apostolate of Truth. And for those asking the best way to show support for the Sisters, you can make a donation to the Congregation in her honor…but believe me…they know there are Catholics who support them…at the very least, the parents, friends and families of the Sisters as well as all the parents, faculty and staff at the many schools they operate.
The core complaint against Sister Jane at Charlotte Catholic H. S. was that she quoted questionable material (from The Catholic Medical Association). A few people (on Fr. Z’s blogs) agreed (without being there) that part of Sister’s presentation were “excursions from Catholic teaching”.
Sorry, but I am having a hard time believing no one was offended until she broke out the extra-Catholic material. Rather this is a post facto rationalization. Re-read the school’s Gollum-like groveling apology. You don’t kowtow to Political Correctness like this unless you are one of its minions.
Thank you, Bishop Jugis.
Last week,other bishops made time time to travel an hour south of Tucson to celebrate Mass on the border, to raise awareness of illegal immigration. Cardinal O’Malley even traveled from Boston. So it seems some bishops don’t have a problem wading into ‘political’ waters, and this whole Mozilla/Hobby Lobby/New Mexico phtographer forced to photo gay marriage/Sister Jane Dominic seems like maybe an issue our bishops could choose to speak up? Maybe articulate catholic teaching to the faithful?
Article on Mass at the border here:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2014/04/01/cardinal-malley-celebrates-mass-along-mexico-border/8YCOufKKxKV3FZdXfxMsvM/story.html
The outrage ‘c’atholic parents & student forming the ‘pitchfork and torches’ crowd are being co-opted into a proactive intimidationist state of mind into an ill-informed, ignorant ‘Consensus of the Shouting.’ Fear is a powerful thing. My own brother is homosexual and defiant about it. I have experienced ‘gay rage’ up close and personal and it IS scary. I have to believe there’s an element of the demonic present.
The real leaders of this effort of this verbal Kristallnacht against Roman Catholics adhering to official Church teaching know precisely what they are doing, via mob manipulation. In Nazi Germany, it was called fascism.
St. Padre Pio, pray for us.
Thank you Bishop Jurgis. May God Bless Sister Jane, Bishop Jurgis, and all those who preach the Truth. It is not easy these days to speak the truth. Most people want to be left alone living in their sinful ways.
Is there any link to what this very fine apologete said??
ckdexterhaven: But you see, immigration reform is trendy and a mass on the border gets you nice pictures in the NYT and invitations to nice cocktail parties with nice and proper people.
Standing up for this nun might mean some of the good cardinals and bishops might have people not like them and they might not get invited to give blessings at nice parties with nice people. And we all know that Jesus in John and Matthew, and St John in his letter all totally said that in order to do Jesus’ work you had to first make sure everybody like you, amirite.
With the exception, of course, with the good Bishop Jurgis, who apparently values standing up for things over looking good to the mob.
I wrote to thank the bishop. This event shows how our young people, even at a Catholic school, have been indoctrinated by an immoral society.
Now tell me Cardinal Kasper has not already won! We can sit here with some of the religious and be right but we lost the people sitting next to us on Sunday to the secular world long ago.
Dominicans manuever out of the line of fire… and local priest and bishop step in to hold the line? Are they not talking to each other about how to handle this… or was that all part of the maneuver? Was it planned all along that the bishop would step in when, not if, something of this sort happens?
Cobbler, as soon as the Sisters learned of the petition, they set a plan in motion. They were well aware of how much traction this would get. Their main goal, regardless of what anyone else THINKS should be their main goal is to keep the Sisters safe. They were aware that something good would eventually come from this but at the same time remain an Order who prefers to go about their Apostolate with humility and in obedience to the Truth. The amount of people screaming that the Sisters themselves through Sister Jane under the bus is kind of alarming since nobody seems to be looking at the big picture and the fact that there is a motherhouse in Nashville with 300 Sisters staffing schools all across the country and in 2 foreign countries. Whack jobs are everywhere and the more this story plays in the spotlight the harder it is for them to keep folks off their lawn…and i mean that literally.
I’d like to see Bp. Jurgis close the high school indefinitely. Refund tuition to the parents. Do something radical to show pupils, parents, teachers, staff, the diocese, the newspapers, Catholics and non-Catholics in Charlotte and elsewhere that as for him and his house, they follow the Lord. The lunatics should not be in charge of the asylum. If a parent wants to enrol a child in the HS after it re-opens, they must attend some basic faith formation classes prior to any decision being made about enrolment of the child. Faith cannot be taught in a school assembly once a year. Make sure these parents benefit from a Catholic HS education ONLY if they are willing to defend the faith themselves, and teach the faith at home. If not, there are plenty of good public schools and non-religious private schools they can send their kids to.
