Outrageous: Jesuit U. pays $85,000 to have rapper Ludacris perform on Friday

How do you normally spend your Fridays in Lent?

Fasting? Penance? Maybe a rosary or two?

Well, if you work at a Jesuit institution by the name of Fairfield University, you pay a rapper $85k to give a blowout concert:

On Friday, February 15, the annual Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA) concert will feature Ludacris, the Grammy Award-winning, platinum-selling performer who is at the top of his game these days in the world of rap music. Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges will perform at Alumni Hall on the Fairfield campus as part of his national tour, according to FUSA. [Source: Fairfield University's Press Release]

As CNS notes, Fairfield U. has managed to find and invite someone even the mainstream finds offensive:

In 2002, following criticism by Fox News Channel host Bill O’Reilly, Pepsi dropped Ludacris from its advertisements with an apology noting that “not all [artists] are compatible with our brands and what consumers have come to expect from us.” In 2006, talk show host Oprah Winfrey joined in the criticism of Ludacris for rap lyrics that “marginalize women.”

“If Ludacris is not compatible with Pepsi’s values and corporate image, why is he performing at a Catholic university?” Reilly asked. CNS has called upon Father von Arx to immediately cancel the production.

More drivel from the Fairfield U. press release, which presents Ludacris in his own words. Check it:

The Illinois native tells fans on his web site that he has evolved into a "more three-dimensional storyteller" on "Release Therapy." "Maturity is a beautiful thing. Going into the studio to make 'Release Therapy,' I felt like a wiser, more intelligent person. That was part of the vibe I wanted to bring across on the record, a more personal side that many have not seen. I know this is my fifth album, but I feel as though this is the first time I've ever exposed this much of myself. Like the film Crash, people can either love me or hate me, but they'll always respect me."

Sure, what's not to respect about a man who markets his music with album covers like this?

The name of this album is "Chicken-n-beer", which features track 13: "Hoes in my Room." Just a sample. I wonder if I should be relieved or concerned that he has since become more "three-dimensional in his storytelling"?

LifeSiteNews has coverage here, and calls on local Archbishop Lori of Bridgeport to do something. LSN has also provided contact information both for the Archbishop's office and Fairfield University.

I'm struggling to find the perfect adjective to describe all this.... oh yeah, this is the one:

Ludicrous.

("Meriting derisive laughter or scorn as absurdly inept, false, or foolish." - MW)

"This is a very good custom" Pope says of Jesuit vow renewal

Zenit:

During the audience Father Nicolás handed an envelope to the Holy Father in which he renewed in writing his obedience to the Pope, fulfilling a Jesuit tradition for newly elected superiors-general of the Society.

In addition to this tradition for those leading the order, obedience to the Pope in missionary matters is the fourth vow that all Jesuits make alongside the traditional three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

"The Pope opened the envelope right away and read the vows," reported the Jesuits. Then he said, "This is a very good custom."

Hint, hint.

New Jesuit Superior denies any tension between himself, Benedict XVI

CNA:

At his first official meeting with the press, Fr. Adolfo Nicolas S.J., the new Superior General of the Society of Jesus, strongly denied any contradiction between the Jesuits and the Vatican.

During the meeting held at the General Curia of the Jesuits in Rome, Fr. Nicolas read a prepared statement and took no questions from the some 50 journalists present at the press conference.

...

"There has never been and there is not opposition between the Pope and the Society of Jesus, between the Jesuits and the Vatican," Fr. Nicolas said in his statement.

"It is not true that there is a theological distance between the new General of the Jesuits and Pope Ratzinger," he added.

"I am an unknown and therefore newspapers are not finding anything about me, so they search and sometimes they invent," he also said.

And yet, quotations along these lines keep appearing, this one reported by CWNews:

The new Jesuit leader told journalists that his own views on religion have been heavily influenced by his years in Japan. Before serving in Asia, he said, he had firm and unyielding views about what constitutes proper religious faith and practice. In Japan, he reported, such attitudes are seen as intolerant; the Asian approach accepts a wide diversity of views. "In Japan," Father Nicolas said, "I discovered that true religion goes much deeper."

CNS adds:

The new general did not answer questions from the press because, he said, he will take his orders from the decisions of the General Congregation, which will continue to work at least until the end of February.

"What is important for me now is to listen to what the General Congregation wants, how we will respond to the conversation and challenges the Holy Father addressed to us and which we are taking very seriously in our reflections, how to respond to help the church, not ourselves," he said.

The article ends with this quotation:

Father Nicolas said he hoped the Jesuits would follow the principles of Mohandas Gandhi, "who said that when you speak of something you must first ask, 'Is it true?' because if it is not true, then it is not interesting. Second, 'Is it gentle, charitable, kind?' and third, 'Is it good for others?'"

Ah yes, important guiding principles for an order founded as the Society of ... Ghandi?!

