Faithful Priest Silenced (Updated comprehensive list of ALL internet links and blog discussions)

Church Online ^ | March 6, 2006

[NYer]

Archbishop Harry J. Flynn has silenced Fr. Altier, a well-known and loved priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Fr. Altier is the assistant pastor of the Church of St. Agnes in St. Paul, Minnesota, a parish famous the world over for it’s sacred music programs, fidelity to the Christian Faith, sublime liturgical sense and architectural splendor. Fr. Altier has many credentials but the most important of them are his fidelity, humility, and holiness - an exceedingly rare combination in the Church today.

The homepage of Fr. Altier’s web site, DesertVoice.org, states the following:

In obedient compliance with the expressed written request of

Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn

Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Father Altier’s homilies and spiritual presentations can no longer be published on www.desertvoice.org or broadcast on Relevant Radio.

We regret any inconvenience and humbly ask for your prayers.

All concerns should be directed in a spirit of charity to:

Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn
226 Summit Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55102
(651) 291-4400

communications@archspm.org

Problems With VIRTUS

The order to be silent is presumably in response to Fr. Altier’s outspoken criticism of the VIRTUS® program ‘Protecting God’s Children’ and the archdiocesan program ‘Talking About Touching.’ As this is very likely the cause of this grave action and since there are profound problems with these programs, we would like to provide links to several resources (including Fr. Altier’s sermon) which illuminate the issues:

• Sowing the Seeds of Chastity by Jeffrey Schwehm, Catholic Exchange, 6/22/04
• Fr. Altier’s Sermon, 10/30/05
• Suffer the Children: The Disaster of ‘Talking About Touching’ by Mary Jo Anderson, Crisis Magazine, 4/1/04
• Talking about Touching by Domenico Bettinelli, Jr., Catholic Culture, 6/03
• An alternative to ‘Talking About Touching’, Catholic Parents Online
• New DVD Challenges Parents To Oppose "Child-Safety" Program, The Wanderer, 1/16/06
• Is Your Child at Risk?, the above referenced DVD available for purchase, viewing online, or listening in MP3 audio format
• To make sure we really protect children, we need answers by Bishop Robert Vasa, 10/6/05

Please contact the archbishop and communicate your concern for Fr. Altier. Please share this information about VIRTUS with your family and friends so it may gain wider distribution than was previously possible.

Archives of Fr. Altier’s sermons are still available at webarchive.org.

Update

Interest in this has exploded across the Catholic blogosphere (list will be updated occasionally):

• What happened?, excellent post from Thoughts of a Regular Guy
• Bishop Halts Homilies by Midwest Priest With Strong Contentions, Following, Spirit Daily
• The Case of Fr. Altier, another interesting post from Our Word and Welcome to It
• Fr Robert Altier Silenced by Archbishop Harry Flynn, Ad Majoram Dei Gloriam
• Contrast in obedience, The Curt Jester
• Archbishop Flynn ’silences’ priest, The Cafeteria is Closed - many comments
• Speechless, Pair ‘o Dice
• Father Altier has been silenced, AdoroTeDevote - interesting post and comments
• Priest silenced, a thoughtful post at Bettnet - plenty of comments
• More on Fr. Altier, also at Bettnet
• Fr. Altier, Desert Voice, and the rumor mill, The Weight of Glory
• Priest Silenced Over Opposition to Diocesan Sex Ed, Against All Heresies
• Gag order, bearing blog
• Another fine priest squelched, Sacramentum Vitae
• More on…’Archbishop silences priest’s ‘Voice'’, Ad Majoram Dei Gloriam
• Archbishop silences priest’s ‘Voice’, Disciples With Microphones
• Parents, STAND UP NOW!
• What the Archbishop Knew, and What He Should Have Known, More on the archdiocese and the archbishop at Our Word and Welcome to It
• Was it Right for Minn Archbishop to Censor Fr. Altier from Relevant Radio?, Catholic Answers Forums
• The American Bishops: Silencing Orthodox Priests, Penraker
• Faithful Priest Silenced by Archbishop Flynn for Criticism of Virtus Program (a wholesale reposting of this post), Free Republic
• More on Archbishop Flynn and Fr. Altier, bearing blog
• More on Altier Silencing, Penraker
• Fr. Altier, WI Catholic Musings
• We Report, You Decide, Our Word and Welcome to It
• Archbishop tells priest to can his complaints, Religion and Spirituality Forum, United Press International
• Priest told to stop Web, radio preaching, WebIndia123