For centuries, our ancestors in the Faith faced down swords, spears, lions, bonfires, bullets, bombs, and gas chambers from the Romans, Huns, Vikings, Muslims, Protestants, anarchists, communists, and Nazis who persecuted them. Now, we are faced only by the shrill voices and saliva-spit of the homosexual and feminist lobbies and some of us cower in fear??? Come on, people! Let’s all push back!!!
I wrote to thank the bishop!
lisajulia –
Do you not understand that in an exceptionally public case like this, when the President of the college steps up and says that Sr. Jane Dominic addressed matters beyond her competence when she spoke of anthropology and sociology (in spite of her academic credentials and the fact that she was quoting reputable sources on these issues), not only are you throwing Sr. Jane Dominic under the bus, you are now throwing every Catholic school teacher who utilizes CMA resources under the bus? It sets a very public precedent that goes something like this: “Theologians can’t cite science – they aren’t qualified. In addition, science done by devout Catholics (CMA) is not credible anyway. Everyone else doing what Sr. Jane Dominic did should head out on a sabbatical as well….”
This is a very, very dangerous precedent to set for all of us who are out here on the front lines with this stuff. Thanks be to God that it seems the story is starting to move in the right direction.
Decades of milquetoast by the USCCB and this is the result. Catholic parents, and their children, taking the side of Sodom.
I am reminded that it was a mob who demanded Jesus be crucified. So it is no surprise to read: those who dared to speak out in support of Sr. Laurel or the Church being shouted down by an angry mob. The paper’s sources called the atmosphere “disrespectful” and “hate-filled.”
Don
avecrux, i wish there were a way i could share more details but it’s not possible on such a public forum. i get what you are saying and your interpretation of what Sister Mary Sarah wrote. i can only tell you that it is the right and duty of the Prioress General to handle this as she sees fit, for the safety and well-being of not just Sister Jane, but the 300 Sisters under her care at all the schools where they operate. You might think this sets a precedent, but if you look closer at what Sister Mary Sarah wrote, and if you read it from the perspective a Mother/Prioress you may see it the way it was intended, and the way that those closest to the Sisters understand it. It’s not ‘everyone’ who teaches what Sister Jane Dominic teaches in the cross-hairs of the whack jobs, it’s Sister Jane Dominic. And while it might be easy to pass judgment and talk about how we are supposed to defend the faith and be willing to die for it, if this were your daughter, would you so easily toss her to the lions??? Just my 2 cents. God bless…and PLEASE pray for these good Sisters!
Fr, I was just wondering,
It takes a couple of clicks, but did you read Fr Kauth’s full statement?
Wow!
Lisajulia,
Yes it is true we can’t know all of the details behind the scenes at the Dominicans. In this day and age, I have no doubt that the writer of this letter knew exactly what she was writing. And the major takeaway is (to people like me) is that Sister Jane was thrown under the bus.
Surely the mother prioress is internet/social media savvy enough to know that people have the sense that Sister Jane Dominic was left out to dry. The Mother has the opportunity to correct the “misconception.” With your intimate knowledge of the situation, is it possible that you are only seeing what you want to see?
The statement is what it is.
@ScottW – where is that quote from?
lisajulia –
Of course you are correct that it is the “right and duty of the Prioress General” to handle things in the way she sees fit. It is also my right and duty as a Department Chair of Theology in a Catholic institution striving for fidelity in Faith and Morals to say that the statement issued by the President of Aquinas College is going to make our mission far more difficult. You honestly think that the rest of us are not in “the cross hairs of whack jobs”??? We are. Daily. And those “whack jobs” have now been handed a stick to beat us with.
Folks I have worked in a “family law” firm for 18 years and I will bet dollars to donuts that the ring leaders were NOT homosexuals but rather divorced and/or shacking up parents. You would not believe how many times a client insists that the child support and custody sections of the Marital Settlement Agreement specify “the child shall be brought up in the Catholic faith” but before the ink is dry on the parties’ signatures each has a new live-in love muffin.
