High Ranking Jesuit Confirms Malachi Martin’s Status as Life Long Priest

www.williamhkennedy.com ^ | April 2004 | William H. Kennedy

[johnb2004]

In a stunning reversal of past policy Father Vincent O’Keefe SJ, former Vicar General of the Society of Jesus and a past President of Fordham University, affirmed that Malachi Martin was in fact granted a dispensation from all his vows in the Jesuit order except for chastity. This dispels decades of rumors that Father Martin was defrocked for having had an affair with the wife of a famous journalist. This was the false lie spread by past Jesuits to discredit Father Martin. Martin requested and received a special dispensation by Pope Paul VI to remain a Catholic priest and say Mass in private.

Ever since Father Martin’s scathing review of his former order The Jesuits: The Society of Jesus and the Betrayal of the Roman Catholic Church (1988) rumors were spread by members of this order claiming Martin was defrocked and expelled from the Church of Rome. Martin denied this charge until his death in 1999. Father Mitchell Pacwa – chief spokesman at the Catholic run EWTN would regularly hang up on callers who inquired about Martin on his live call in show.

Father O’Keefe was the Vicar General of the Society in 1965, at the time of Father Malachi Martin’s departure from Rome. Why Father O’Keefe decided to set the record straight on Malachi Martin is anyone’s guess.

The clarification appeared on the Malachi Martin yahoo e-group posted by a member who communicated with Fr. Tom Widner SJ, Secretary for Communication of the US Jesuit Conference, concerning Martin’s status. Father Widner questioned Father O’Keefe – now retired – and he recalled Martin’s receiving a special dispensation relieving him of all his vows except for chastity. The communication (see below) also promoted two other myths about Martin including the lie that Martin lived in an unchaste relationship. The message referred to an incorrect obituary of Martin which appeared in the New York Times. The lady in question was merely Martin’s landlady for whom he also acted as spiritual advisor. The communication also falsely reports that Martin requested release from his vow of chastity, another lie which was spread about the scholarly priest.

However, the fact that the Jesuits have confirmed that Martin was a valid priest his whole life and was not defrocked marks a radical change in Jesuit policy concerning Father Malachi Martin – they are now acknowledging his status as a life long priest.

Source: I spoke with Fr. Vincent O'Keefe, former vicar general of the Society of Jesus who is now retired. According to Fr. O'Keefe, Malachi Martin was indeed dispensed from his vows of poverty and obedience but not the vow of chastity. At the time Martin requested such dispensation, the Vatican was not dispensing priests who so requested such dispensation from the vow of chastity or celibacy. Fr. O'Keefe pointed out that Martin never married. His obituary in the New York Times, however, points out that Martin lived with a female companion.

Fr. Widner

Tom Widner SJ Secretary for Communications U.S. Jesuit Conference 1616 P St. N.W., Suite 300 Washington, D.C. 20036-1420 202-462-0400 Fax: 202-328-9212

[johnb2004]

Fr. O'Keefe pointed out that Martin never married. His obituary in the New York Times, however, points out that Martin lived with a female companion.

[Polycarp IV]

Interesting answers to questions previously asked on this Forum regarding Malachi Martin’s Status as a Priest.

Ping. (As usual, if you would like to be added to or removed from my "conservative Catholics" ping list, just send me a FReepmail. Please realize that some of my "ping" posts are long.)

[gilliam]

Doesn't seem like a very reliable source.

[gilliam]

Doesn't seem like a very reliable source.

[CatherineSiena]

Doesn't seem like a very reliable source.

The Secretary for Communications for the U.S. Jesuit Conference is not a reliable source, or William H. Kennedy? If the former, there's a very easy way to check (although it is slightly more difficult than anonymous sniping on a message board) - call the source using the provided contact information and verify whether the words attributed to him are true.

[CatherineSiena]

"If the former"

Wrong word - should have been "If the latter" (i.e., William H. Kennedy)

[ninenot]

His obituary in the New York Times, however, points out that Martin lived with a female companion.

And as the Jesuit superior points out, that "companion" was his housekeeper.

Not at all uncommon, by the way.

