Author Topic: French sede needs place to stay -- quickly! (Read 1369 times)

Raoul76 · « **on:** October 21, 2011, 02:34:53 PM »

I was contacted yesterday by a French girl from my Facebook page, who told me her friend Romuald ( how's that for a name? ) wants to stay in America for three months. He wants to be here from November through January, to be immersed in the language for a test he's taking. He is a student of history at the University of Bordeaux, 27 years old, bachelor, has little money, but can pay for his food, sort of looks like an intense French version of Anthony Perkins, etc.

He is, like many French sedes, an impassioned non-una-cuм sede, complete with the "non una cuм" rallying cry, so he wouldn't want to stay with someone in SSPX. But if there are any sedes here who can put him up, or know of someone who can put him up, please contact me.

I don't know much about him. His contacts are good, in the sense that he studied to be a priest for one year under Abbé Belmont, who I believe is very respected. I just don't know enough about him to want him living in my house for three months. I think he should be with a family. I live alone, and have no protection if anything happens. If I have to leave the house, he'd be here by himself, with the run of the place; which just makes me uncomfortable.

Whether or not anyone here can help, do you think I should take him in? Am I being too paranoid? I didn't like how the girl on Facebook just told me "Oh, he's a Catholic, what more do you need to know?" Uh, plenty. I would have much preferred if he had written me earlier so I'd know if we got along. If you're renting your house, you don't let someone in until you get a good feeling about them, have some references, etc.

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #1 on:** October 21, 2011, 03:33:42 PM »

Well, I'm not a sede so I guess that disqualifies me. But on a serious note, I agree that you should find out more about him before you let him stay with you. You can't let a stranger into your home without getting some information on him first. The fact that he's Catholic wouldn't be enough for me either.

Zenith · « **Reply #2 on:** October 21, 2011, 03:45:34 PM »

I once took in a guy from overseas who a friend told me about though How well does your friend know him and how much do you trust her judgement? Also I don't see why he would have to go to a sede house. Can he afford to be that picky if he is looking for hospitality? Personally, if someone did not want to stay with me because I wasn't a sede I would consider that a little snobish and wouldn't want them in my house anyway.
Why don't you take him in on the condition that he stays for a week as a trial and Isabella will keep him in line.
:wink:

sedetrad · « **Reply #3 on:** October 21, 2011, 03:50:53 PM »

He could end up being a bad egg and stealing and selling all of your household items when you are gone for the day. I'd have to really get to know the person. He could be a heavy drug user and you wouldn't know it until you found him dying of a heroin overdose with a needle still stuck in his arm.

What if he turns out to be a secret ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ and come home one day and see him with his new american boyfriend having intimate relations. I think you get my drift. Be careful!

Zenith · « **Reply #4 on:** October 21, 2011, 04:20:58 PM »

I know we have to be careful these days though I can't help but notice how paranoid this world has become.

Raoul76 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 21, 2011, 04:41:47 PM »

I was going to let him stay here, then Alex from the site strongly recommended against it on the phone. Then I began thinking more about it and realized that I was uncomfortable.

Zenith, you asked a good question, how well do I know the girl... Not very, and top of that, we have some major differences of opinion about certain things and had a few kind of tense exchanges. But apart from that she seems nice and is very well-connected and liked among both American and French Catholics. She occasionally goes to SGG when she's in America, those people love her.

I don't know why, but something is making me nervous. There are some people you get a good feeling from right away, they are open. With him, it's not like that, an enigma remains. It's not that I'm picking up on any "evil" either. But we haven't clicked in a way where I feel I can trust him totally. I have had only a few conversations with you, Zenith, but I wouldn't hesitate to let you be in my house, take care of my dog, etc. You know with some people you can just trust them almost automatically; others are more difficult, it takes more time to get to know them, it could go either way, etc.

Raoul76 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 21, 2011, 04:45:49 PM »

Lol at Sedetrad, I hate to say it, but some of those things occurred to me ( like that he could be ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ ).

Not that he looks ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ or anything like that, but you know, in my short time as a Catholic, I have met some weird people, people that it would be awkward to be stuck in close quarters with for three months. Just being Catholic is not really enough. You have to trust the person and get along. How many people blindly trusted that they could move across the country to be part of a sede community and then it all went horribly wrong?

I'm trying to find the balance between being open, and being smart.

Raoul76 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 21, 2011, 04:50:04 PM »

Now that I think about it, he didn't flat-out say he wouldn't stay with an SSPX Catholic, he just asked about "sede communities." That doesn't rule out SSPX homes, necessarily. I'll ask him.

Raoul76 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 21, 2011, 04:59:39 PM »

Zenith said:

Quote

I once took in a guy from overseas who a friend told me about though How well does your friend know him and how much do you trust her judgement?

I am guessing this was a good friend. But this girl really isn't even a friend, she's a Facebook friend, we have only had a few uncomfortable conversations, so yeah. As far as trusting her judgment, like I said, we don't agree on certain things. So my confidence level is not exactly at what I'd call an all-time high.

I should say, I wrote her with my concerns and she was very understanding. I've also written to Father Gabriel thinking maybe he can stay at the Mount.

s2srea · « **Reply #9 on:** October 21, 2011, 05:34:13 PM »

Quote from: Raoul76

So my confidence level is not exactly at what I'd call an all-time high.

You're making a great case, then, for people here to take this fellow in....

Raoul76 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 21, 2011, 07:21:02 PM »

Lol. What do you want me to do, fob him off on someone else while pretending that I know him and he's perfectly fine? Then what if something goes wrong? I'd be like Pontius Pilate!

Chances are, he is a perfectly fine chap. But the truth is, I don't know much about the girl who recommended him and I know even less about him. That is what makes me uncomfortable. I just need more time to get to know someone before I spend three months trapped in a house with him. If I had other people around, it would be one thing, but I'm totally alone.

Anyway, Emerentiana wrote to a CMRI priest and it looks like she may have gotten the ball rolling.