Author Topic: Life as a Seminarian was like movie Platoon (Read 49994 times)

AlligatorDicax · « **Reply #35 on:** August 12, 2014, 03:16:30 PM »

Quote from: Ladislaus (Aug 12, 2014, 2:35 pm)

Quote from: stgobnait (Aug 12, 2014, 11:55 am)
it showed, in a much lesser way of course, the new direction of the society [...]. [T]here must be many young men who have suffered similarly [....]

Alas more than we know. I myself knew many who left there as complete basket cases.

A fine segue into one of the most troubling conclusions offered:

[quote="Ex-seminarian" at bravsindex.com via Matthew (Aug 11, 2014, 9:45 pm)]A decade later, I have met some of the men who have been ordained
from this system. They are good men. Calm men, very pious who know their technique--I’ve never seen a mass celebrated with such exactness. But there are no character men among them, and no leaders. And that will become a problem in the future when they will need those seminarians whose vocations they so ignominiously wasted.
[/quote]
Although the excerpt was otherwise plain enough, the writer's phrase "no character men" was really puzzling. It came across to me as a broad insult to the seminarians ordained later, but the writer's style of expression seems inconsistent with intending such a meaning.

Matthew · « **Reply #36 on:** August 12, 2014, 04:09:04 PM »

Here is what I think he meant:

He's NOT saying they have bad character.

He's saying that there are no "characters" among them. No one who stands out, no one with a lot of unique personality.

Kind of like a "character actor" plays a certain role in movie after movie.

I've observed the same thing, and that's what I've said here many times. They're all phlegmatic, or at least they act phlegmatic on the outside.

SSPX priests used to be so interesting and full of life. In the past, each priest had his own personality and various natural talents which were crowned with the graces and character of the priesthood. It was a beautiful thing. Why did they have to change?

cathman7 · « **Reply #37 on:** August 12, 2014, 04:12:12 PM »

Quote from: BrJoseph

Thank you to Mr Z and to Matthew for posting this fascinating history. More pieces of the puzzle click for those of us who only see some of the pieces.

It is a fascinating read. Yet at the same time, I think it would be a bit wrong to manipulate his outpouring of soul as a means to bolster the "resistance." Again though, as I keep saying, I nevertheless DO NOT disagree with many of the premises of the "resistance."

stgobnait · « **Reply #38 on:** August 12, 2014, 04:18:06 PM »

when i read the piece, i did not think i was reading 'resistance ' i was reading someone's story,

Columba · « **Reply #39 on:** August 12, 2014, 06:20:33 PM »

Quote

This idea of dominance is entrenched in many Catholics. They lament about how bad the world is and how certain its approaching end must be, but you can spin them on a dime when you ask why Catholicism is so great, and suddenly you get litanies of praise about Catholic art, music, culture and progress. But where are those things now? In the past century, what has Catholicism done? Nothing. Catholics now seem content to rest on their laurels while waiting for the end of the world. It must be the end, because we’re not winning anymore – God’s going to come in and just clean everything up for us.

This is so true. It seems trads are unwilling to fight for restoration but instead only grit teeth and await the end.