.

Bruno, who wasn't Catholic, was paying a respectful visit to the office of a priest.  

When he arrived, the priest was not in.  He was asked by a young man at a desk in the foyer with several open books before him to take a seat if he chose to wait.  Bruno sat in a chair by the attendant.  His badge called him Lawrence.  Since there were just the two of them there, Bruno decided to take advantage of the opportunity to question the student.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about Fr. (X)?"   The man looked up from his books and inspected Bruno who had put a jacket and tie on for the meeting.

"Are you from the Archdiocese or from the University?"  He appeared suspicious.

"If you mean, am I a student the answer is yes.  I don't work for the University or the Archdiocese,  I'm not even Catholic. Why do you want to know?"

The desk attendant relaxed a little as he was convinced Bruno was not out to undermine the priest or cause his office the usual trouble.  

"Let's just say that neither the University nor the Archdiocese will be advertising Fr. (X's) lectures.  Look -- the fact is, they would like to shut Fr. (X) down altogether!  I was told that yesterday.  How can this be?  Why would the school care bout what a Catholic priest teaches off campus?  For that matter, how could the Archdiocese not be supportive of him and his teaching?  It seems pretty 'Papal' to me from what I read." Bruno pulled out and unfolded the insert he had kept from the lecture.

Lawrence took the hand-out and scanned it quickly.  Then he handed it back to Bruno.

"Okay.  Here's the ugly truth," he announced in response.  "The University is putting pressure on Fr.'s office because so many students are discovering his compelling teaching and are acting on it.  I mean they're becoming Catholic because of his authentic, logical religious arguments.  Fr. (X) has influence among the post war vets who are sick of double-talk.  He has influence among the others who are intellectually honest because he makes so munch sense.  The established progressives and the atheists at the University do not like his Catholic influence on their student body. Once the students discover the Church's answers to the questions the God-less faculty ask, the students are not open to or taken in by the intellectual hopelessness of the faculty. the School professors don't like it when their students ignore them -- or can answer questions they can't.  Then, we have in addition the alumni complaints from the progressives that cannot tolerate the idea that their University may become more Christian over time, rather than less.  Finally, the parents of the converting students have a fit when their sons accept this immigrant religion.  the White Anglo Saxon Protestant parents of the typical University student tend to have convulsions when their son comes back from The School as a 'Papist'. They like 'That Old Time Religion', but they just don't like that REALLY OLD, old-time religion."

Bruno nodded and shrugged:  "Okay, I can understand why the anti-Catholic University Alumni and WASP parents cold live without this priest.  But why would the Archdiocese want to shut him up?  He seems like a one-man convert machine -- a real secret weapon to turn The School into Notre Dame East.  What's the problem with the Archbishop? Is he a closet Pres-byterian or what?"

Lawrence pointed to the handout in Bruno's hand.  "You were here last night.  You heard Fr. describe the 'Americanists' -- prelates who want the Catholic Church to play nicely in the religious sandbox of the United States.  They are eager to put the light of Catholicism under and American-made bushel basket so everyone will get along better in the dark -- even if that means souls are lost.  The real problem is -- they probably don't think non-Catholic souls will be lost.  That's because they are no longer Catholic themselves."

"Are there Americanists in the Archdiocese of the city too?"  Bruno hoped he didn't sound too naive.

Lawrence looked at Bruno in the eyes with sadness in his softer voice:  "The Archdiocese of the city is full of those types, even up to the highest levels.  Fr. must upset all of the tea parties of the Cardinal has with The School Administration.  The University is probably telling him to put a stop to all this religious talk by Fr. (X).  I'll bet they are telling him to run another friendly, non-judgmental, un-Catholic diocese like almost all the other popular American Cardinals and Archbishops do."

