Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 5:03am

Father Miscamble Defends Bishop Jenky

 

 

Father Wilson Miscamble, a priest of the Congregation of the Holy Cross and a history professor at Notre Dame defends Bishop Jenky from the attacks of members of the Notre Dame faculty:

Do you know Bishop Jenky?

I do, indeed. He’s, of course, a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross,  and I’ve known him since I came to the order as a seminarian 30 years ago. He’s  a terrific priest and a great bishop.

 

Have you worked with him closely?

He was the rector of Sacred Heart Basilica in my younger days as a priest  here on campus and was the superior of the Holy Cross community here during my  early days on campus. That was in the late ’80s and early ’90s, when I was part  of the community of which he was local superior.

But then he was taken away from us and made auxiliary bishop here in Fort  Wayne-South Bend, and then was made bishop of Peoria about 10 years ago. So, for  the last 15 years or so, I’ve seen him periodically. He comes back to visit, and  so on.

 

What do you think of this brouhaha over his remarks?

I have found the reaction of my faculty colleagues quite embarrassing — embarrassing because these academics disgracefully misused Bishop Jenky’s words  by taking them out of context. It has been a little disappointing, to say least.  Bishop Jenky was making remarks about the religious-liberty issue, and some of  my colleagues implied that Bishop Jenky was suggesting that President Obama was  on his way to adopting the entire Hitler-Stalin agenda. It’s a  mischaracterization that is unworthy of supposedly serious scholars.

 

You’re a historian, albeit your specialty is American history.

I am a historian, and I challenge the signatories to this letter criticizing  Bishop Jenky to point to one part of his homily that is historically  inaccurate.

 

Is he historically accurate?

Absolutely. By the way, Bishop Jenky was a history major when he was an  undergraduate here at Notre Dame. He’s read quite a bit of history in his day.  And he is a good student of it.

 

Why do you think they would take his remarks out of context?

Well, this is to engage in speculation, and I probably shouldn’t go down  this path myself; one should be cautious. But I think this very poorly crafted letter says  more about the rather predictable and ideological bias of the signatories than  it does about Bishop Jenky’s courageous homily.

 

But do you feel that he might have overstepped any kind of line?

 

No. His homily was a courageous homily which pointed to a pattern of  behavior of a number of regimes to limit religious freedom and to attack  religious institutions.

 

Go here to read the rest of the interview at the National Catholic Register.  I like Father Miscamble’s use of the phrase “rather predictable and ideological bias” which sums up not only what is wrong at Notre Dame but throughout most of American academia.  Academia purportedly is about the pursuit of knowledge.  Instead, today most academics seem to be chiefly concerned about ideological purity and attacking ideas that offend their preconceived prejudices.  This is a direct betrayal of the very purpose of higher education and is part of a goal of too many in academia to replace education with indoctrination.

 

 

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Leticia Velasquez
Friday, April 27, AD 2012 5:13pm

I am so inspired to know that not all Notre Dame professors are Obama syncophants. Fr Miscamble speaks well for the Holy Cross order. Fr Peyton would be proud!

Don the Kiwi
Don the Kiwi
Friday, April 27, AD 2012 6:45pm

God bless Bp. Jenky. Its great to see courageous bishops speaking up in defence of the Church and people, and what is right.
We are due for a new bishop in our diocese this year, by September all going well.
Most of the NZ bishops (6 of the 7) are quite liberal – affected with the liberalism that came post V2. Ealier this year, probably the most liberal Bp. of Palmerston North diocese retired, and the new bishop had spent time at the Vatican, writing some of B XVI homilies – he is good and orthodox.
Our bishop, Dennis Brown, is a good man but quite liberal, and was preventing our younger priests who wished to do the Traditional Latin Mass from doing so – that has recently changed, and we have the TLM in our parish once a month. Only a few attend, but the number is growing slowly. As an institued Acolyte, I enjoy serving at Mass, and its amazing how quickly the Latin has come back to me from my youth as an alter boy, and my 5 years of Latin at college.
Rumour has it that our new bishop is one of Cdl.George Pell’s auxiliaries, from Sydney, Australia. He is quite an academic – has written several books, and is strong on Catholic education and proper evangelisation – both of which are desperately needed in our diocese. It’ll also be interesting to have an Aussie bishop – but he follows rugby, instead of rugby league, so that’s a point in his favour 🙂
Time will tell, fingers crossed.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Friday, April 27, AD 2012 7:40pm

