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By
Michael Dixon Humphrey, CICA
Catholic Internet Catechist and Apologist
Book
review: Harvard to Harvard
ISBN: 0911218475
by Abbot Gabriel Gibbs OSB
By Mike Humphrey, CICA
Over the past twelve years we have been answering
questions from either the CPATS.ORG or AskACatholic.com
web site, one of the most frequent areas visitors
have had confusion with is the proper understanding
of Catholic doctrine, "Outside the Church
there is no Salvation"
CCC 846.
At the core of the development or clarification
of this teaching were secular and ecclesiastical
events that surrounded Father Leonard Feeney
in the late forties and early fifties.
I have to state up front, that most, if not
all, these events happened before I was even
born. My friendship with the Benedictines
of St. Benedict Abbey developed through a
Benedictine Oblate, who introduced me to Abbot
Gabriel, and then Brother Peter, Brother Xavier
and the other monks after they had moved from
Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their love for the
Catholic Church and witness of living a holy
lifestyle did a lot to form who I am today.
For this I am greatly appreciative.
During this period of spiritual development
for me, I not only stayed close to the Benedictines,
but my local parish as well. Overtime, among
parishioners and priest-friends, I heard different
views and versions of "what happened" back
at the corner of Bow and Arrow Street in Cambridge,
Mass. As I listened to my Benedictine friends,
I had a better understanding of their account;
most of which I believe is true.
To date, I am half way through Abbot Gabriel's
book. What I have come away with is this:
Whether your impression of Fr. Feeney and/or
St. Benedicts in Cambridge is
You at least own it to your conscience to
heard out BOTH SIDES.
Part I of Abbot Gabriel's book will give you
a lot of insight into issues you probably
won't hear from others like:
- Fr. Leonard was NEVER excommunicated for
doctrinal reasons and was [exonerated|vindicated]
by the Church before his death. The heading
that precedes paragraph
846 of the Catechism of the Catholic
Church, is a testament to this.
- At one point Cardinal Cushing had high
praise for Fr. Feeney's work in Cambridge:
"The recently installed Archbishop
said he was so impressed by what
he had heard of Father Freeney's
work in stimulating Catholics students
in the practice of their faith and
in attracting many non-Catholic young
people to study about the Church,
that when he was presented with Mrs.
Clark's request [that Fr. Feneey
be chaplain of St. Benedicts Center]
he happily relayed it the also-newly-appointed
Jesuit provincial for New England,
Very Rev. John J. McEleney. S.J."
Page 18, From Harvard to Harvard
If you want a good scoop on the history of
the so called "Boston Heresy Case",
I highly recommend this book. Click
here to buy it.
Get the other side of the story TODAY!
Mike Humphrey
From Abbot Gabriel's Analysis of "Where
we are today."
Right from the beginning, Sister Catherine,
Father Leonard and the Center Family knew
that the Church’s teaching about
salvation was important to Catholics as
well as non-Catholics. Baptism
is not magic. Being born a Catholic is
not a free pass to Heaven. We have been
talking about “No Salvation outside
the Church”.
What about Salvation inside the Church?
Everyone has to ask:
- What must I do to attain eternal life?
- What am I willing to do to gain the
prize of eternal happiness?"
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