Bruno did not have a dog in that fight.  He considered himself to be a theological loner.   But for purposes of the discussion he had to ask:

"What can the Archdiocese do -- publicly silence Fr. for teaching what the Church has apparently taught for millennia?  This 'DOGMA' won't be inscribed on my Christmas card this year.  However, if the Archdiocese or the Jesuits tell him to shut up, at some kind of Church hearing all he needs to do is pass out some of these handy program inserts from last night.  Infallibly defined dogmatic definitions must have a real good shelf life.  These official pronouncements are still good law, aren't they?"

"They're still valid statements of dogma, of course.  Dogma is dogma.  It can't go bad.  It's just not believed or enforced by the Amreicanist clergy.  Yes, Fr. (X) wold have all the evidence and authority he needs to easily win his case at such a hearing.  That is why there will never be that hearing.  Neither the Archdiocese of The City, not the Jesuits, will ever let themselves get into such a gunfight with no ammunition.  Look, there are three reasons why there would be no hearing on the DOGMA:  First, Fr. (X) wold win it.  Second:  they would never want to call attention to that issue, especially with the student following he has.  Third:  If he ever got the chance, he could wind up converting every open-mined student within earshot.  Obviously, Fr. (X), with his Papal docuмents and a young, intellectually honest audience, could blow the entire Americanist approach to Catholicism to smithereens in a single afternoon."

"So what could the Archdiocese or the Jesuits do?  If they can't silence him with 'due process' they're suck, right?"

Lawrence smiled and shook his head.  "Due process is a term for the American courtroom, not for the chancery or the provincial's office.  Fr.'s superiors can silence him easily by simply ordering him to shut up and report to some rural prep school to teach physical education.   Remember, as a Jesuit he has taken a vow of obedience.  What really scares me is that these Bishops and Religious Superiors can do great damage to the Church with the sledge-hammer of OBEDIENCE."  

At that moment, a well-dressed young man burst throught the door ans stode up tot the desk, interrupting their conversation.  "I want to see this Fr.(X) right now!  Is he here?"  

Lawrence looked up at the impatient student and checked his wrist watch.  "He's not here right now, Louis.  Just take a seat.  He should arrive soon."

Without acknowledging the recognition of his name, the student turned and began to pace back and forth in front of the few empty lobby chairs,  He looked like he was frustrated that his priest, who he had no appointment to see in the first place, was wasting his valuable time.  His sense of self-importance was as thick as his upper-crust City accent.  

A few minutes later, the front door to the street opened again and in walked Fr. (X).  Seeing Lawrence and Bruno, the priest nodded a subtle greeting.  Lawrence and Bruno stood out of respect for the priest and, referring to Bruno, welcomed him with "Good afternoon, Father.  There is someone here to see you."  Bruno nodded to the priest.  At that moment the pacing student, assuming that Lawrence was making his immediate introduction, strode up to the priest, completely ignoring the two standing, respectful laymen.

"Fr. (X), I understand you're sending my protestant friends to hell."  

Fr. sized up the impertinent youngster with the introduction that sounded like fighting words, if he has ever heard them.  The composed and battle-tested Jesuit responded:  "I'm not sending your protestant friends to hell.  I'm just telling them that if they want salvation, where they've got to find it."  

The young man shot back: "I know more protestants who are going to heaven than Catholics."

Father sensed from that sample of theological nonsense that the boy was all uncontrolled emotion and no religious insights.  Years of street preaching taught him that no reason will enter a closed and angry mind.  He had better things to do than try to teach in a few minutes what did not yet sink into this man's head in the past few decades.  

"That's not a way to talk to a Catholic priest.  If that's the way you're going to talk, you can get right on out of here."

The young man was startled by the demand for priestly respect.  His next pompous response did not help him.  He pushed back:  "Do you know who I am?!"

"I don't care who you are.  That's not the way a Catholic young man talks to a Catholic priest.  There's the door."  Fr. turned his back on the young man and walked into his office.  

...


.[Names have been changed to protect the innocent].

.

Bruno, who wasn't Catholic, was paying a respectful visit to the office of a priest.  