It just occured to me: he’s one of the very few Latin Rite bishops sporting a beard. As a fellow member of the Fraternity of Facial Fur I’ll bet it’s the beard that makes him brave!

Don the Kiwi
Don the Kiwi
Friday, April 27, AD 2012 8:50pm

Let’s hope he doesn’t have a shave – remember Samson? 😉

Don the Kiwi
Don the Kiwi
Friday, April 27, AD 2012 11:20pm

Gee…..
Victor Mature as Samson. Haven’t seen him for a while.
Age betrayal? 😉

trackback
Saturday, April 28, AD 2012 12:02am

[…] Father Miscamble Defends Bishop Jenky – Donald R. McClarey, The American Catholic […]

Sharon
Sharon
Saturday, April 28, AD 2012 9:28am

I’m just thinking… Bishop Jenky was right in pointing out the murderous regimes that denied religious freedom to their citizens. I would like to see the ND signatories point out all of the instances in the 20th century when religious freedom was denied in a country and other freedoms increased. There is a reason why those who want to take all of our freedoms need first to silence religion, especially Christianity. They need to silence the country’s conscience.

Jeannie
Jeannie
Saturday, April 28, AD 2012 9:49am

This is a direct betrayal of the very purpose of higher education and is part of a goal of too many in academia to replace education with indoctrination. <<< Well said! How disingenuous for supposedly learned professors to indoctrinate rather than educate intelligent students. Anyone's assumption that they can is hysterically funny and…for this parents are expected to pay handsomely? The leaning heavily on an institution's reputation while not meritoriously adding to it is one successful way of stealing, is it not?

Elaine Krewer
Admin
Saturday, April 28, AD 2012 10:39am

“I have always thought of him as Friar Tuck come to life”

Looks to me like he’d make a great Santa Claus… come to think of it, the real St. Nick WAS a bishop!

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Saturday, April 28, AD 2012 11:11am

Well, Don, beardliness is often a sign joviality.

On a more serious note, I hope he starts talking about the importance of subsidiarity and its direct impact regarding the whole HHS mandate issue. I know I have played this like a broken record, but unless Catholics understand this principle and our bishops start articulating it, we might as well surrender to lord Barry O right now. Paul Ryan’s injecting it right in the middle of the whole economic problem (a stroke of brilliance on more than one level) gives us and them a golden opportunity. Unfortunately, Ryan is already getting blow back from some individual bishops and apparatchiks in the USCCB.

Now is the time that we as Catholic faithful citizens take back our responsibility to help our neighbors in need and push back against federal usurpation. And the bishops need to lead that fight.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Saturday, April 28, AD 2012 12:30pm

The problem is Don that all indications thus far point to the opposite of what you are saying and that the bishops still don’t get it. I think your trust is misplaced. By the way, it isn’t Ceaser’s coin that’s getting wasted by greasing the palms of political cronies, it’s ours, especially the most productive among us.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Saturday, April 28, AD 2012 12:53pm

What evidence are you speaking of. Can you provide any documentation? Give me one quote from one bishop who says ANYTHING regarding the importance of subsidiarity, especially as it applies to the HHS problem? The only thing we find is had wringing about religious liberty, an important issue, but that’s beside the point. Documentation as to my assertions are plentiful in that you have some bishops as well as USCCB mouthpieces already going after Ryan’s legitimate proposals.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Saturday, April 28, AD 2012 1:31pm

