For years I have read daily Ten Reasons, a blog run by Rich Leonardi. Orthodox and well written, Ten Reasons was always illuminating and well worth reading. Now Rich has shut down his blog. The reason why he did so has me so angry that I am afraid that I cannot do a post on the subject using only language fit for a family blog. Instead, here is what the ever eloquent Dale Price had to say about this at Dyspeptic Mutterings:
Gutless wonders, petty tyrants and chancery dwellers.
But I repeat myself. Yes, I know there are good folks laboring in the bureaucratic halls of the Church–this isn’t directed at you. As for the rest of you…
The rector of the Cincinnati seminary managed to successfully retaliate against Rich Leonardi, long-time Catholic blogger extraordinaire and pointed, but usually civil, critic of the manifold problems of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Rich was booted off the Son Rise Morning Show in retaliation for his criticism.
Here’s the message he sent me in response to a query on Facebook:
To net it out, the seminary rector reached out to the head of the Son Rise Morning Show to have me thrown off the program. I called him out on it, and a pissing contest ensued. I shut down my site and intend to withdraw from public Catholic life.
In the meantime, Ken Overberg will continue to deny the Atonement from the pulpit, and Paul Knitter will air his doubts about the salvific significance of Christ and the historicity of the Resurrection, both undisturbed in the sanctuary of Xavier University. Because doing something about *them* would take a set of clockweights, the willingness to endure media hostility and the turning of a deaf ear to the squalling of local progressives.
Squashing a layman who criticizes the local leadership? You can do that in a snap and still have plenty of time to enjoy a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon with lunch. To applause from “the right people,” to boot.
Go here to read the angry, brilliant rest. What an outrage! I had been trying to get through to Ten Reasons all day and I couldn’t understand why I was unable to get through. I hope Rich will reconsider. The Church needs him. When the clergy fails to uphold orthodoxy it is the duty, not the right, of the laity to take up the task they have shirked. If Rich decides to go another path, a standing invitation to blog at The American Catholic is his.
I was at Rich’s site yesterday morning, before the uproar — I’m glad I got in one last visit before he took it down. Here is his comment that was, apparently, the kind of inflammatory rhetoric that Cincinnati just won’t stand for:
“He (Archbishop Schnurr) deserves our respect — and prayers — by virtue of his office. But respect does not mean unthinking obeisance. His Excellency seems to be under the impression that he was elevated to Seminary Rector-in-Chief. Very few aspects of archdiocesan life away from Beechmont Avenue get his attention, and he appears content to let his cabal of inherited malcontents in the chancery set policy.”
Simply beyond the pale! Using words like “cabal” and “malcontents”, and careless tossing out phrases such as, “He deserves our respect — and prayers — by virtue of his office.” Heaven forbid the faithful should be misled by that sentiment.
We’ll miss your eloquent, incisive, and forceful commentary, Rich. I hope you’ll be blogging again soon.
Yeah, I think I got one of the final comments in before Rich had to shut it down. Absolutely infuriating that Rich is kicked off the air while nothing happens to these malcontents.
Thanks for passing along the information. Not knowing exactly what transpired in the pissing contest, I will reserve judgment to some extent, but I will drop Rich a note to let him know that I will miss his blog. It has always been for me an important source of news from my hometown diocese.
It’s times like this that I have to remind myself that the ONLY reason I’m here is to receive my Lord – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. And to do that, in most instances, DESPITE the cabal of bozos, wimps, bureaucrats, charlatans, dissenters, hypocrites, and pederasts (and a good many truly holy people, as well) the Lord in His infinite wisdom has entrusted to provide me that opportunity.
…anybody have Rich’s email address?
I think I just invoked Anderson’s Law (inspired my Rich’s blog, by the way), but what the hell.
I’ve got Rich’s email. If you want to drop me a line, I’ll send it to you. A link to my email is in the right-hand sidebar on my blog.
Wait, does this mean he stops blogging about music, too?
Post-punk Cincinnati, we hardly knew ye.
[…] Gutless Wonders, Petty Tyrants & Chancery Dwellers – Donald R. McClarey, The Am Cthlc […]
I’ll be e-mailing The SonRise Morning Show this morning, along with our local Catholic radio station, to let them know they’ve lost me as a listener. I’ll also mention that this Sunday I’ll be mentioning this in the announcements in my two parishes. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
First rate Father Frank!