When he arrived, the priest was not in.  He was asked by a young man at a desk in the foyer with several open books before him to take a seat if he chose to wait.  Bruno sat in a chair by the attendant.  His badge called him Lawrence.  Since there were just the two of them there, Bruno decided to take advantage of the opportunity to question the student.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about Fr. (X)?"   The man looked up from his books and inspected Bruno who had put a jacket and tie on for the meeting.

"Are you from the Archdiocese or from the University?"  He appeared suspicious.

"If you mean, am I a student the answer is yes.  I don't work for the University or the Archdiocese,  I'm not even Catholic. Why do you want to know?"

The desk attendant relaxed a little as he was convinced Bruno was not out to undermine the priest or cause his office the usual trouble.  

"Let's just say that neither the University nor the Archdiocese will be advertising Fr. (X's) lectures.  Look -- the fact is, they would like to shut Fr. (X) down altogether!  I was told that yesterday.  How can this be?  Why would the school care bout what a Catholic priest teaches off campus?  For that matter, how could the Archdiocese not be supportive of him and his teaching?  It seems pretty 'Papal' to me from what I read." Bruno pulled out and unfolded the insert he had kept from the lecture.

Lawrence took the hand-out and scanned it quickly.  Then he handed it back to Bruno.

"Okay.  Here's the ugly truth," he announced in response.  "The University is putting pressure on Fr.'s office because so many students are discovering his compelling teaching and are acting on it.  I mean they're becoming Catholic because of his authentic, logical religious arguments.  Fr. (X) has influence among the post war vets who are sick of double-talk.  He has influence among the others who are intellectually honest because he makes so munch sense.  The established progressives and the atheists at the University do not like his Catholic influence on their student body. Once the students discover the Church's answers to the questions the God-less faculty ask, the students are not open to or taken in by the intellectual hopelessness of the faculty. the School professors don't like it when their students ignore them -- or can answer questions they can't.  Then, we have in addition the alumni complaints from the progressives that cannot tolerate the idea that their University may become more Christian over time, rather than less.  Finally, the parents of the converting students have a fit when their sons accept this immigrant religion.  the White Anglo Saxon Protestant parents of the typical University student tend to have convulsions when their son comes back from The School as a 'Papist'. They like 'That Old Time Religion', but they just don't like that REALLY OLD, old-time religion."

Bruno nodded and shrugged:  "Okay, I can understand why the anti-Catholic University Alumni and WASP parents cold live without this priest.  But why would the Archdiocese want to shut him up?  He seems like a one-man convert machine -- a real secret weapon to turn The School into Notre Dame East.  What's the problem with the Archbishop? Is he a closet Pres-byterian or what?"

Lawrence pointed to the handout in Bruno's hand.  "You were here last night.  You heard Fr. describe the 'Americanists' -- prelates who want the Catholic Church to play nicely in the religious sandbox of the United States.  They are eager to put the light of Catholicism under and American-made bushel basket so everyone will get along better in the dark -- even if that means souls are lost.  The real problem is -- they probably don't think non-Catholic souls will be lost.  That's because they are no longer Catholic themselves."

"Are there Americanists in the Archdiocese of the city too?"  Bruno hoped he didn't sound too naive.

Lawrence looked at Bruno in the eyes with sadness in his softer voice:  "The Archdiocese of the city is full of those types, even up to the highest levels.  Fr. must upset all of the tea parties of the Cardinal has with The School Administration.  The University is probably telling him to put a stop to all this religious talk by Fr. (X).  I'll bet they are telling him to run another friendly, non-judgmental, un-Catholic diocese like almost all the other popular American Cardinals and Archbishops do."

