Controversy At Fisher More College

[KnightofChrist]

Yeah I've been reading all I can about it too, this blogger brings up a few valid points I would humbly suggest you consider.

 

A Tale of Two Attitudes

This past Monday, Catholic blogdom (and Catholic newsdom) erupted into a storm of accusations, recriminations, confident declarations of “insider knowledge,” canonical quibbling, and genuine questions over the bishop of Fort Worth’s letter banning the Tridentine Mass at Fisher-More College (FMC). Numerous parties came out in defense of innuendo, though all but one — Taylor Marshall, a former employee of the college — were armed more with innuendo than facts. As I noted on the blog yesterday, Marshall’s account has been challenged by the President and Board of Directors of FMC; perhaps some enterprising bloggers or journalists will be able to sort it all out. Fr. John Hunwicke, writing over at his excellent Mutual Enrichment blog, has this to say on the matter:
 

I hope and pray that something may be salvaged from an unhappy situation. I do not find it in the least easy to understand why, whatever may have gone wrong, a Bishop should pick upon the Vetus Ordo as the root of a malaise, or how banning that will remedy whatever it is he judges to be amiss; but I am not going to pontificate about circumstances with regard to which I am imperfectly informed.

I am simply going to pray for those who have been unjustly hurt or damaged, and I urge readers, of their charity, to do the same.

I agree wholeheartedly. What remains distressing, however, is how quickly those who questioned the prudence and legality of the bishop’s actions in this case were reviled as reactionary traditionalists who were coming to the defense of the indefensible: a Catholic academic institution which, allegedly (nobody has offered hard proof of what was said/taught yet), had the temerity to question the Second Vatican Council and the Novus Ordo Missae. Perhaps — just perhaps — that questioning took a step too far; the word “invalidity” has been tossed about with regard to FMC’s judgment — or the judgment of some of its professors and speakers — of both the Council and the new Mass. I’m skeptical. As I may have mentioned on here — or at least elsewhere — accusations of invalidity almost invariably come out of sedevacantist circles, and there has been no evidence offered that FMC was housing sedevacantists. However, instead of refraining from public judgment over what was going on at FMC and whether any of the murmuring was true, a vast majority of “learned commentators” on the matter claimed that the verdict was in once Taylor Marshall had weighed-in on the matter. The problem though is that despite Marshall’s reputation, his comments could, at best, be only one side of the story; FMC, by right, should be given a fair hearing, too. Well, they haven’t, even after offering more concrete data than Marshall was able to muster. The real truth about it is that conservative Catholics saw an opportunity to “expose” some allegedly “extreme traditionalists” and took it. Meanwhile, moderate traditional Catholics stumbled over themselves to justify how their form of traditional Catholicism is in no way, shape, or form associated with anything as seedy, spiritually dangerous, and immoral as an institution which has fallen short of its “duty” to hold up Vatican II as the be all, end all while reminding its students that when it comes to the vetus ordo, that’s just a “preference”; the Novus Ordo Mass cannot be judged in any way, shape, or form as inferior to it.

Continue Reading...

 

Edited March 7, 2014 by KnightofChrist

[NotreDame]

Knight of Christ,

 

please post links to whatever you find.

 

As for that blog... unlike the bloggers i linked to, he has no local knowledge and he is bringing up points I already addressed earlier on, so nothing new here.  Same goes for the priest he linked to. 

 

That being said, it doesn't hurt to post links to anything you find.  In fact, it would be appreciated.

[KnightofChrist]

Yes, it doesn't hurt at all to be reminded that none of the insiders have really offered hard evidence for their claims, the School has done a better job at that however. Without actual evidence it's the "insiders" words against the School's word. I want to see evidence from the insiders more than just their claims.

[NotreDame]

I would take another look at what the college put out.  It's not as transparent as it may first seem.

 

Meanwhile, the other locals (many of whom fundraised for FMC) and insiders have done their best to practice discretion (unlike FMC's president and Rorate) and have been saying only enough to give others reasons to stay their judgement until the facts come out. 

 

So we should wait until the facts come out and we should push for the facts to come out, but we have reason not to jump to any one conclusion yet.

[KnightofChrist]

Meanwhile, the other locals (many of whom fundraised for FMC) and insiders have done their best to practice discretion (unlike FMC's president and Rorate) and have been saying only enough to give others reasons to stay their judgement until the facts come out.

Perhaps these insiders who are revealing previously private information about the inner workings of the school do practice discretion. But I don't see how thus I don't agree with you at all that Mr. King has not practice discretion by trying to answer some of their charges. But I am glad that you say you will now be more persuaded by facts rather than be persuaded by the consensus.

The last word is your should you wish to have it. I'm going try to wait for some actual facts based on evidence to come out before making any more comments. My original position has not changed, I don't really see how any of the rumors have anything to do with banning the TLM at Fisher More.