Mrs. D I envy your talent for ironic acerbic observation!
Paul, when it comes to many of the powers that be in regard to the Church in America those who reveal the abuses are the problem and not those who commit the abuses.
Bearing, that is one reason why I enjoyed Rich’s blog because it was a very interesting up close look at one diocese by someone who had developed an immense knowledge of it over the years.
Jay, we will out last them and so will the Church.
HA, a tragedy on many levels!
What is most distressing about this is that Rich has long been quite spirited. Must keep him and his family in mind.
Very sad. I wish he would fight back. By the way, I doubt that the chancery types drink Cabernet. I suspect it’s more like Chardonnay.
How long will it take, how often must it be said, that our bishops have succumbed to the Arian heresy? Jesus is a nice guy but not God. One can compromise nicely [I have still not figured out how one can compromise on abortion]; we should all make nice; there is no evil in the world; there is no hell afterwards; confession is not necessary; and so on.
There is the core of the problem. Perhaps while welcoming the Anglicans and Episcopalians who wish to join the Church, we can invite so many of our bishops and their cohorts to join the Episcopalians with their gay and female bishops.
Paul VI was not making a poetic statement when he observed that the smoke of Satan has entered the Church.
In Duluth, Bishop Schnurr was admired for his rectitude and orthodoxy. What happened? Has he been contaminated in Cincinnati by his predecessor? What say you who live in Cinci?
William, while Bishop Schnurr has made some progress (and I do not live in the Diocese of Cincinnati), it may be too much to ask to have everything made “right” ASAP. However, if vocations are growing there, he may be taking a closer look at the seminarians and their development, which may prove to be fruitful in the long run.
No Scott Cabernet would be accurate.
Ding dong the rich is done, the mean old rich the wicked rich ding dong the wicked rich is done. The hard working faith filled chancery staff can continue their faithful work for their shepherd without misinformed criticism
Well, it’s certainly nice to know the maturity level of Rich’s critics…
I would have responded to Gabriel sooner Darwin, but I assumed that he was trying to do a parody of the people who would rejoice in what happened to Rich. If his comment was meant seriously, then it is merely a sad commentary on Gabriel.
“Faithful work for their shepherd?” Like luncheons with Hamas-link groups?
You’ve got to read the Bible. Hint: TRUTH wins in the end!
Starve the beast. If those in the pews each week or even daily simply stop giving funds until this type of problem stops, the leadership will be forced to clean out the diocese office of those with solid ties to the party of death using social justice issues as a ploy to keep abortion alive. Stop giving unless a specific need is identified in the parish school or church and then make sure it can only be used for that purpose whatever that takes. While those who seldom attend mass each week seem to be pacified in this diocese, the faithful who truly support the Church are being used a suckers. Starve the beast if you want change. I know because I have tried everything under the sun for most of my 77 years in this diocese from the time of Bernardin. But the suckers keep giving and they keep supporting all dissent. You have to make them squeal.
As to Rich, he should get up off his but and go to work to fight this effort by Satan to shut him up. In fact, he should redouble his efforts.
As to the sunrise show and the local radio station, I have stopped giving and let them know why. I thought that this was a good bet for donations, but now I see the evil tenacles wrapped around their neck.
man with black hat: Another Day at Tyburn Tree
“The real losers in this affair are the faithful of the Archdiocese. They have the right under canon law — indeed, the duty — ‘to manifest to the sacred Pastors their views on matters which concern the good of the Church.’ (212 §3) It will not be enough to act within the bounds of prudence and charity. Those who intimidated Rich into being ostracized now have a new weapon. They are not afraid to use it …”
(Note to William: Cincinnati is not Duluth.)
As to Rich, he should get up off his but
He has six kids and a job that requires he travel hither thither and yon. His efforts are strictly and properly at his discretion.
I too will miss greatly the musings of Rich both in Cincinnati and Rochester. Bishops make mediocre friends and fearsome enemies. Their staffs have long memories and public humiliation is largely the norm. Most professional “Catholics” are tied to the Chancery and lack all objectivity; running for cover at the first whiff of episcopal objection. Too bad, on the whole, Rich was one of the more balanced and astute commentators out there.