Modernist Abbey Still Defies Archbishop Nienstedt

Edit: St. John's Abbey has recently come out in favor of the Marriage Amendment, but not really. Archbishop Nienstedt has been courageously encouraging all Minnesotans to defend Marriage, while some of his own clergy and professed Monks in Collegeville are undercutting his authority and insulting the Catholic Faith. While they insist that they support Marriage, they don't explicitly advocate a vote for "yes" and undercut the message by wingding about how different types of people have different struggles.

Of course, they mean Father Bob Pierson, among others, who was asked to lie low but continues to speak against the Archbishop's witness in defense of marriage. The Abbey refuses to discipline him or any of the others like him who make a mockery of the Church's teachings by their support for sodomy.

We'd written earlier this month about Father Piersn's continuing defiance of the Archbishop's defense of marriage.

Here's the Abbey's passive aggressive non-statement. It's actually worse than if they'd said nothing at all:

Marriage amendment in Minnesota

As a Catholic institution we take the proposed amendment to the Minnesota constitution as an opportunity "to witness to our conviction that marriage is a vital part of the social fabric" that needs support and attention. By doing this we hope to put the marriage amendment into a larger context that acknowledges the challenges that people face in reconciling their faith commitments with a variety of other positions in the culture.

Individual members of the monastic community do have individual opinions regarding this and other political, social and even moral issues under discussion in our society. Individual monks may express their personal views on such issues based on their own freedom of conscience, though in doing so, they do not necessarily represent the opinion or view of the abbey. In this situation, the individual speaks for himself only.

As an institution we strive to ensure that whatever takes place under our auspices be consistent with the integrity of the Church's teaching on marriage. We wish to witness to unity, respect, and peace, even in the midst of challenging emotions and differing ideas on this matter.