Interesting article about Fr. Joseph Fessio, “orthodoxy’s ultimate champion"

Liam Dillon of Naples Daily News has written a thoughtful and fairly detailed article about Fr. Fessio, focusing on his role at Ave Maria University, his work with Ignatius Press, and his relationship with Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI:

The publishing house founded and operated by the Rev. Joseph Fessio owns a home in Ave Maria town, which has a view of Ave Maria University’s oratory outside its window.

The home has become an East Coast base for Fessio’s company, Ignatius Press, which is the principal United States publisher of the writings of Fessio’s friend, teacher and mentor Pope Benedict XVI.

It’s been a little over one year since Fessio, 67, was fired as Ave Maria’s provost and re-hired a day later in a newly-created position without administrative duties. The house’s location serves as an apt metaphor for Fessio’s position at Ave Maria, and perhaps even his entire professional life.

Where before Fessio was central to the school’s daily operation, he now is on its fringes, devoting much of his time to projects independent of the university. His nebulous role at the school continues a pattern that has held for much of Fessio’s colorful career: In many ways he’s the ultimate church insider, but his relentless outspokenness and promotion of his views has often put him outside the smaller systems he’s trying to effect.

Read the entire piece. (And be sure to look for a bizarre quote from Mark Brumley...)

Comments

[Augustine II]

"The broad Catholic middle." In other words, the lukewarm. Let's pander to the lukewarm. Nauseating.

"'I think it’s better if I don’t try to respond to that,' Healy said."

A lukewarm response. Of course!

[Augustine II]

Not to mention this about "the broad Catholic middle":

"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many."

-Mt. 7:13

Let the lukewarm fall away. They're a cancer!

[Nick Milne]

You're right, Carl. That is a bizarre quote. Did the article's author run Mr. Brumley's words through some sort of translation matrix before printing them, perhaps? From the English, that is, unto Spanish, thence unto Chinese by way of Old Norse, and finally to return to some semblance of the native tongue?

The only logical explanation.

[Joe]

Altar rails and kneeling at communion are controversial points? Are you kidding me? In some ways that seems the ultimate heretical stance.

[Wolf Paul]

This is another bizarre quote from the article:

"the Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, a Catholic magazine editor named one of the 25 most influential Evangelicals in the country by Time magazine"

[Carl Olson]

Wolf Paul: Here is the TIME piece on the "25 most influential evangelicals," which includes Fr. Neuhaus. See this early post on this blog for discussion about whether or not Catholics are "evangelicals."