UNITED STATES
Catholic Culture
By Dr. Jeff Mirus June 03, 2013
The appointment of Peter French Ryan, SJ to the key doctrinal post for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops is very interesting indeed. Fr. Ryan, who once served on the Board of Directors of the Cardinal Newman Society, is a high-profile advocate not only of doctrinal fidelity but of a strong Catholic identity in Catholic higher education—at a time when Jesuit universities and colleges are among the least faithful. He has just been named Executive Director of the Secretariat of Doctrine and Canonical Affairs at the USCCB.
So now we have the very highest position in the Church occupied by a Jesuit (Pope Francis) and also the highest full-time doctrinal position in the United States. I wonder if there is a connection.
The Society of Jesus is a particularly tough organization to reform. The traditional prestige and academic eminence that many Jesuits enjoy, along with the worldly favor shown to precisely those who betray the teachings of the Church, tends to make them impervious to effective criticism and reluctant to change from within. Successive Superiors General of the Society since the mid-20th century have done surprisingly little to foster renewal despite consistent encouragement by every pope to do exactly that.
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