Are you talking Lumen Christi or Oak Brook? I assure you, Oak Brook and Will County are in the Joliet Diocese. I grew up a stones throw from Oak Brook and Will County are both in the Diocese of Joliet. Diocese of Joliet has seven counties in total, including Dupage and Will. The Arch of Chicago has Cook and Lake County. I've been employed by both Dioceses.
The current Bishop of Joliet was Cardinal Cupich's Vicar General, and then an Auxiliary Bishop in Chicago. So if the decision came from the Cardinal, I'd be surprised to see Bishop Hicks not go along with it.
Cheer up JD being cancelled by the likes of Cupich and McElroy should be considered a badge of honor and a sign that you are doing the kind of honest and persistent reporting that the church needs
I'm traditional and I like reading the Pillar, but I must say I find the flippant use of the term "Ultra RadTrads" condescending and just a bit too self assured. Sounds like you think your views and perspectives are the only correct ones.
As somebody who independently invented the term RadTrad and has been personally attacked by them, I said UltraRadTrad to emphasize that I'm not talking about people who love old Catholic traditions and the Latin Mass.
// The effect of the secrecy, it seems to me, is to make relatively incredible, for many Catholics, a process which was supposed to boost their confidence in the Church’s commitment to justice. //
The investigations themselves are disgusting. We all knew priests buggered boys, no? It could have been simply stopped, but no, in this sex-besotted age, it had to be made into a spectacle, shouted about in courtrooms, law offices, television studios.
The investigations are not disgusting, they are required. Without investigating and punishing those found guilty, the crimes would either be covered up or punished on suspicion with no evidence. Neither approach would be worthy of God's people or just.
As for "shouted about," the best disinfectant is sunlight.
There's so much rot in our beloved Church. Thank you all so much for the work you do in shining a light on that rot, which shows your own love for Her, rather than the contrary.
Perhaps we are all being uncharitable towards this fair city (my knowledge of which is formed entirely and unfairly by a single Star Trek episode); perhaps someone simply wanted a Piece of the Action.
Perhaps but I think that by JD making this known it gives the Archdiocese of Chicago an opportunity to set the record straight. If they did not call for the talks to be cancelled then they can simply say so or if they did make that decision they can explain their reasoning.
Or maybe you were talking about the comments. In which case you could be right but I think it expresses the general feeling of many in regards to the “synodal” Church. A sense that could be summed up by “Animal Farm”: “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”
Nonetheless we should be champions of charity no matter what. May the Lord help me to overcome my failings in that regard.
Being canceled like this in Chicago and DC is outrageous. It also seems to me that many recent episcopal appointments have Cupich's fingerprints all over them. If this is so, you may be getting canceled more. Please keep up the fight for sunlight!
// I think it’s that I’m not a housecat. And I’m concerned if that makes me the wrong kind of people for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Even to go tell a bunch of high school kids how much I love the extraordinary children God has given me. //
These people are rotting in place, but slowly. They'll hurt as many people as they can as they go.
Just for clarity, did you go through the correct procedure to obtain permission to speak in the diocese?
In my diocese, there is a two page form, complete with requirements for a CV, and a letter of good standing from his/her pastor, for an "outsider" to speak in any Catholic facility in the diocese. This must be completed and permission obtained from the chancery before an invitation is formally made to the speaker. If not, the event is cancelled.
Of course this does not apply if the event is held at an institution not affiliated with the Church.
I was contracted to speak by an organization which routinely books Catholic speakers. If it was a problem with the paperwork, I think I would have been told.
I’m also going to venture that his mother church is in the Archdiocese that seems to have disinvited JD, so it looks like Ed., could have been cut by proxy, as well. And of course, the two gentlemen being businesses partners with families to feed and payroll to make, subjects of many other dioceses have been cut by proxy, too. Synodal equality abounds!
The cancellations are truly wearisome. Has Fr. James Martin ever been cancelled? Has anyone from the National Catholic Distorter? I don't know, but I doubt it.
The thing about the Pillar is that, despite reporting on some of the worst stuff, they always encourage me to try to withhold an instinctive negative bias or to give a fair shake to all possibilities instead of thinking the worst of people. I hope representatives of the higher-ups in Chicago or DC recognize that if anyone is sullying the reputation of the Church hierarchy or the Pope or certain Cardinals it is themselves, in instances of pettiness like these cancellations, not the Pillar reporters they are icing out.
