Here a video from a youngster Franciscan, deeply impressed that he was invited to come to a meeting of youngster Franciscans in Italy. I’ve seen this fellow’s face pop up now and again on YouTube between my videos about chess opening and guys who clean up abandoned houses. I think he and another friar did commentary on The Chosen.
I invite you to watch this, maybe at 1.5x speed if you are one of those people who like others to get to the point. Some of the statements made by the youngster Franciscans stopped me in my tracks, to listen carefully. For example, the fellow who mentioned the language of the worship for all these friars coming from different countries. In that moment, I tried to imagine what they might be like, with their youth and zeal if they were connected more deeply with each other in a common heritage and Church-view formed by tradition. “Gosh! young fella from country X, thrown together with guys from all over the place, if only there were a common language of worship and that your superiors cared for you enough to make sure you knew it!”
Mind you, there is the old adage, certain alive in the Jesuits, corruptio optimi pessima. Some of the weirdest Catholics, strangest priests I’ve every met are Franciscan. They seemed to think that because Francis (the original) was a kind of renegade, they were licensed to do whatever they wanted under the mask of being “prophetic” or some such bovine leavings. To this day, I can’t see the letters TOR without remember the pure evil handed to me in my US seminary by one of these sons of Francis. God help him in his judgement.
Still, this video is instructive. I also shows what huge potential there could be were these young men to integrate the Church’s Tradition into their apostolates. I think it could be electrifying. I think they are not brainwashed by the idea of the halcyon days of the 60’s.
What do you notice?
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We had an OFM pastor when I was growing up who was rather liberal, but most of the Franciscan’s I have met as an adult have seemed quite solid. Admittedly, my exposure to them has been almost exclusively in the context of events associated with the Militia Immaculata (MI), founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe. There is probably selection bias towards a strong, active, and orthodox faith in the MI.
I’ve had the chance in the MI to get to know some very reverent, well-educated, and dedicated OFM-conventuals and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. One CFR priest in particular was a superb preacher and gave some excellent lectures during a retreat, while one of the OFM-conventuals I met stood out to me for his deep love of the Mass.
The video has a sense of the fraternal nature that I think can be one of the Franciscan orders’ biggest strengths. I think there is a lot of potential in building up strong communities of friars who share a faithful love for Christ and His Church.
Father Z.,
What I noticed:
– There was a stupid and annoying background “hip hop”-type “beat” track in the background;
– It’s as though there was a tower of Babel-effect on these Friars – they didn’t understand the language of the Mass or each other (according to at least one of them);
– They seemingly didn’t know that they each other existed – and that seems bizarre if they are in the same order;
– 200 in Europe under 50 doesn’t seem like much but it isn’t nothing either;
The young guy who was on at the beginning doesn’t have a European accent;
– The young European Friars don’t seem to be unaware of their difficulties (i.e. not a “new springtime”, etc.) except for the lack of the Traditional Latin liturgy and that they aren’t communicating in Latin;
– They don’t seem to be Marxists or Modernists from the video;
– They seemed to enjoy an event without the older Friars much involved;
– The ones in the video seem to be happy.
I would encourage EVERYONE to read “Little Flowers of St. Francis”. The only approved book on St. Francis. So many people have the wrong idea of St. Francis and his life , stigmata and death.
example: St. Francis was not a Priest, he didn’t feel worthy. He told one of his Priest that he was jealous of his preaching. He told the Priest that when their paths crossed, He, Francis would lay face down and wanted the Priest to step on him and grind his face into the dirt. The Priest avoided him as much as possible.
It is said , he was given the throne that had belonged to Lucifer.
I now live in an area heavily influenced by Franciscans. The problems they created are well known to me.
In the video I noticed most of the Friars seemed to want to say something profound or intellectual. However, there was one that seemed somewhat simple. He said something like, “I just want to pray for my order.” If the order is to be saved it will be because of friars like him.
Ooo, boy! I noticed Fr. Casey Cole. Hip, trendy, shallow. He’s stated in a previous video that he wasn’t called to the priesthood. It was a career choice. He’s grateful for Fr. James Martin’s friendship. I hope he isn’t the future of the Franciscans.
Casey Cole. :/ already not a good sign.
youngsters gaslighted into thinking the diversity is the point.
200 for all of Europe? trending in the right direction, but still a small number.
what kind of formation are they going to get with the likes of Cole or their superiors?
There are so many brands of Franciscans, it’s just hard to know where these guys will all end up.
We must pray for their ongoing conversion and formation.
The blessed St. Francis of Assisi…I took my confirmation name from him, the image of Jesus Christ Crucified. In sacrilege he has been confected into the trophy patron of the left. The infamous “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” was an iconoclastic effort unparalleled — and so grossly successful. Francis consigned not only to the bird bath but to mendacity.
The choice of Jorge Mario Bergoglio of the name of Francis was a bitter moment for me. When I learned that his choice was indeed of the Man from Assisi and not his confrere Francis Xavier my fear was confirmed. Jorge chose the hippie, neither the stigmatist or the great evangelist.
Here we are today, the entire order subsumed in a brand of secular materialism. Eight years ago I had the heart breaking experience of walking past my old favorite place to go to confession in Manhattan during my professional life — St. Francis on 31st Street — in mid-June plastered with a rainbow for “Pride Day.”
The number of religious orders and congregations that have not slammed back the Kool-Aide is quite small…and they have a cross hair on their backs.
I worked in a Franciscan led parish for 9 years. They were very liberal, into social justice and had a LBGT ministry. Mass was always loosey-goosey. I’m not impressed by the order at all. Reminds me of the Jesuits.
“Earthen Vessels” turns 50 next year. Maybe it’s time to try something different, something rebellious. Give the authentic teachings of the Church a chance.