[NotreDame]

yeah, it's fine if we don't agree, but do keep posting links as you find them.  My expectation is there should be more up this weekend.

[BG45]

ALSO MEEEEGA MEGA BIASES GOING ON IN HERE (and it all started with a Voris post. never start with a Voris post.)

By any chance, did you watch Tropic Thunder before posting?  Because that last bit sounded a lot like the most (in)famous line of the film.  And if not, I laughed anyway. 

[Ash Wednesday]

(Okay, all respect to Voris, I think he's a good guy. Kind of angry, but understandable....)

 

"He just went full Voris. You never go Full Voris."

 

 

[mortify ii]

Fisher More: Michael King responds:

 

http://fishermore.edu/statement-college-president-michael-king-re-taylor-marshall/

[dUSt]

Fisher More: Michael King responds:
 
http://fishermore.edu/statement-college-president-michael-king-re-taylor-marshall/

"As with all personnel matters, I will not comment publicly on any of the circumstances surrounding Dr. Marshall’s employment..."

Two paragraphs later...

 

"...financial issues should have weighed heavy on his mind because fundraising and development were the main duties of a title, office, and job description that he personally requested and confidently assumed..."
 
Funny guy.

[blazeingstar]

"As with all personnel matters, I will not comment publicly on any of the circumstances surrounding Dr. Marshall’s employment..."

Two paragraphs later...

 

"...financial issues should have weighed heavy on his mind because fundraising and development were the main duties of a title, office, and job description that he personally requested and confidently assumed..."
 
Funny guy.

 

Not only that but the school seems dead set on ONLY doing Extraordinary form.

 

NOTICE:
The College has been notified by the Bishop of Fort Worth, the Most Rev. Michael Olson, that it no longer has permission to have the public celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass in the College chapel, including Sundays and weekdays.  Effective immediately and until further notice, the daily Mass schedule is suspended.

 

 

I'm sorry.  One does not play tit for tat with their student's ability to go to Mass.  When the dioceses kicked out several liberal priests who said Daily Mass at my uni, the priests who were residence stepped up and went above and beyond, even though they didn't agree with the church's decision and were perhaps even more liberal than the diocean priests getting disciplined.

 

The Bishop should of taken notice with many of their statements before now that are quite scary and could be seen as isolationism and acting with their own desires over that of the church.  Their "statement of principle" goes against the teaching that the Ordinary form is, in fact, ordinary.  And their "Against Modernism" seems to deny Vat II.

 

Souls can be just as enriched by a good OF mass as by an EF one.  The church has spoken.  There is NO spiritual benefit to the EF, but one may spiritually benefit from the traditions becuase of their God-given personality.  In the same way the church has decided that having the OF, a mass in the native tounge, is the most beneficial spiritually to the most number of people.

[NotreDame]

NOTICE:  The College has been notified by the Bishop of Fort Worth, the Most Rev. Michael Olson, that it no longer has permission to have the public celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass in the College chapel, including Sundays and weekdays.  Effective immediately and until further notice, the daily Mass schedule is suspended.

 

As I understood it, FMC had trouble getting priests to serve daily mass even before the ban. 

[NotreDame]

An update...

 

Good comments here:

 

http://veneremurcernui.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/lawsuit-filed-against-fisher-more/

 

Actually story here:

 

http://www.wfaa.com/news/education/Fort-Worth-college-under-financial-scrutiny-after-lawsuit-250715061.html

 

FORT WORTH — A lawsuit filed in Tarrant County on Monday alleges that Fisher More College, a well-known Catholic institution on the south side of Fort Worth, is more than $100,000 behind in rent, taxes and other payments.  The suit was filed by Modern Village Management. It also seeks $300,000 in damages.  School president Michael King said late Monday that the suit "was unexpected. There is a disagreement about the current status of the lease."  He said they were unaware of the suit until notified by News 8 earlier in the day

 

This is strange given the statement from FMC's president:

 

“In fact, the terms on this “real estate transaction” are so favorable to the College that we consider the building owners (who are not Catholic) as among our biggest benefactors. It is also notable that the Board (which actively participated in the negotiations and eventually approved the transaction) included three lawyers, two of whom practice in commercial real estate. The college also used local counsel for document drafting and review. In short, there was more than sufficient professional support and oversight.”

 

[Cojuanco]

I am hearing Summorum Pontificum, paragraph 19 is coming into play here...

Anyone else hearing this?

Yes. One can have an EF, but not at the cost of improperly encouraging unjustly critical sentiments against an ecumenical council, or the Roman Pontiff, past or present.

[dUSt]

Just an update on Bishop Olson... Turns out he's not so opposed to the Latin mass as some people tried to make it out...

 

http://fortworthlatinmass.com/bishop-olson-presides-at-solemn-high-mass-in-fort-worth/