Friday, July 03, 2009

Forbidden Books


Fr Z has a post Back in the day… forbidden books and seminarians reminds me of when I was a seminarian and some of the staff were just a little concerned about me having and passing around books by "that retrogressive, conservative theologian ". I remember being told by a priest who has since left, "if you are going to have them on you book shelf at least put them behind your ad usum books". Joseph Ratzinger was the author that caused concern! The ad usum titles were by Schillebeeckx and Häring, I was told it just after we had a seminary trip to listen to a lecture by Dr Hans Kung.

Thank God, my alma mater has changed out of all recognition.

7 comments:

pelerin said...

Fr Ray when you were reading your 'forbidden books' did you ever imagine that one day the author would be Pope?

Patrick Sheridan said...

I was reprimanded by my Fundamental Theology tutor for using the word ''Modernist'' in the first essay that I submitted for my Divinity degree some years ago...the essay was described as ''highly conservative and militant.''

I don't think I could quite tolerate listening to Hans Kung speak pleasantries let alone about the fundamentals of Faith!

Norah said...

Fr Blake, why, in your opinion, did some seminarians succumb to the zeitgeist and others, like yourself, know the difference between ersatz and authentic Catholicism and choose to stay with the latter?

motuproprio said...

To survive it appears it was often necessary to adopt something akin to the Tractarian "doctrine of reserve in communicating religious knowledge".

gemoftheocean said...

And thank God you perservered!

Independent said...

In Canada they extolled the works of Gregory Baum, and Ann Roche Muggeridge was the author on the unofficial trendy index.

Crux Fidelis said...

When I was a seminarian (with a missionary society) and it was my turn on the rota for the liturgy I always chose traditional hymns and Gregorian settings for the weekday and Sunday Masses. I was eventually approached by the Dean and asked why I always did this and would it not be a good thing to vary it a bit. A couple of my fellows with similar leanings were taken to task in the same manner. As far as I know, no one who invariably chose modern hymns and settings was ever challenged.

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