Complete Coverage: Jesuits elect new superior Adolfo Nicolás, 71

From the website for Jesuits in the United States:

"After four days of prayer and personal conversation known as murmurationes, the 217 Jesuit electors gathered in Rome from around the world have chosen Adolfo Nicolás, SJ as the 30th Superior General of the Society of Jesus.

He was the President of the Jesuit Conference of East Asia and Oceania and the former Provincial of Japan.

He is now Father General to nearly 20,000 Jesuits worldwide, including 2,900 in the United States, and the 29th successor to St. Ignatius Loyola who founded the Jesuits in 1540."

Catholic News Service reports:

Spanish-born Father Adolfo Nicolas, moderator of the Jesuit Conference of East Asia and Oceania, was elected superior general of the Society of Jesus Jan. 19.

The 217 voting delegates to the Jesuit General Congregation elected Father Nicolas, 71, on their second ballot. He succeeds Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, 79, who had asked to resign because of his age.

Pope Benedict XVI was informed of the election of Father Nicolas before the Jesuits announced it publicly.

...

Father Nicolas was ordained to the priesthood in Tokyo and is the former Jesuit provincial of Japan. He also had served as director of the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila.

Interviewed in December about his hopes for the work of the General Congregation, Father Nicolas said, "I have a feeling, still imprecise and difficult to define, that there is something important in our religious life that needs attention and is not getting it.

"We have certainly been diligent in addressing our problems whenever we have seen them," he said, noting the focus of past General Congregations, "but the uneasiness in the society and in the church has not disappeared."

In the interview, with the Province Express, the newsletter of the Australian Jesuits, he said, "The question for us is: Is it enough that we are happy with our life and are improving our service and ministry? Isn't there also an important factor in the perception of people ('vox populi') that should drive us to some deeper reflection on religious life today?

..."How come we elicit so much admiration and so little following?" he asked.

He concluded by telling the newsletter that he hoped the General Congregation would begin "a process of dynamic and open reflection on our religious life that might begin a process of re-creation of the society for our times, not only in the quality of our services, but also and mostly in the quality of our personal and community witness to the church and the world."

Mark Brumley finds an additional interview with Fr. Nicolas from earlier last year.

A brief biography of Fr. Nicolas from CNS:

Born April 29, 1936, in Palencia, Spain, Father Nicolas entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1953. After earning a degree in philosophy in Spain, he was sent to Japan to study theology. He was ordained a priest in Tokyo in 1967.

After earning a master's degree in theology from the Jesuit-run Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, he returned to Japan and taught systematic theology at Sophia University in Tokyo.

In 1978-84 he was director of the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila. In 1991-1993 he was rector of the program for Jesuit scholastics in Japan, and in 1993 he was appointed provincial for Japan.

Before being named moderator of the Jesuit Conference of East Asia and Oceania in 2004, he spent three years working in a poor immigrant parish in Tokyo, living with and ministering to Filipino and other Asian immigrants.

Father Nicolas speaks Spanish, Japanese, English, French and Italian

Rocco Palmo files his report on the election here and notes:

Unlike the vast majority of those tipped for the post, the new Father-General comes short on Roman experience -- a former provincial of Japan, the theologian spent three years of study at the Gregorian University before a three decade run as a professor at Tokyo's Sofia University. He turns 72 in late April.

John Allen's coverage. Some excerpts that give insight into what Fr. Nicolas is reputed to represent:

... Though Nicolás, 71, was not among the most commonly mentioned candidates in the run-up to today’s vote, Jesuit sources said he represents a fairly bold choice – something of a blend between the mild personal manner and diplomatic skill of Kolvenbach, and the prophetic emphasis on justice, peace, and church reform associated with former General Fr. Pedro Arrupe.

... A former director of the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila and head of the Jesuit Conference of East Asia and Oceania, Nicolás is said to be particularly close to the church in Japan. In broad strokes, Jesuit observers say he represents the theological outlook associated with the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, with emphasis on inter-religious dialogue, advocacy for justice and peace, and “inculturation” of church teachings and practices.

...Nicolás himself knows the alarms such views can sometimes set off in Rome. A Jesuit source in Rome said that several years ago, Nicolás was under consideration as Rector of the Gregorian University, but the Vatican expressed doubts about the appointment on the basis of concerns about the role he played as a theological advisor to the Japanese bishops during the 1998 Synod for Asia. During that session, prelates from across Asia, including a particularly strong push from Japan, argued for greater collegiality, or decentralization, in church authority.

These paragraphs are somewhat disheartening when you compare them with what has been said recently by Pope Benedict, Cardinal Franc Rode, and other noted observers.

Brief coverage in the Associated Press published here.

John Allen informs us that Fr. Nicolas will "lead the Jesuits in a Thanksgiving Mass tomorrow, followed by a reception at the Gregorian University. On Monday morning, he will take over leadership of the General Congregation as it begins charting a future course for the Jesuit order."