@lisajulia
I agree with ckdexterhaven, the takeaway is that she was thrown under the bus. Just look at the liberal papers and the fishwrap reporting that the Sister Jane was in the wrong because of the statement from the mother prioress. She was thrown to the lions because of the mother’s statement. You must realize this by now? If you were truly receiving threats then you report them to the authorities. You don’t say the sister was “”deviation into realms of sociology and anthropology was beyond the scope of her expertise.”
“It’s not ‘everyone’ who teaches what Sister Jane Dominic teaches in the cross-hairs of the whack jobs, it’s Sister Jane Dominic.”
I don’t know what to say. We, as Catholics, are not to cower from or to be cowed by angry mobs. The problem, here, to say it, directly, are the people who refuse to acknowledge the authority of the Church. I appreciate the problem that the Prioress has with regards to Sister Jane’s safety from angry idiots (some of whom claim to be Catholic – astonishing), but I have the right to respond, as an academic peer, to her statement claiming that Sister committed the fallacy of argumentum ad verecundiam, which Wikipedia defines, thusly:
“The phrase argumentum ad verecundiam is sometimes used synonymously to mean ‘argument from authority’. While it is linked, it does not have the same meaning. The Latin noun verecundia means “modesty” or “shame”. Its link to arguments from authority is that they are used to make those who lack authority feel shame about discussing issues they lack credentials of expertise in, and modestly back out of an argument.”
In my opinion, Sister Jane cited research to support a claim, which may have been her opinion, but that doesn’t matter. This is all legal and proper and has a pedigree in academic presentations going back 1000 years to the disputations in Medieval universities. The fact is that no matter what she claimed, if it didn’t match the prejudices of the crowd, she would have been lynched, anyways. Withdrawing her into seclusion is a defensive posture and may save lives in the short run, but it may lose many more souls in the long run. People, especially Catholics who want to claim the name, simply cannot continue to hold distorted notions of what the Church teaches or allows to be explored (this is important) within the confines of reason and empiricism and not be called on the carpet. These nitwits at the assembly have to be challenged. They, clearly, do not have the vaguest idea of what the Church teaches authoritatively or else they wouldn’t be so crass in their objections. The problem is that they think they know better than the Church. In truth, they don’t care what the Church teaches and seem to have no intention of adhering to it if they do. The only thing that has wounded them is their own ignorance.
The hope, from what I can gather, is that if they let the situation die down, perhaps the issues can be calmly addressed, but I tell you this is wrong. People will still not listen to you and the attempt will just rile them up, again. We have 2000 years of evidence that this method does not work (has it EVER worked against a heresy or any deviation from the Faith?). Aristotle, in his work, De Caelo (On the Heavens), says:
“So it has been and so it must be; since the least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold. Admit, for instance, the existence of a minimum magnitude, and you will find that the minimum which you have introduced, small as it is, causes the greatest truths of mathematics to totter. The reason is that a principle is great rather in power than in extent; hence that which was small at the start turns out a giant at the end.”
St. Thomas picks this up and reiterates it in, De ente et essentia:
“A small mistake in the beginning is a big one in the end, according to the Philosopher in the first book of On the Heavens and the Earth.”
If these people are told that they can deviate from the settled positions of the Church (and I assert that this must have been the case because simple disagreement on non-foundational matters does not usually lead to near riots), then no tolerance will lead them back to the truth. They want to feel good, not feel truthful. Isaac Asimov titled the last two chapters in his initial Foundation Trilogy, “The Answer that Satisfied,” and “The Answer that was True.” These people want an answer that satisfies (without bring able to acknowledge in their heart of hearts that only the truth satisfies). They have been conditioned to accept it by every trick of the Mass Media (I, almost, typed, The Mass Mafia, sheesh). How many people complained about the ending of the Sopranos?
Until these people begin to base their lives on the authority of the Church’s settled teachings and allow discussion of the rest, they will never learn. Where are the people shouting the truth from the housetops? Had I been the leader at the 1000 person town meeting, I would separated the crowd, thus:
Who is not Catholic? Okay, you are dismissed.
Who cannot recite the Ten Commandments, right now? Okay, you are dismissed.
Who is living in a state of mortal sin as defined by the Catholic Church, without the intent to go to confession at the earliest possible moment? Okay, you are dismissed.
The rest of you can begin the discussion.
These are the only people who have right to enter the discussion. The rest of the people lack Catholic sensibilities. We have no obligation to listen to them. This is a Catholic High School. The rest are not invited.
