Goodbye! Good Men: How Catholic Seminaries Turned Away Two Generations of Vocations From the Priesthood [Paperback]

Michael S. Rose (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2002

In this explosive new book, investigative reporter Michael S. Rose reveals how deliberate discrimination against traditional, or "orthodox," men has been effected by well placed ideologues who want to change the Catholic Church in America to suit their personal tastes and politics.

Also find out:

How seminary "gay subculture" and its "heterophobia" drive away healthy heterosexual men

How traditional expressions of the faith and acceptance of the Church's teachings often disqualifies a candidate

How psychological counseling is unethically used to expel healthy men from their seminary

Why "orthodoxy" begets vocations

How to eliminate the "vocations crisis" and put an end to the priest shortage

The MOST important book about the Catholic Church in decades!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In Goodbye! Good Men, author Michael Rose interviewed over 125 seminarians to examine the reasons why the Catholic Church now faces an alarming shortage of priests. (From 1966 to 1999 the number of seminarians dropped from 39,638 to 4,826.) For years this dramatic decline has been blamed on materialism, growing skepticism, and the perceived "unrealistic expectation" of celibacy. Yet Rose believes that the main reason for the priest shortage is the ambivalence and dissent within the Catholic Church itself. "Dissent kills vocations," he writes. "It's merely common sense that says people generally do not want to give themselves to an organization whose leaders constantly bemoan its basic structure." Of course he also points to the "appalling" sexual abuses within the church as a strong deterrent. Interestingly, though, Rose (Ugly as Sin) believes that the solution is not to reconsider the demands of celibacy or refashion doctrine to make it more palatable to modern people. Rather, he points out that the more successful seminaries (the ones that attract and keep candidates) are not the politically correct reformist, but the more orthodox. According to Rose, "It boils down to a generation gap of sorts, one that pits the aging radical reformer against the young, pious conservative." Regardless of where you fall on this continuum, Rose's assessment adds a provocative voice to a crucial discussion. --Gail Hudson

Review

. . . evidence that the destruction of Catholicism in America has primarily been an inside job . . . and he names names. -- Rod Dreher, "National Review"

. . . shows how a [priest] shortage has been artificially created by keeping good candidates out and admitting effete and unorthodox ones . . . -- Ralph McInerny, University of Notre Dame , author of "What Went Wrong with Vatican II?"

American Catholics everywhere are reeling. . . . This book is not to be missed by anyone who cares about the Catholic faith. -- Donna Steichen, author of "Ungodly Rage" and "Prodigal Daughters"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Hope of St Monica Inc (April 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967637112
• ISBN-13: 978-0967637112
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

151 of 170 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bullseye! "Thou hast said it.", April 25, 2002

By 

Rev. John Trigilio, Jr., PhD, ThD (Harrisburg, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Goodbye! Good Men: How Catholic Seminaries Turned Away Two Generations of Vocations From the Priesthood (Paperback)

Michael Rose has discovered the hidden virus which has produced a generation or two of destroyed vocations, disillusioned and demoralized clergy and even some cases of psychological, emotional, spiritual and sadly even some cases of sexual abuse or misconduct. As a someone who endured 12 years of high school, college and major seminary, I can attest to the fact that me and my colleagues experienced the best and the worst. "Goodbye! Good Men" exposes the triad of the evil beast, namely, BAD theology, BAD liturgy and BAD morals. The present climate and media frenzy focuses exclusively on the sex scandals but that is only one third of the monster. Heterodox theology taught by dissident theologians, combined with liturgical abuses and irreverence have given the green light and philosophical imprimatur for immoral behavior and activity. If the Magisterium can be disregarded and if the rubrics of the Mass can be discarded, then it is only logical to proceed and violate the natural law as well. SAD REALITY is that there were MANY good, holy, orthodox and very moral priests, professors, rectors, faculty and seminarians in all the seminaries I attended but their legacy was eclipsed by the dissent, disobedience and immorality of a few of their own colleagues. I had several exemplary priests at Saint Marks and at Mary Immaculate, both Diocesan and Religious, but it was some of their contemporaries who distorted doctrine, diluted morals and treated the Sacred with disdain who left a lasting wound on many GOOD MEN. Thankfully, in my case, the culprits are gone (left the ministry, the priesthood or are no longer alive) and the former institutions who employed them are no more or under new, improved, reliable and better management. This is not the case in all seminaries and dioceses, though.

Those 'good men' whose vocations were destroyed, those of us who were persecuted for our fidelity to Rome and the good priests who tried their best to faithfully teach the truth and who actually gave good example by living holy lives; all these are also victims along with the People of God who are subjected in many places to heterodox homilies, liturgical nonsense and inappropriate behavior from some of their priests.

Abandoning celibacy, ordaining women or any of the other pseudo-panaceas will not treat the disease and neither are they valid cures or treatment, either. Sound doctrine, reverent worship and an enforced moral code of behavior will produce healthy, balanced, safe and dependable priests to serve the Church and her faithful members. Anything less is a disservice to the seminarians, the bishops who sent them and the people they will hopefully serve one day as spiritual shepherds. "Goodbye! Good Men" just doesn't identify the tumor but it proposes the cure as mentioned above. Instead of attacking the messenger and the message, we should look at the situation as it is and realize that the problem is an old one, a painful one but it is still, by God's grace, one that can be corrected and conquered.

118 of 141 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Liberalism: A Spiritual Cancer, April 8, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Goodbye! Good Men: How Catholic Seminaries Turned Away Two Generations of Vocations From the Priesthood (Paperback)

Most books on controversial subject matter embody a certain element of overkill to prove their point but Michael Rose is 'shockingly on the mark' with, Good Bye! Good Men. Many in Detroit have lived through what Mr Rose describes in his book. A close friend was subjected to professional psychological counseling for a year (at his own expense) and needed none. The final report read, This client did not need counseling and has no sign of pathology or abnormality. Basically, he was just too Catholic. The current sexual crisis in Holy Mother Church clearly shows what the Liberalism of 1960-1985 produced. This brand of mis-guided and unholy leadership never results in reform or progress. Through the concerted efforts of current Rector, Bishop Allen Vigneron, Sacred Heart Seminary is healing from what I call "Metastatic Liberalism" and today continues to heal and grow in Grace and in Favor with God and Man. Glory to God!.....a student

63 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The truth, April 15, 2002

By 

James Norden (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Goodbye! Good Men: How Catholic Seminaries Turned Away Two Generations of Vocations From the Priesthood (Paperback)

This book gets at the hidden roots of the spiritual malaise in American Catholicism, especially in the priesthood. It notes the sexual decadence and theological heresy that has suffocated many a seminary and many a diocese. The extensive documentation is often painful reading of a spiritual and academic elite that has completely lost its moral bearings. Most heartbreaking are the accounts of sacerdotal vocations destroyed by a formation bureaucracy that will only award dissent and moral laxity. The proposed remedy of genuine moral reform is as convincing as is the portait of the decadence of Amchurch.