Guide them, O Holy Spirit.

Sen. Obama and New Jersey Jesuits collaborate

Two forces meet and do the expected (not to mention, dissapointing):

Catholic College in New Jersey is coming under fire from a pro-life group for allowing pro-abortion Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to hold a rally there last week. On Wednesday, St. Peter’s College, a Jesuit Catholic institution, allowed Obama to address a large crowd there.

Media estimates indicated Obama greeted more than 4,500 people at the rally, but Patrick Reilly, the president of the Cardinal Newman Society, said the college was irresponsible for giving a pro-abortion politician a forum there.

“It’s irresponsible for a Catholic college and its leadership to host a political rally for an aggressively pro-abortion candidate,” he told LifeNews.com in a statement Monday.

[More from LifeNews.com]

Update: "Obama appearance at Catholic college sparks protest" (CNA).

A Few Friday Jesuit Tidbits

They have their sights on China, Zenit reports.

Their British province is going to launch a new on-line journal next Friday (report):

"Thinking Faith will be launched at approximately 7pm on Friday, 18 January 2008 on www.thinkingfaith.org. To be informed whenever new articles are uploaded, please contact: jmi@jesuits.org.uk"

Reuters posts "Five facts about the Jesuits" (generally accurate).

Vatican analyst Sandro Magister: "Last Call for the Society of Jesus – To Obedience"

Related: "Jesuits meet this week to choose new leader ... and get a tongue-lashing" (Jan. 7)

More on the "Black Conclave"

Rocco comments on two possible "Superior General-abili" (and what's the "bili", you ask?):

It'll be another ten days or so before one of the 226 delegates emerges as the 29th successor of Ignatius Loyola and new "Black Pope," but after the outgoing Father-General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach relinquished the chair, the representatives of the church's largest religious community placed two potential candidates at the center of the spotlight. The Puerto Rican Orlando Torres -- a Kolvenbach favorite currently running the Society's formation desk -- was elected to preside over the assembly until the election, with Basque Fr Ignacio Echarte, head of the Jesuit houses in Rome, chosen as his deputy. [More.]

Related: "Jesuits meet this week to choose new leader ... and get a tongue-lashing (Jan 7)"

Jesuits meet this week to choose new leader ... and get a tongue-lashing

Today the Jesuit order's General Congregation began meeting in Rome to, among other things, choose a new lifetime successor to Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, who has led the order since 1983.

CNS News Hub has a helpful break-down of Jesuit statistics here. There are currently almost 20,000 Jesuits around the world. 225 of them are participating in this so-called "black conclave" to elect a new superior general. CNS News Hub also points us to some related Jesuit blogs, podcasts, etc.

Kolvenbach has told L'Osservatore Romano something that isn't really suprising: namely, that the Jesuit order's choice of a new successor will reveal much about where the order is heading (or wants to head).

Most notable so far in the proceedings is the admonition given by Cardinal Rode to the opening assembly of the Jesuit conclave, the full text of his address is available here.

LifeSiteNews finds a very strong rebuke in the Cardinal's message:

The top Vatican official who deals with religious orders, Cardinal Franc Rode, addressed the 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) today. Cardinal Rode who was installed by Pope Benedict XVI as Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life spoke repeatedly about his "sorrow and anxiety" at the state of the Jesuit order in terms of infidelity to the teachings of the Church.

Cardinal Rode recalled the founder of the Society of Jesus, St. Ignatius and his primary formula for the order: "To serve the Lord and his Spouse the Church under the Roman Pontiff"

"It is with sorrow and anxiety that I see that the sentire cum ecclesia (thinking with the church) of which your founder frequently spoke is diminishing even in some members of religious families," he said.

Zenit takes a more circumspect approach: "Cardinal Rode Exhorts Jesuits to Love Church"

For more information, Rocco has done the legwork and John Allen has piped up as well.

Personally, I haven't heard any rumors about possible front-runners for the position of superior general.

It should come as no surprise, of course, that during the election of a new leader-for-life of the Jesuit order the Cardinal in charge of overseeing religious orders [Rode] should try to remind the Jesuits of their roots.

If you were a Jesuit at a Catholic University Parish...

... you would decide to "come out" as gay during Sunday Mass, right?

Before a packed church of some 400 on the campus of the famed St. Joseph's University, Father Thomas J. Brennan announced that he is homosexual. During the Mass he spoke of his homosexuality as one of "the worst kept secrets" on campus. He failed however to mention that homosexual acts are considered intrinsically evil by the Catholic Church.

... this year, the University has, according to a comment by Frank Morris, Executive Director of the Office of Mission in the campus newspaper, dedicated Ignatian week to race and diversity. [LifeSiteNews]

Matt Archbold of CreativeMinorityReport was there. No word from Fr. Brennan, the University, or the diocese.

And in Chicago, Donald MacGuire, SJ, faces even more abuse charges.