Updates - 03/04/2006

• An archive of Fr. Altier’s sermons is available at Excerpts of INRI.
• The pastor of St. Agnes, the Rev. George Welzbacher, has made a statement about the situation. The bulk of his statement pertains to the obedience of priests, the relevant sections of the Code of Canon Law, and Father Altier’s immediate obedience to the archbishop’s command. Additionally, he revealed that he was not contacted in advance by the archbishop nor does he know the reason for this grave action.

Updates - 03/05/2006

• Latest local newspaper coverage at the Star Tribune: Priest asked to quiet opposition to anti-sex-abuse program
• Listen to Father Altier’s Fundamentals of Catholicism series, hosted at trueteaching.net.
• Here’s a testimony about Fr. Altier, written up as part of a review of a retreat in 2004 where, coincidentally, Archbishop Flynn was in attendance and Fr. Altier was the retreat master.
• Fr. Altier’s web site, A Voice in the Desert, was given an ‘Excellent’ rating for Fidelity by Catholic Culture as recently as February 20, 2006. Read the review.
• Another data point to contemplate: ‘Safe Environment’ Programs Began As Pro-Homosexual Propaganda, The Wanderer
• Here’s a quote from a statement made by the webmasters of Fr. Altier’s site:

  It has recently come to our attention that a rumor is circulating which states that Father Altier himself created the DesertVoice website and has been responsible for loading up his own material onto the Internet, thus promoting himself. We would like to correct this misconception.

  We are a Catholic family who have been parishioners at the Church of Saint Agnes in Saint Paul, Minnesota for seven years…

  And for our part, The Church Online is in no way affilliated with Fr. Altier’s web site.

• Your bishops’ conference at work, a very insightful post by Domineco Bettinelli, Jr. on the US bishops’ conference’s Office of Child and Youth Protection. Here’s a quote (from 9/12/2005):

  I have just been informed that the US bishops’ conference’s Office of Child and Youth Protection has sent out a four-page memo to all US dioceses. Here are the highlights, but if you can’t be bothered to read them, here it is in a nutshell: “We know the Church has an inconvenient teaching that parents are primary educators of their children and another inconvenient teaching that children’s innocence is to be protected from undue instruction in sexual matters, but some parents are just too stupid to raise their children the way we say they should and, besides, when you weigh the cost of legal settlements versus the innocence of children it’s not even close.”
  

• Learn more about the problems with the VIRTUS program by watching or listenting to Is Your Child at Risk?, a video produced by Catholic Parents Online. You may also purchase a copy of this video on DVD. The Church Online is in no way affilliated with Catholic Parents Online.

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[NYer]

FR. ROBERT ALTIER is a native of St. Paul, MN.   He graduated from St. Paul Seminary, and was ordained to the Priesthood in 1989.  He has served as Associate Pastor at the Church of St. Agnes in St. Paul for 12 years.  He is best known for his series on the Fundamentals of Catholicism and for his devotion to the Eucharist and to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Fr Altier is the Spiritual Director and a board member of Catholic Parents OnLine, and Spiritual Director for Archdiocesan chapter of the World Apostolate of Fatima.  Fr. Altier’s daily homilies are available on the Internet in either audio or written form at www.desertvoice.org.

[trisham]

Wow. Reading this is going to take some time. Thanks for the ping!

[trubluolyguy]

Suffer the Children: The Disaster of ‘Talking About Touching’ by Mary Jo Anderson, Crisis Magazine, 4/1/04

---

I just read this article and have to ask since I am not Catholic and never will be, are all of the church higher up this arrogant?