I'm so sorry to hear about the cancellations, JD. It's a true misfortune that you won't be able to share your experiences and perspective, especially about your son. The world needs as much witness about the beauty and struggle and profound gift that family members with disabilities bring.
Though not at all the same thing, please give the talk (to Ed?) and video it then let us see it - I would love to hear you speak about knowing and loving those with disabilities!
As someone who reads regularly, and disagrees or questions regularly, I'm mad that you won't be coming to Chicago. But know this - what you do is needed, do not stop no matter what the authorities do.
This is a bit like the admonition that J. D. Vance gave to Europe. It is not healthy to try to censor speech, even when you don't agree. Let the people speak and listen and make up their own minds. And I'm looking forward to J.D. and J.D. talking it all over. That would be a talk that could boost Pillar subscriptions.
In other words, you insist on being permitted to slander without consequence. Since truth is a defense to slander, one can fairly conclude you know the facts are against you.
Thanks VSM. I was too tired to mount a response to someone who still believes in the lies he's fed. I figured in my weakness, best to follow the advice of all the saints and wish an accuser well. Well said. God bless you both.
You should be willing to put your casual insults about a fellow Catholic in more explicit, and really charitable, terms. If you are not willing to do so, cannot or will not do so, maybe you should think twice about making them publicly. So, please state for the record why-exactly--you think, JD Vance, a fellow Catholic, is not simply wrong but an "ass."
We can look at how he has changed positions to things that are clearly not Christian. The Pope himself wrote a letter that basically admonished him for his clear and intentional misreading of the Bible. He openly and willingly lies (for example with the immigrants' eating dogs and cats) and when proven it is a lie gets indignant not remorseful. I could go on, but that pretty much right there shows he puts his own "success" over his Christian teachings. Feel free to show me where I am wrong.
I will respectfully disagree with your analysis, which goes beyond stating a disagreement with him, and veers into name calling and a judgement of his heart ("puts his own "success" over his Christian teachings'). I think you are in dangerous territory.
I notice you didn't say I was wrong. One of my biggest complaints with Christianity is that it holds people to different standards. He does public and clearly wrong things and that gets ignored while I make one comment and am in dangerous territory. I'm happy to answer for my flaws, I will not stop calling out others' flaws, particularly when they reflect poorly on the Church as a whole.
Your admission to your failings is refreshing, considering that you reserve to yourself the self assigned job of "calling out others' flaws." I also note that you clearly have quite negative opinions of Christianity, as you state "One of my biggest complaints with Christianity" is inconsistency. Yet you defend your own judgment of another man by naming priests, and even the Pope as your defenders. How interesting. It is not possible to know what is in the heart or soul of another man, and claiming to do so does not make it so. Even the Pope cannot do so.
I do not reserve to myself the self-assigned job of calling out others' flaws. I believe that as a society we should all call out flaws to help us all get better. I have the highest opinion of Christianity, I have the lowest opinion of Christians who use and abuse the faith for their individual purposes.
I agree we cannot know what is in another's heart. However, we can see their actions. I don't judge on intent, I judge on actions.
Oak Brook is in the Joliet Diocese...
But the event was organized by Lumen Christi, which is at the University of Chicago….
No Itis not in the Joliet Diocese, that is in Will County, not Cook County.
Are you talking Lumen Christi or Oak Brook? I assure you, Oak Brook and Will County are in the Joliet Diocese. I grew up a stones throw from Oak Brook and Will County are both in the Diocese of Joliet. Diocese of Joliet has seven counties in total, including Dupage and Will. The Arch of Chicago has Cook and Lake County. I've been employed by both Dioceses.
I have learned today that Oak Brook is in the Joliet diocese. With that said, I don't think that was a major factor in the decisions made.
Weird. Jurisdictions confused me
The current Bishop of Joliet was Cardinal Cupich's Vicar General, and then an Auxiliary Bishop in Chicago. So if the decision came from the Cardinal, I'd be surprised to see Bishop Hicks not go along with it.
Apologies, I stand corrected. Thanks
Dear oh dear...
Cheer up JD being cancelled by the likes of Cupich and McElroy should be considered a badge of honor and a sign that you are doing the kind of honest and persistent reporting that the church needs
Absolutely! Now if you could manage to be attacked by the Ultra RadTrads, you'd know for sure that you doing the right thing. I love the Pillar.