A friend of mine knew Martin very well and was incensed at the calumnies and slanders thrown at Martin. He was evidently a good guy, given that he made a few mistakes.

[johnb2004]

Why did he ask to be dispensed from his vows?

[Askel5]

I think it's possible he made more than a few mistakes ... some of these accounting for the fact he was tainted by the Inner Circle.

My friend Christopher Story also stands by the man though I personally have my doubts.

[CatherineSiena]

The problem with Malachi Martin is that it's hard to separate the fiction in what he wrote from the fact. He evidently had some first-hand knowledge of some pretty disturbing things, but he has tainted what good he could have done with it by making contradictory claims, or statements that did not stand up to scrutiny. Gerry Matatics once said in a conference I attended that he would not use Martin as a source, since he has made some unverifiable and contradictory claims. I personally found his claim (repeated to Art Bell on the radio) that he was somehow granted access to read the The Third Secret of Fatima, but bound not to disclose its contents, more than a bit far-fetched.

That being said, the man is entitled to his good name, and the attacks against his morals and character are motivated by something quite sinister.

[Aquinasfan]

Interesting. I never had much interest in his books, but my interest has increased with the advent of the priestly abuse scandal, and after having read some of "Hostage to the Devil" at Barnes and Noble. The accounts of demonic possession are very well written.

[ninenot]

Don't know why he asked for dispensation. That would only be from Poverty and Obedience (to his superiors in the Jesuit Order), I think.

Martin was not enthralled with the Jebbies and may actually have been honest about it--he wanted to leave, and did so. Not to chase skirts, or little boys--just to leave the Jesuits.

[ninenot]

"Windswept" is actually a good novel, besides being, ah, interesting. It's not a GREAT novel, but a good one.

[cpforlife.org]

Thanks for the PING as always.

Malachi Martin BUMP

[AMDG&BVMH]

"just to leave the Jesuits".

That is what I heard, too. He left the Jesuit order. But not the priesthood. Order priests vow to poverty and obedience to the order; all priests vow to chastity. So that would make sense, that he kept that vow as he remained a priest.

[AMDG&BVMH]

"ah, interesting"

Indeed. I wonder the extent of improvement since he wrote it . . .

[ninenot]

I happen to have a cc. of the key to names in the book. Made it a shade more interesting, but unless you REALLY know the occupants of the Vatican (pre-2000) it's not much of an improvement.

And the key lay-person characters in the USA are a mystery even with the decoding. The bad guy with the big money is 'someone who lives on Park Ave (duhhhhhh)' and the good guy family is still mysterious.

Ah, well. He certainly understood that Bernardin was a bad guy; the question is: was Martin over-the-top in describing Bernardin's motivations, or just about right?

[cpforlife.org]

If this is not accurate how long would it take for Fr. Widner and/or the U.S. Jesuit Conference to say so--2 seconds.

The Jesuits will sue William Kennedy and do whatever they can to get him from spreading this if they have evidence Fr. Widner's words are not 100% accurate.

[AMDG&BVMH]

"I happen to have a cc. of the key to names in the book. "

That sounds interesting. I was not much of an insider to make much headway knowing who was supposed to be whom.

"And the key lay-person characters in the USA are a mystery even with the decoding. "

That's too bad . . .

"Ah, well. He certainly understood that Bernardin was a bad guy; the question is: was Martin over-the-top in describing Bernardin's motivations, or just about right?"

It would explain a lot, wouldn't it? No, doestn't fit the public persona. But I was appalled at his direction to have the Dignity choir sing at his funeral mass . . . Sort of showing where he really stood.

I am also not so sure about the abuse accussation. The accuser was ultimately convinced he had false memory syndrome, and that is possible. Bernardin charmed the socks off the guy, and made it into a big P.R. coup for himself.

Recall, the Panel said outright that the Smoke of Satan had entered the American Church, in the abuse scandal and heirarchical inaction. Question is: did they mean it literally, as Paul VI did? OR figuratively? I tend to think literally, as the evil was so great.

And you know the prime primate who influenced the American Church organizations and policies and etc. all those decades?