[Antoninus]

If I remember correctly, Flynn is not one of the good guys. Of course, by silencing this priest, he's increased the visibility of his works about 10,000%. Oh well...

[AlaninSA]

From one of the sermons in question:

First of all, the bishops hired a woman by the name of Teresa Kettelkamp to be the head of this Protecting God’s Children program. Ms. Kettelkamp has affiliations with some pro-abortion movements and organizations—the Feminist Majority, for instance. Ms. Kettelkamp claims that she is not pro-abortion, but at the same time she also claimed that she has never heard of or met a woman named Eleanor Smeal, who is the head of the Feminist Majority. But it is very interesting that if you looked on their website, Ms. Kettelkamp was on an advisory board for an arm of that particular organization, and she also received an award from that organization that is called the “Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award.” That is annually given by Eleanor Smeal at a banquet. So unless Ms. Smeal was sick or something that night, there is no possible way that Ms. Kettelkamp could not have known who she was and she certainly cannot claim that she has never met her.

This woman recently sent out a memo to every bishop in the country. In that memo she said that every single child in a Catholic school setting, whether that be the regular school or CCD, is required to take a “Safe Touch Program.” Now, mind you, this starts in kindergarten. There are only two groups of children who do not have to take it: number one, children who have had a similar program in a public school (Since when do we teach regarding sexuality exactly what they teach in the public school about sexuality?); and number two, the parents who will sign a form for the insurance company to opt out of this hideous program. Even if you decide to opt your children out of the program, of course they are going to come back into the classroom with a bunch of kids who have just been through the program and they are going to be affected by it anyway. But the reason why Ms. Kettelkamp tells us that every child in the Catholic schools is absolutely required to take this is because we cannot trust parents to teach their children these things because we know, she says, that some child abuse takes place in the home. Isn’t it interesting that the reason this unfortunate thing was even started is because of all the child sexual abuse that has taken place in the Church, yet we are going to say that because a few occasions of child sexual abuse take place in the home we therefore are going to vilify all parents and we are going to say that we cannot trust parents to teach their kids. But we in the Church—who have scandalized the whole world by what is going on—we can trust ourselves to teach our children what is good for them.

Well, I recently had an opportunity, much to my chagrin, to be able to see one of the books. This by itself was pretty astounding because as a parent if you want to monitor this program they will not let you. In the dioceses where such programs have been implemented, parents who have objected just tend to get pushed aside. If they continue to press then they show them a marketing book. Of course, they took everything offensive out of that particular book so the parents can look at that. And if you continue to push, reluctantly they will allow you to sit down in a principal’s office and look at the book that your five-year-old is looking at. I got to look at that book and it was disgusting. Keep in mind also before I say anything else that a number of the supplementary materials on the bishop’s list of books that the children should be looking at are approved by Planned Parenthood. At least four of the people on the Board of Directors for this program that we are being required to take that they call VIRTUS, which interestingly is a word that means “strength,” have some very, very unfortunate affiliations with Planned Parenthood organizations, or Planned Parenthood affiliated organizations, or SIECUS, which is a radical feminist pro-abortion group. Yet these are the ones who are telling us what our kids ought to be looking at.

This guy has been silenced for attempting to share the truth about the Bishops' program. Sad...and somewhat like what was attempted with Mother Angelica.

[Notwithstanding]

Bishops to Fr. Altier:

"How dare you shine the light on our ineptness and/or unfaithfulness! We will not tolerate such slavish adherance to Catholic moral norms."

[NYer]

I just read this article and have to ask since I am not Catholic and never will be, are all of the church higher up this arrogant?

This is not a question of arrogance so much as obedience.

[NYer]

Sad...and somewhat like what was attempted with Mother Angelica.

Yes ... but look at Mother today :-)

[HighlyOpinionated]

I hope someone is writing our Beloved Pope Benedict about this situation.

All it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing.