Well, if it counts, the Father Carlos Martins articles back in November got huge numbers of trad-leaning Catholics in a twist.
https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/st-jude-relic-tour-suspended-over
Yeah those got spicy for sure!
I'm traditional and I like reading the Pillar, but I must say I find the flippant use of the term "Ultra RadTrads" condescending and just a bit too self assured. Sounds like you think your views and perspectives are the only correct ones.
As somebody who independently invented the term RadTrad and has been personally attacked by them, I said UltraRadTrad to emphasize that I'm not talking about people who love old Catholic traditions and the Latin Mass.
On the contrary, it sounds to me like she is that adherents to extremity in both directions tend to be a bit too self assured.
// The effect of the secrecy, it seems to me, is to make relatively incredible, for many Catholics, a process which was supposed to boost their confidence in the Church’s commitment to justice. //
The investigations themselves are disgusting. We all knew priests buggered boys, no? It could have been simply stopped, but no, in this sex-besotted age, it had to be made into a spectacle, shouted about in courtrooms, law offices, television studios.
The investigations are not disgusting, they are required. Without investigating and punishing those found guilty, the crimes would either be covered up or punished on suspicion with no evidence. Neither approach would be worthy of God's people or just.
As for "shouted about," the best disinfectant is sunlight.
If you want disgusting, look at the coverups.
Couldn’t agree more.
There's so much rot in our beloved Church. Thank you all so much for the work you do in shining a light on that rot, which shows your own love for Her, rather than the contrary.
You are over the target, I think. Don't stop.
Yes - you only cop the flak when you are directly over the target 🎯
Bombs away
That's scary. I'm in the Cincinnati diocese and we just got a new arch bishop from Chicago. Arch Bishop Schnur was one of the good ones.
But even he was damned for "telling people how to vote".
Hello from Preble County 😁
Chicago has its own way of dealing with people who tell the truth "too explicitly"; as Father Carlos Martins recently found out.
Perhaps we are all being uncharitable towards this fair city (my knowledge of which is formed entirely and unfairly by a single Star Trek episode); perhaps someone simply wanted a Piece of the Action.
Perhaps but I think that by JD making this known it gives the Archdiocese of Chicago an opportunity to set the record straight. If they did not call for the talks to be cancelled then they can simply say so or if they did make that decision they can explain their reasoning.
Or maybe you were talking about the comments. In which case you could be right but I think it expresses the general feeling of many in regards to the “synodal” Church. A sense that could be summed up by “Animal Farm”: “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”
Nonetheless we should be champions of charity no matter what. May the Lord help me to overcome my failings in that regard.
Being canceled like this in Chicago and DC is outrageous. It also seems to me that many recent episcopal appointments have Cupich's fingerprints all over them. If this is so, you may be getting canceled more. Please keep up the fight for sunlight!
// I think it’s that I’m not a housecat. And I’m concerned if that makes me the wrong kind of people for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Even to go tell a bunch of high school kids how much I love the extraordinary children God has given me. //
These people are rotting in place, but slowly. They'll hurt as many people as they can as they go.
"If there is some sense that I am not sufficiently loyal to the Holy Father, or to the Church, I’d be glad to understand it."
-JD, have you tried working "synodality" and a few other choice buzzwords into you speech titles and descriptions?
Just for clarity, did you go through the correct procedure to obtain permission to speak in the diocese?
In my diocese, there is a two page form, complete with requirements for a CV, and a letter of good standing from his/her pastor, for an "outsider" to speak in any Catholic facility in the diocese. This must be completed and permission obtained from the chancery before an invitation is formally made to the speaker. If not, the event is cancelled.
Of course this does not apply if the event is held at an institution not affiliated with the Church.
I was contracted to speak by an organization which routinely books Catholic speakers. If it was a problem with the paperwork, I think I would have been told.
That is what I would have assumed. Just wanted to clear the obvious.
I think Ed. is a subject of the Archdiocese which disinvited him.
I’m also going to venture that his mother church is in the Archdiocese that seems to have disinvited JD, so it looks like Ed., could have been cut by proxy, as well. And of course, the two gentlemen being businesses partners with families to feed and payroll to make, subjects of many other dioceses have been cut by proxy, too. Synodal equality abounds!
