By Fr. Jeffrey Robideau
When I was in seminary back in 1995 at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Bishop Vigneron was the rector. Before I was transferred to Sacred Heart, I was at Mt. St. Mary’s of the West Seminary in Cincinnati Ohio for 3.5 years. Being at this seminary was a nightmare. It was predominantly homosexual and terribly infiltrated by modernist. I was labeled rigid which is just a code word for being a faithful Catholic. I was finally kicked out only to find out that the rector, Fr. Mooney, left the priesthood a few years later. Why a man who was struggling with his own vocation was in charge of mine, is beyond me, bet we let that go long ago.
After being out of seminary for 1.5 years, I was granted a transfer to Sacred Heart in 1995. During this first year at Sacred Heart, Bishop Vigneron held a few Rector Conferences as he was accustom to do. It was during one of these conferences that I came to a deep and profound respect for him. Keep in mind that at this time I was not aware of the history of the Detroit Dioceses or of Bishop Vigneron’s true character.
In the seminary it is customary that the names of the men in their last year, who have petitioned to be ordained, are posted like wedding bands. The goal is that if we know anything about these men that we believe may make them a bad candidate for the priesthood, that we bring that information to the Rectors attention. This is the same goal of wedding bands in the parish bulletin. If we know something about the betrothed that may make them unsuitable for this marriage, that we would bring that information to the attention of the Pastor. This is done to help protect both parties and the sacrament of marriage.
At this particular rector’s conference, Bishop Vigneron informed us that he would be posting the names of the men who have petitioned to be elevated to the priesthood. He then went on to instruct us that he understood that we were friends with these men, that we have shared secrets, eaten meals with each other, studied with each other, indulged in recreation with each other, prayed with each other and so many other thing that have forged deep, personal and abiding friendships with each other. As much as he appreciated and respected the loyalty we had toward each other, he then said that our first loyalty is to the Church. In other words, we had a duty to put our love of the Church ahead of our love of each other.
I could not agree more with him at that time. It is true. No man has a right to be a priest. The honor and integrity of the priesthood must come before our friendships. He was totally and correct on this point. I was proud of him and greatly respected him for saying it. I remember feeling good that finally I had a good and strong Catholic man for a rector.
Now fast forward to today. Where is that good and strong Catholic man today? I look at so much of what he has done over the years. Just one example is the recent revelation that the reason he will not close down the “sodomite mass” in his diocese is that he does not want his sodomite priests to be upset with him.
WHAT!!! He is more interested in his relationship with his priests than in the dignity of the Church??!! He is going to put being liked ahead of the true teachings of the Church??!! What happened to Church FIRST??!!
The same is true in general among all or most of the Bishops when it comes to all this sodomite priest problem in the Church. What comes first – The Church, the Bride of Christ or their sodomite buddies? Where is their loyalty? Where is their integrity?
They need to man up and clean up the mess. And once the sodomite problem is cleaned up, we can then apply this same principle (Church first) to the modernist problem. Of course the problem for them is that by then, many of them will be without a “job.” Sorry boys, but justice is what justice is.