First of all, Don. These quotes from these bishops are from 2009. None of them are recent regarding the present crisis. But yet, you will find that the bishops, as we are seeing with their attacks on Paul Ryan, try to undermine any even modest attempt to put into practice what the quotes from Bp Aquila speaks of. Nice try though.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Saturday, April 28, AD 2012 2:25pm

Notice the obscurity of these bishops you are quoting. None of these are well-known. I will admit that I was speaking a bit too broad brushedly. However, the overwhelming number of the most influential bishops, other than then-Bp Lori of Brideport, Conn., actually seemed to support Obamacare, sans the abortion coverage. In fact, Cdl. George, who was president of the USCCB at the time of the Obamacare debate, urged republicans to support the version of Obamacare that contained the Stupak amendment.

But my main assertion that the bishops, in practice, still don’t get it as far as the where the real problem here lies stands on solid ground.

Where are these very same bishops reiterating these statements in light of recent events? Yes, religious liberty is the most serious violation here, but this would not have come about if the bishops have spoken half as loudly for subsidiarity as they did for big government interference in the economic sphere. And the bishops need to speak, and speak very loudly, to that point.

Furthermore, do not be surprised if you find statements from these very same bishops supporting taxpayer funded welfare for illegal aliens or similar things like that. Square tht with the principle of subsidiarity.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Saturday, April 28, AD 2012 2:27pm

P.S. I would love to be absolutely dead wrong about what I say about the bishops not getting it. But I am afraid it seems I’m not.

PRM
PRM
Saturday, April 28, AD 2012 2:35pm

If one may dodge this pissing match and return (sort of) to the subject: I wonder if the Notre Dame signers would, back in the day, have showered praise on the many, many, many German bishops who remained silent when Hitler did start encroaching on the liberties of the Church and did start enforcing public policies contrary to good morals.

trackback
Saturday, April 28, AD 2012 9:41pm

[…] Wilson Miscamble CSC speaks up for Bishop Daniel Jenky CSC of Peoria in re Jenky’s vigorous, pointed analysis of Obama’s attacks on Catholic ministry: His homily was a courageous homily which pointed to a pattern of behavior of a number of regimes to […]

Don Maswell
Don Maswell
Monday, April 30, AD 2012 7:18am

I wish Catholics would step back from their hysterical paranoia and read WHAT the Bishop said and analyze it to judge if it is correct:

“Hitler and Stalin, at their better moments, would just barely tolerate some churches remaining open, but would not tolerate any competition with the state in education, social services and health care,” the bishop said at an annual Catholic men’s event in Peoria. “In clear violation of our First Amendment rights, Barack Obama — with his radical, pro-abortion and extreme secularist agenda, now seems intent on following a similar path.”

Is President Obama “intent on following a similar path”? Which path? “Barely tolerate some churches remaining open”? NOT true. “Not tolerate any competion with the state in education, social services and health care”? Also NOT true.

Please – THINK before you write something. DON’T make a fool of yourself. Anyone in their right mind knows that the President is NOT tolerating and allowing only “some” churches to remain open. Likewise, he has NO desire or plan to restrict any [religious] “competion with the state in education, social services and health care”. You know that if he even attempted any of those actions the Supreme Court would prohibit it. The President is too intelligent and moral a man to do that.

The Bishop was wrong to make those comparisons, and he should be man enough to admit it. For our part, we should be honest and sincere and criticize him for his mistake.

Bonchamps
Monday, April 30, AD 2012 7:28am

“The President is too intelligent and moral a man to do that.”

Bwahahahahahahahhahaha!

Thanks for the morning laugh. The irony is also delicious, given that such a view of the man would naturally prejudice you and prevent you from being able to see all the ways in which he is pursuing a viciously anti-Catholic policy.

Of course, as I said before, I’d liken him more to Bismarck than Hitler.

John Joseph
John Joseph
Monday, April 30, AD 2012 7:47pm

You’ll find a very interesting defense of Bishop Jenky at http://www.adoration.com/

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