The cancellations are truly wearisome. Has Fr. James Martin ever been cancelled? Has anyone from the National Catholic Distorter? I don't know, but I doubt it.
I'm pretty sure some bishops have prevented Fr Martin from speaking at their parishes.
Can confirm.
The thing about the Pillar is that, despite reporting on some of the worst stuff, they always encourage me to try to withhold an instinctive negative bias or to give a fair shake to all possibilities instead of thinking the worst of people. I hope representatives of the higher-ups in Chicago or DC recognize that if anyone is sullying the reputation of the Church hierarchy or the Pope or certain Cardinals it is themselves, in instances of pettiness like these cancellations, not the Pillar reporters they are icing out.
I stole your first sentence, with attribution, in my comment. Exactly right.
I'm so sorry to hear about the cancellations, JD. It's a true misfortune that you won't be able to share your experiences and perspective, especially about your son. The world needs as much witness about the beauty and struggle and profound gift that family members with disabilities bring.
Though not at all the same thing, please give the talk (to Ed?) and video it then let us see it - I would love to hear you speak about knowing and loving those with disabilities!
As someone who reads regularly, and disagrees or questions regularly, I'm mad that you won't be coming to Chicago. But know this - what you do is needed, do not stop no matter what the authorities do.
This is a bit like the admonition that J. D. Vance gave to Europe. It is not healthy to try to censor speech, even when you don't agree. Let the people speak and listen and make up their own minds. And I'm looking forward to J.D. and J.D. talking it all over. That would be a talk that could boost Pillar subscriptions.
While I understand the comparison, I think the Church is just thin skinned, while JD Vance is an ass. I don't put them in the same category.
How is JD an ass? Please elaborate.
To clarify, JD Vance is who I was talking about. If I have to clarify, then you most likely don't want to believe it and I would waste both our time.
Thanks Brian. God bless you.
In other words, you insist on being permitted to slander without consequence. Since truth is a defense to slander, one can fairly conclude you know the facts are against you.
Thanks VSM. I was too tired to mount a response to someone who still believes in the lies he's fed. I figured in my weakness, best to follow the advice of all the saints and wish an accuser well. Well said. God bless you both.
Two points - 1, what slander? 2, who said I didn't expect consequences and what should those consequences be?
You should be willing to put your casual insults about a fellow Catholic in more explicit, and really charitable, terms. If you are not willing to do so, cannot or will not do so, maybe you should think twice about making them publicly. So, please state for the record why-exactly--you think, JD Vance, a fellow Catholic, is not simply wrong but an "ass."
p.s. - I have lots of time...
We can look at how he has changed positions to things that are clearly not Christian. The Pope himself wrote a letter that basically admonished him for his clear and intentional misreading of the Bible. He openly and willingly lies (for example with the immigrants' eating dogs and cats) and when proven it is a lie gets indignant not remorseful. I could go on, but that pretty much right there shows he puts his own "success" over his Christian teachings. Feel free to show me where I am wrong.
I will respectfully disagree with your analysis, which goes beyond stating a disagreement with him, and veers into name calling and a judgement of his heart ("puts his own "success" over his Christian teachings'). I think you are in dangerous territory.
I notice you didn't say I was wrong. One of my biggest complaints with Christianity is that it holds people to different standards. He does public and clearly wrong things and that gets ignored while I make one comment and am in dangerous territory. I'm happy to answer for my flaws, I will not stop calling out others' flaws, particularly when they reflect poorly on the Church as a whole.
Loss of charity for fellow Catholic? Or just political bias?
I will admit to failings in both categories (which he has been negligent in doing), but stand by the statement and proof I offered.
Your admission to your failings is refreshing, considering that you reserve to yourself the self assigned job of "calling out others' flaws." I also note that you clearly have quite negative opinions of Christianity, as you state "One of my biggest complaints with Christianity" is inconsistency. Yet you defend your own judgment of another man by naming priests, and even the Pope as your defenders. How interesting. It is not possible to know what is in the heart or soul of another man, and claiming to do so does not make it so. Even the Pope cannot do so.
I do not reserve to myself the self-assigned job of calling out others' flaws. I believe that as a society we should all call out flaws to help us all get better. I have the highest opinion of Christianity, I have the lowest opinion of Christians who use and abuse the faith for their individual purposes.
I agree we cannot know what is in another's heart. However, we can see their actions. I don't judge on intent, I judge on actions.