The church has no power over the non-Catholics in the crowd, but if I were Bishop Jugis, I would be tempted to have Canon 1369 published in every bulletin in the diocese:
“Can. 1369 A person who in a public show or speech, in published writing, or in other uses of the instruments of social communication utters blasphemy, gravely injures good morals, expresses insults, or excites hatred or contempt against religion or the Church is to be punished with a just penalty.”
I cannot tell if the deviation from truth has created an unrecoverable trajectory in the American Church. In physics, to change a course, one must apply power or change the fabric of space-time. I assert that the dissenters are trying to change the fabric of the Church. This must be met with power. The Albegensians were not silenced by nice words, after all. Fortunately, for Catholics, the Constitution is not a holy document and not all voices have to be heard. My personal belief is that everyone has the right to be wrong on an issue, once. After the error has been clearly spelled out, any deliberate continuance along that path is malicious (except for a darned good and sneaky reason, al a Captain Kirk’s use of Code Two in, The Deadly Years).
The Chicken
ckdexterhaven says:
9 April 2014 at 5:52 am
“Surely the mother prioress is internet/social media savvy enough to know that people have the sense that Sister Jane Dominic was left out to dry. The Mother has the opportunity to correct the “misconception.” With your intimate knowledge of the situation, is it possible that you are only seeing what you want to see?
The statement is what it is.”
Please know i am on the same page. I support the Sisters and don’t believe Sister Jane Dominic did anything wrong. While Mother Ann Marie and the Sisters know their way around the internet, they actually have just a few Sisters who are permitted to have access…and only as necessary. This is an Order that has an active teaching apostolate but they are contemplatives. In fact, even though they have a website, twitter and facebook page for the Order itself, the Sisters are not permitted to ‘use’ the sites themselves; only the few Sisters who are responsible for updating the content, and even on their actual website it is a not necessarily a Sister who updates it. The Facebook page is in fact updated by the Sisters….anyway…what i am trying to say, and apparently am not saying clearly is that even though ONE Sister is on a sabbatical that SHE requested, the remaining 300 or so Sisters are going about their business as usual; teaching at all those schools across the country and teaching the Faith. They have not missed a beat. In fact, i will share something i posted on another blog about my observations at Mass today. It might help explain why these Sisters are handling this in a way that is apparently hard for some to accept:
So while at our school’s Mass today attended by 5 of these incredible Sisters, our priest mentioned the continuing saga regarding Charlotte. I wish everyone who is so up in arms with their pitchforks and never-ending speculation could see them as we do and learn from their humble and quiet witness. While social media is buzzing and posting theories and analysis, the Order is going about its daily business of loving and, catechizing wherever their mission leads them. If you follow them on social media, you will see that they are still out there and still have visits and talks planned all over the country. While Sister Jane Dominic is recharging her spiritual batteries on her terms, her Sisters in Christ carry on with their apostolate. As for those saying they wish Sister Jane would just ‘say something and defend herself’, if you look real hard, you will see that she HAS commented about this about a week after the talk in Charlotte. Her comments were so simple and to the point that most seem to have missed them or choose to overlook them because THEY don’t feel satisfied. Instead of voicing how we think this should be handled, let’s trust and allow the Sisters to handle it the way that they know is best.
The Masked Chicken says:
9 April 2014 at 1:31 pm
“I don’t know what to say. We, as Catholics, are not to cower from or to be cowed by angry mobs. The problem, here, to say it, directly, are the people who refuse to acknowledge the authority of the Church. I appreciate the problem that the Prioress has with regards to Sister Jane’s safety from angry idiots (some of whom claim to be Catholic – astonishing), but I have the right to respond, as an academic peer, to her statement claiming that Sister committed the fallacy of argumentum ad verecundiam,…”
Of course you have that right, and if you feel that strongly that Sister Mary Sarah should explain any misconceptions, perhaps you would feel better about things if you shared your thoughts with her.
and i just saw this…the Bishop sent a letter to the parents of CCHS: http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/official-wants-school-move-after-controversial-spe/nfW6N/
I would like to apologize for my uncharitable language in some of my recent comments. Using terms like, “idiots,” and “nitwits,” was uncalled for and I may have either rashly judged or looked down on the people in the crowd who were yelling against Sister Jane Laurel. If I want them to behave in a Christian fashion, I, also, must do so.
The Chicken