Roman Catholic friar community growing

New York Journal News ^ | May 17, 2003 | GARY STERN

[tridentine]

YONKERS — Cardinal Edward Egan will ordain eight new priests this morning, but only four will go out in the world with the classic parish priest look: all black suits, white clerical collar, neat Eddie Haskell haircuts.

The other four will look as if they're auditioning to play medieval monks in some community theater, with their gray, hooded robes, shaved heads and long, unkempt beards of which Mrs. Haskell never would have approved.

Few at St. Patrick's Cathedral will stare with wonder at these men, though, because the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal have become a common sight at New York's annual ordination. At a time when the Roman Catholic Church is facing a worsening shortage of priests, these friars with the throwback look are part of a fast-growing and closely watched community.

[Cicero]

I once read a fascinating article by Rev. Benedict Groeschel, the best known member of this order, to the effect that many of the older religious orders will never reform but will simply die out. That's how things work. Old orders die, and new ones take their place.

It's an interesting model, because I suspect the same may be true of other thoroughly corrupted institutions. They will never be reformed, but should be allowed to die and something new started to take their place.

What's true in the Church is true elsewhere. The UN is a current example. I don't think it's worth salvaging. It would be much better and easier to replace it with somethng else--a system of alliances or the like. Most likely the same is true of NATO.