So, in light of the newest priest / seminarian Sex Scandal, I reflect on the arrogance of Seminary Students. Our NOW club went to Mount St. Mary’s seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. to hear then Lieutenant Governor, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (3rd from left in photo) speak. Why I thought that white turtle neck with the maroon argyle sweater was a good idea? I really don’t know!
While she was speaking, a young, dumb seminary student raised his hand and confronted her about her Pro Choice stance. He lectured her and then asked, “Shouldn’t she take her role as a wife and mother more seriously rather than working?” Hand to forehead response from me. He happened to be sitting near me.
After her talk, I let him have it. I asked him, “What about cases of rape or incest?” He replied, “That’s only one percent of abortions.” I replied that his compassion for God’s people seemed a little weak; he was referring to real people as “just 1 percent,” as though they were not real people. I added, do you understand that the power dynamic between a poorer man and his wife might mean that she has no power to refuse him sex if he’s the one with the job, and her saying, “No” might mean she gets beaten or he takes off leaving her with no way to feed her kids?
He replies, “All you feminists think about is power!’ I replied, “Says the boy who thinks he should have the power to forgive other people’s sins; not incredibly arrogant at all!” (sarcasm) Then I told him, YOU are never going to get married. You will never have children. How do you think you know ANYTHING about who does what in a marriage or what it’s like to be forced to have more children than you want? That whole “God never gives you more than you can handle.” thing is a barefaced lie! but YOU will never go hungry, the parish will feed you and you’ll have a maid to clean up after you at the rectory. You’ll be living in a safe little bubble all your life! You won’t know ANYTHING about real life, marriage, children, hard work etc.
He started tearing up at this point and said, “Stop saying that!” I said, “what?” “That you’ll never have a wife or children?” He replied, “Yes, stop saying that!” I looked at him straight in the face and said, “Did that never occur to you?” He started crying. I felt proud that that arrogant boy finally had someone confront him on his B.S and he had no snappy answer. I like to think he left the seminary and got a real job but I doubt it. He might have just decided that he deserved the collar and the off-the-books sex like so many of them do.
Having been raised Catholic myself, I couldn’t believe how our priests were coddled like children and constantly praised just because they wore the collar! Then a huge crowd of people listen to them give sermons to the parishioners on how to behave in our real lives. What an ego boost for someone who knows nothing! Then they tell us the punishments for our sins; 3 Hail Mary’s, 1 Our Father, etc. because only THEY know what it takes for God to forgive us. Their happy retirements are also fully funded by the parish. The whole thing is crazy!
Not the Nuns though. They clean up after themselves, cook and scrub floors and all while having full time jobs teaching, nursing or even caring for lepers. They get no retirement from the Catholic parishes in which they teach. They are expected to save for retirement like the rest of us. I remember when Immaculada Catholic School in D.C. (owned and operated by the nuns) had to sell the school and the property to pay for the care of their elderly nuns because not enough new ones were taking orders and caring for their elderly members. The diocese looked the other way rather than help them. It was the 80s. I tried to start a fundraising concert called “Nun Aid” in the style of “Farm Aid” but couldn’t get any bands on board.