Bruno did not have a dog in that fight.  He considered himself to be a theological loner.   But for purposes of the discussion he had to ask:

"What can the Archdiocese do -- publicly silence Fr. for teaching what the Church has apparently taught for millennia?  This 'DOGMA' won't be inscribed on my Christmas card this year.  However, if the Archdiocese or the Jesuits tell him to shut up, at some kind of Church hearing all he needs to do is pass out some of these handy program inserts from last night.  Infallibly defined dogmatic definitions must have a real good shelf life.  These official pronouncements are still good law, aren't they?"

"They're still valid statements of dogma, of course.  Dogma is dogma.  It can't go bad.  It's just not believed or enforced by the Amreicanist clergy.  Yes, Fr. (X) wold have all the evidence and authority he needs to easily win his case at such a hearing.  That is why there will never be that hearing.  Neither the Archdiocese of The City, not the Jesuits, will ever let themselves get into such a gunfight with no ammunition.  Look, there are three reasons why there would be no hearing on the DOGMA:  First, Fr. (X) wold win it.  Second:  they would never want to call attention to that issue, especially with the student following he has.  Third:  If he ever got the chance, he could wind up converting every open-mined student within earshot.  Obviously, Fr. (X), with his Papal docuмents and a young, intellectually honest audience, could blow the entire Americanist approach to Catholicism to smithereens in a single afternoon."

"So what could the Archdiocese or the Jesuits do?  If they can't silence him with 'due process' they're suck, right?"

Lawrence smiled and shook his head.  "Due process is a term for the American courtroom, not for the chancery or the provincial's office.  Fr.'s superiors can silence him easily by simply ordering him to shut up and report to some rural prep school to teach physical education.   Remember, as a Jesuit he has taken a vow of obedience.  What really scares me is that these Bishops and Religious Superiors can do great damage to the Church with the sledge-hammer of OBEDIENCE."  

At that moment, a well-dressed young man burst throught the door ans stode up tot the desk, interrupting their conversation.  "I want to see this Fr.(X) right now!  Is he here?"  

Lawrence looked up at the impatient student and checked his wrist watch.  "He's not here right now, Louis.  Just take a seat.  He should arrive soon."

Without acknowledging the recognition of his name, the student turned and began to pace back and forth in front of the few empty lobby chairs,  He looked like he was frustrated that his priest, who he had no appointment to see in the first place, was wasting his valuable time.  His sense of self-importance was as thick as his upper-crust City accent.  

A few minutes later, the front door to the street opened again and in walked Fr. (X).  Seeing Lawrence and Bruno, the priest nodded a subtle greeting.  Lawrence and Bruno stood out of respect for the priest and, referring to Bruno, welcomed him with "Good afternoon, Father.  There is someone here to see you."  Bruno nodded to the priest.  At that moment the pacing student, assuming that Lawrence was making his immediate introduction, strode up to the priest, completely ignoring the two standing, respectful laymen.

"Fr. (X), I understand you're sending my protestant friends to hell."  

Fr. sized up the impertinent youngster with the introduction that sounded like fighting words, if he has ever heard them.  The composed and battle-tested Jesuit responded:  "I'm not sending your protestant friends to hell.  I'm just telling them that if they want salvation, where they've got to find it."  

The young man shot back: "I know more protestants who are going to heaven than Catholics."

Father sensed from that sample of theological nonsense that the boy was all uncontrolled emotion and no religious insights.  Years of street preaching taught him that no reason will enter a closed and angry mind.  He had better things to do than try to teach in a few minutes what did not yet sink into this man's head in the past few decades.  

"That's not a way to talk to a Catholic priest.  If that's the way you're going to talk, you can get right on out of here."

The young man was startled by the demand for priestly respect.  His next pompous response did not help him.  He pushed back:  "Do you know who I am?!"

"I don't care who you are.  That's not the way a Catholic young man talks to a Catholic priest.  There's the door."  Fr. turned his back on the young man and walked into his office.  

...


.[Names have been changed to protect the innocent].

You can give us chapter II next, titled......The Letter

I now see I made some typos.  Corrected here (and "Louis" replaced):



Bruno, who wasn't Catholic, was paying a respectful visit to the office of a priest.  