I'm praying and if someone will freepmail me an email address over at The Vatican City -- I'd appreciate it.

[Diago]

Thanks for the update.

[kstewskis]

FYI *ping*

[MILESJESU]

Dear HighlyOpinionated,

Greetings from India. I have something in common with you, I lived in North Georgia for 4.5 years till I returned to India.

I actually lived in a Suburb of Atlanta, Georgia and loved Georgia a lot, specially North Georgia.

I am an Orthodox Indian Catholic of Goan-Portuguese Descent from the Former Portuguese Colony of Goa on the South- West Coast of India.


My Ancestors were evangelized by zealous Jesuit and Franciscan Missionaries in the 16th Century when Goa was a Portuguese Colony. Goa is around 350 Miles from Bombay and is an Island Beach Paradise.

To get to your question, I am quite sure that this is the email address of Pope Benedict, the XVI.


It is BenedictXVI@vatican.va

I will talk more in my next post to you.


Father Altier had actually personally corresponded with me in India in October 2005 and Freeper Salvation posted a Document that he had sent me which was his explanation on the prayer to Saint Michael.

[Salvation]

So true. And many of his sermons are here on FR!

[Salvation]

That site is quite thorough with this list. Haven't ever used it.

[Salvation]

Pray for A Voice in the Desert

Is this the reason Father Altier was silenced?

Father Altier innocent of any impropriety
About Father Altier and the Desert Voice Website
A Statement from the Webmaster at Desert Voice

In every age, O Lord,
You have been our refuge.
-Psalm 90:1-2

email@desertvoice.org

In obedient compliance with the expressed written request of Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Father Altier’s homilies and spiritual presentations can no longer be published on www.desertvoice.org or broadcast on Relevant Radio. This action of the Archbishop is not related to any scandal or sexual misconduct on the part of Father Robert Altier. We regret any inconvenience and humbly ask for your prayers. All concerns should be directed in a spirit of charity to: Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis  Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn 226 Summit Avenue Saint Paul, MN, USA 55102 (651) 291-4400 communications@archspm.org

[Northern Yankee]

Good Morning!

Drew Marioni, Who has had Father Altier on his program, last week talked much about this situation. (Father Altier has been told by the Bishop not to participate on Relevant Radio's programming.)

Certainly Father Altier will honor the roll of obedience, but after reading is homily on this Veritus program, I am dubious at best to explain why he has been silenced. This takes the cake:

First of all, the bishops hired a woman by the name of Teresa Kettelkamp to be the head of this Protecting God’s Children program. Ms. Kettelkamp has affiliations with some pro-abortion movements and organizations—the Feminist Majority, for instance. Ms. Kettelkamp claims that she is not pro-abortion, but at the same time she also claimed that she has never heard of or met a woman named Eleanor Smeal, who is the head of the Feminist Majority. But it is very interesting that if you looked on their website, Ms. Kettelkamp was on an advisory board for an arm of that particular organization, and she also received an award from that organization that is called the “Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award.” That is annually given by Eleanor Smeal at a banquet. So unless Ms. Smeal was sick or something that night, there is no possible way that Ms. Kettelkamp could not have known who she was and she certainly cannot claim that she has never met her.

What in the world is going on with these Bishops?

They couldn't find a faithful Catholic woman, who supports the teachings of the Catholic Church?

[NYer]

They couldn't find a faithful Catholic woman, who supports the teachings of the Catholic Church?

Sure they can but what fun would there be in embracing 'orthodox' catholic teachings. To remain 'cutting edge' they needed to tweak the list of candidates to find the one who not only qualified but actually received the "Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award", (whatever that may be). (/sarcasm)

[Northern Yankee]

So sad...

I wonder what legacy these Bishops want to leave the church?

I go back to the writings of (I believe ) C.S. Lewis when he says that it takes an open mind to be able to follow the teachings of the church, embracing all that has been passed on to us, rather than to ignore it and conform to the whims of society's desires.

I may not have quite said it as eloquently, but that sums up the essence.

[NeoCaveman]

bttt