– Aurelio Porfiri
When we think about the present difficulties of the Church, we cannot avoid looking at the crisis of priesthood. We know that this goes back for decades. A key moment was certainly Vatican II which was used by a certain faction to implement an agenda alien to the authentic spirit of the Council. This agenda pointed to the de facto transformation of priests to people “like us,” not very different from lay people in the way they talk, think or dress. So, when we really want someone pointing us to the Other, we have these men of God who point back in our direction. This crisis has many reasons, starting with a lost sense of the sacred and of its separation from what is secular. I remember reading in a book about Bishop Marcel Lefebvre, the protagonist of a dramatic fight with the Apostolic See that is still not completely healed, that when the bishop was asked to do something to counteract the calamitous actions following Vatican II (actions that the Council never required) he thought that the first thing to do was to form priests. Priests with little faith, priests with no sense of the sacred can only be dangerous for the people of God. So we asked Father Peter M.J. Stravinskas, a scholar, a writer, but most of all a priest for many decades. He is editor of the Catholic Response and author of several books (e.g., The Catholic Church and the Bible and Understanding the Sacraments) and more than 500 articles. Father Stravinskas is the founder of the Priestly Society of Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman. In an article in Catholic World Report called “The Plague of Infidelity and the Current Crisis,” Father Stravinskas wrote: “I can declare without fear of contradiction that any and all clerical misbehavior of any kind (financial, sexual or Machiavellian maneuvering) can be laid at the doorstep of a loss of identity, a loss of support, and a loss of faith. Clergy – whether priests, bishops or popes – who engage in the actions highlighted in the Viganò report have forgotten who they are as men who stand in persona Christi; have generally been abandoned by fellow clergy (and laity) who have neglected to challenge their malfeasance; and, have relegated faith to the dustbins of their lives.”
Father, can you give some background about yourself?
I have been a priest for 41 years, with doctorates in school administration and theology. I have had a very varied priestly ministry: teaching and administering Catholic schools at every level (elementary, secondary, university and seminary); editor and publisher; parish priest; bishop’s secretary; vocation director; director of two national organizations.
What is the Priestly Society of Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman? Why you have created this society?
The Priestly Society of Cardinal Newman is a clerical association of the faithful, which includes priests and seminarians not living in our community but desirous of sharing in our spirituality and priestly support; lay associates are also welcome. I established this society because it is clear that life as a secular priest is extraordinarily difficult these days; without a support system, priests lose identity and can end very unhappily.
The society is committed, among other things, to “liturgical renewal”. What you mean by that?
First of all, that means ensuring that the liturgical books of the post-conciliar period are followed precisely and devoutly. Secondly, it means providing serious liturgical education for clergy and laity alike, through books, articles, lectures and videos.
What do you think of the dynamic existing between the ordinary and the extraordinary forms of the Roman rite?
It is clear that Pope Benedict envisioned a healthy “dialogue” between the two forms, leading eventually to a tertium quid. I wrote about this for Catholic World Report some time ago and received extremely negative (indeed, nasty) responses from those committed to the extraordinary form of the Mass. I found this to be very disappointing as it indicates that all too many supporters of the EF envision an “enrichment” of the OF by the EF, but not the other way around – although Benedict definitely hoped for what he termed a “mutual enrichment.”
One of your books is called “Salvation outside the Church?”. And so, is there salvation outside the Catholic Church?
The Church’s position since Vatican II is no different from what it was prior to the Council. Simply put: Salvation in and through the Church and her sacraments is the ordinary means of salvation, however, since “Deus non alligatur sacramentis,” as Aquinas teaches, God – as Lord of the Church and the sacraments – can act outside that economy. That applies in a particular way to those who are not explicit members of the Church due to invincible ignorance.
You also focus on Catholic education. How can this kind of education flourish in a post- Christian society?
The system of Catholic education in the United States is unique in the history of the Church. A total education within the bosom of the Church, from kindergarten through secondary school, into university studies preserved Catholic identity in periods of vicious anti-Catholicism for over a century – at great personal sacrifice on the part of the Catholic community since we receive no financial assistance from government agencies at any level. I maintain that Catholic schools are more necessary today than ever, precisely because of the hostility to Christian and Catholic values which increases every day. Admittedly, that hostility in the United States is nowhere near as bad as it is in most of Western Europe; that may be the case because of the existence of the Catholic school system, which is surely responsible for a strong pro-life movement in our country. In 1976, in a letter commemorating the bicentennial of American independence, St Paul VI declared: “The strength of the Church in America is in her schools.” I believe he was quite correct.
Among Catholic writers, who have inspired you the most?
Many different ones for many different reasons. In the modern era, I would highlight: Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman (of course!), GK Chesterton, Evelyn Waugh, Flannery O’Connor, Fulton J Sheen.
The Church in your country (and not only) is in a turmoil due to the abuse crisis. Do you think the actions of the US bishops are effective?
The truth of the matter is that there is no real crisis – at least as far as normal, faithful Catholics are concerned. The problem of clergy sex abuse was handled rather effectively in 2002 – at least regarding priests (clergy and laity alike were distressed that, from the very beginning, the bishops did not hold themselves accountable for their sins). There are approximately 42,000 Catholic priests in the nation; last year, only six priests were credibly accused of sexual abuse. The Pennsylvania report, which got so much attention (even around the world) was an extremely deceptive document for a number of reasons: first, it identified priests accused, not convicted; second, some of the accusations go back over seventy years (one of the accused was born in 1896); third, over half the priests are dead! fourth, only two of the 1000 cases are able to be prosecuted. Most of the agitation on this issue is coming from virulent secularists who want to embarrass the Church into silence on the “hot-button” issues like abortion and same-sex marriage – since we are the only source of opposition to their program.
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