When he arrived, the priest was not in.  He was asked by a young man, at a desk in the foyer with several open books before him, to take a seat if he chose to wait.  Bruno sat in a chair by the attendant.  His badge called him "Lawrence."  Since there were just the two of them there, Bruno decided to take advantage of the opportunity to question the student.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about Fr. (X)?"   The man looked up from his books and inspected Bruno who had put a jacket and tie on for the meeting.

"Are you from the Archdiocese or from the University?"  He appeared suspicious.

"If you mean, am I a student the answer is yes.  I don't work for the University or the Archdiocese,  I'm not even Catholic. Why do you want to know?"

The desk attendant relaxed a little as he was convinced Bruno was not out to undermine the priest or cause his office the usual trouble.  

"Let's just say that neither the University nor the Archdiocese will be advertising Fr. (X's) lectures.  Look -- the fact is, they would like to shut Fr. (X) down altogether!  I was told that yesterday.  How can this be?  Why would the school care about what a Catholic priest teaches off campus?  For that matter, how could the Archdiocese not be supportive of him and his teaching?  It seems pretty 'Papal' to me from what I read."  Bruno pulled out and unfolded the insert he had kept from the lecture.

Lawrence took the hand-out and scanned it quickly.  Then he handed it back to Bruno.

"Okay.  Here's the ugly truth," he announced in response.  "The University is putting pressure on Fr.'s office because so many students are discovering his compelling teaching and are acting on it.  I mean, they're becoming Catholic because of his authentic, logical religious arguments.  Fr. (X) has influence among the post war vets who are sick of double-talk.  He has influence among the others who are intellectually honest because he makes so munch sense.  The established progressives and the atheists at the University do not like his Catholic influence on their student body. Once the students discover the Church's answers to the questions the God-less faculty ask, the students are not open to or taken in by the intellectual hopelessness of the faculty.  The School professors don't like it when their students ignore them -- or can answer questions they can't. Then we have in addition, the alumni complaints from the progressives that cannot tolerate the idea that their University may become more Christian over time, rather than less.  Finally, the parents of the converting students have a fit when their sons accept this immigrant religion.  The White Anglo Saxon Protestant parents of the typical University student tend to have convulsions when their son comes back from The School as a 'Papist'. They like 'That Old Time Religion', but they just don't like that REALLY OLD, old-time religion."

Bruno nodded and shrugged:  "Okay, I can understand why the anti-Catholic University Alumni and WASP parents could live without this priest.  But why would the Archdiocese want to shut him up?!  He seems like a one-man convert machine -- a real secret weapon to turn The School into Notre Dame East.  What's the problem with the Archbishop?  Is he a closet Pres-byterian or what?"

Lawrence pointed to the handout in Bruno's hand.  "You were here last night.  You heard Fr. describe the 'Americanists' -- prelates who want the Catholic Church to play nicely in the religious sandbox of the United States.  They are eager to put the light of Catholicism under an American-made bushel basket so everyone will get along better in the dark -- even if that means souls are lost.  The real problem is -- they probably don't think non-Catholic souls will be lost.  That's because they are no longer Catholic themselves."

"Are there Americanists in the Archdiocese of the City too?"  Bruno hoped he didn't sound too naive.

Lawrence looked at Bruno in the eyes, with sadness in his softer voice:  "The Archdiocese of the City is full of those types, even up to the highest levels.  Fr. must upset all the tea parties that the Cardinal would have with The School Administration.  The University is probably telling him to put a stop to all this religious talk by Fr. (X).  I'll bet they're telling him to run another friendly, non-judgmental, un-Catholic diocese like almost all the other popular American Cardinals and Archbishops do."

Bruno did not have a dog in that fight.  He considered himself to be a theological loner.   But for purposes of the discussion he had to ask:

"What can the Archdiocese do -- publicly silence Fr. for teaching what the Church has apparently taught for millennia?  This 'DOGMA' won't be inscribed on my Christmas card this year.  However, if the Archdiocese or the Jesuits tell him to shut up, then at some kind of Church hearing all he needs to do is, pass out some of these handy program inserts from last night!  Infallibly defined dogmatic definitions must have a real good shelf life.  These official pronouncements are still good law, aren't they?"

"They're still valid statements of dogma, of course.  Dogma is dogma.  It can't go bad.  It's just not believed or enforced by the Americanist clergy.  Yes, Fr. (X) would have all the evidence and authority he needs to easily win his case at such a hearing.  That is why there will never be that hearing.  Neither the Archdiocese of the City, nor the Jesuits, will ever let themselves get into such a gunfight with no ammunition.  Look, there are three reasons why there would be no hearing on the DOGMA:  First, Fr. (X) would win it.  Second:  they would never want to call attention to that issue, especially with the student following he has.  Third:  If he ever got the chance, he could wind up converting every open-minded student within earshot.  Obviously, Fr. (X), with his Papal docuмents and a young, intellectually honest audience, could blow the entire Americanist approach to Catholicism to smithereens in a single afternoon."

"So what could the Archdiocese or the Jesuits do?  If they can't silence him with 'due process' they're suck, right?"

Lawrence smiled and shook his head.  "Due process is a term for the American courtroom, not for the chancery or the provincial's office.  Fr.'s superiors can silence him easily by simply ordering him to shut up and report to some rural prep school to teach physical education.   Remember, as a Jesuit he has taken a vow of obedience.  

"What really scares me is that these Bishops and Religious Superiors can do great damage to the Church with the sledge-hammer of OBEDIENCE."  

At that moment, a well-dressed young man burst through the door and strode up to the desk, interrupting their conversation.  "I want to see this Fr.(X) right now!  Is he here?"  

Lawrence looked up at the impatient student and checked his wrist watch.  "He's not here right now, Bobby.  Just take a seat.  He should arrive soon."

Without acknowledging the recognition of his name, the student turned and began to pace back and forth in front of the few empty lobby chairs.  He looked like he was frustrated that his priest, who he had no appointment to see in the first place, was wasting his valuable time.  His sense of self-importance was as thick as his upper-crust City accent.  

A few minutes later, the front door to the street opened again, and in walked Fr. (X).  Seeing Lawrence and Bruno, the priest nodded a subtle greeting.  Lawrence and Bruno stood out of respect for the priest and Lawrence, referring to Bruno, welcomed him with, "Good afternoon, Father.  There is someone here to see you."  Bruno nodded to the priest.  At that moment the pacing student, assuming that Lawrence was making his immediate introduction, strode up to the priest, completely ignoring the two standing, respectful laymen.

"Fr. (X), I understand you're sending my protestant friends to hell."  

Fr. sized up the impertinent youngster with the introduction that sounded like fighting words, if he had ever heard them.  The composed and battle-tested Jesuit responded:  "I'm not sending your protestant friends to hell.  I'm just telling them that if they want salvation, where they've got to find it."  

The young man shot back: "I know more protestants who are going to heaven than Catholics."

Father sensed from that sample of theological nonsense that the boy was all uncontrolled emotion and no religious insights.  Years of street preaching taught him that no reason will enter a closed and angry mind.  He had better things to do than try to teach in a few minutes what did not yet sink into this man's head in the past few decades.  

"That's not a way to talk to a Catholic priest.  If that's the way you're going to talk, you can get right on out of here."

The young man was startled by the demand for priestly respect.  His next pompous response did not help him.  He pushed back:  "Do you know who I am?!"

"I don't care who you are.  That's not the way a Catholic young man talks to a Catholic priest.  There's the door."  Fr. turned his back on the young man and walked into his office.  

...


.[Names have been changed to protect the innocent].

So, this took place in the 1940s or 50s?