Jesuits Sack Foster
In very disappointing news from Rome today, J.P. Sonnen was present as Fr. Reginald Foster announced that the Jesuits had decided to discontinue his Latin course at the Gregoriana. This course has run for thirty years and has drawn students from all over the world. The ostensible reason given by the Jesuits is that the course, basically, was too popular and that there were too many students taking the course who were not, in fact, paying tuition. Sonnen writes:Fr. Foster, in good spirits, explained to us today: "Well you see, the Jesuits were rather Jesuitical about the whole thing, now weren't they?" Then, he went on to explain: "I'm taking this opportunity to announce the founding of a new Latin institute in Rome! We don't yet have a place to meet yet, but I'll keep you all informed! Latin lives!"Vivit Latinitas! Amen. Please God, through the work of Reggie and like-minded men, we can say again some day, viget latinitas.
Our prayers are with Reggie as he seeks to establish this new institute. This man is a Carmelite religious, and though I don't know if he will sollicit donations towards this work, he has long taken contributions to defray the costs of running his summer Latin course. He teaches this course completely free of charge, and I imagine, if he could, he would do the same at this new Institute. I think that it would mean the world to him if any of our readers would send a small contribution or a letter of support to him (Latin or English!). His address is as follows:
Reginald FosterI also commend to your attention the numerous posts which Sonnen has about Reggie's last day at the Gregoriana. I extend my thanks to him for sharing with us this news, sad as it is.
Piazza San Pancrazio 5A
I-00152 Rome ITALY
These are the words in which Reggie announced the formation of a new institute, though it has no home as of yet.
ACADEMIA ROMAE LATINITATISWonderful. Please say a "Ave Maria" for Reggie and for the foundation of a new institute. If such a thing were successfully erected, it could have a great influence far beyond the years of his own life.
REGINALDO FOSTER AUCTORE
SINGULIS PRIVATIM ANNIS
MENSE AB OCTOBRI AD MAIUM
QUINAS PER 'EXPERIENTIAS' HABENDA
I understand that Reggie is a liberal, fine, but this move doesn't say good things about the culture in Rome. Not that I think conservative Jesuits gave him the boot - just that there ought to be some group, party, college, study house or, goodness, even the Pope himself who could give this man a home in which to continue the great work he has done to spread the love and knowledge of the Latin language.
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by Iosephus @ 10/16/2006 04:34:00 PM
13 comments
St. Louis-Marie de Montfort, ora pro nobis
St. Joseph, ora pro nobis
St. Ambrose of Milan, ora pro nobis
St. Dominic, ora pro nobis
St. Francis (and St. Clare), orate pro nobis
St. Catherine of Siena, ora pro nobis
St. Alphonsus Ligouri, ora pro nobis
St. John Chrysostom, ora pro nobis
13 Comments:
Reminds me of that chef in a restaurant in New England who was fired because he was too good.The owners said they fired him because his excellent cooking brought too many people to the restaurant!
It's simply ridiculous. Whatever the ostensible reason for the firing is, there must be something more. If it were simply a matter of keeping the non-paying students from the class, they could have found a way to do that - I imagine.
It's ludicrous: there were too many people flocking to Reggie to study Latin? Come on, this is something to be proud of and encourage!
Oh no! What terribly sad news! As you say, Iosephe, it's absurd -- if they needed to start charging some tuition or something, can't they just do that? It's surely the world's most famous Latin course; shouldn't that be a badge of honor for them?
Anyway, my aspiritations for becoming a respectable Latinist just took a hit.
This doesn't affect the summer course in the least, Clara; or, at least, there's no reason to think that it would. The Gregoriana is where he teaches during the school year.
Oh! Well, that's a great relief. I guess I just assumed somehow that with the founding of a new institute etc., he'd be spirited off to completely different activities, but I'm delighted to hear that that probably isn't the case!
I was trying to send an email to the address on the side bar. It doesn't seem to be working for me - any suggestions?
I don't know anything about the man but even if he's some pinko-pagan boogie-man of a newfangeld jesuit heretic turd, is it really necessary to keep calling him "Reggie"? He is a priest, after all.
I mean, he may not have heard about the dignity of the priesthood, but presumably you have.
And if people are going to go around calling him as if he were the janitor or designated hitter, what chance is there of him waking one day, giving his post-conciliar head a shake, and trading in that sport-shirt for a cassock and biretta?
It's no good, I tell you.
I don't know anything about the man either, but I do know that Msgr. Ronald Knox was affectionately called "Ronnie" by almost everyone in England without the slightest hint of disrespect for the dignity of his priesthood.
My dear Mr Carriere, you may refer to him by whatever dignified titles you like, but you won't get away with it long in his presence. He prefers to be called 'Reggie' and so that's what most of his students called him. One neo con cath referred to him, during the summer I was there, as 'Fr. Reggie' and he let her get away with it because she was a sweet woman and she had a baby, which she brought with her to class. (Reggie is fond of children.)
And he's not a Jesuit, he's a Carmelite.
Anonymous,
replace the " -at- " with an @ symbol, and make sure there aer no spaces in the email address. It is fully operational.
Won't get away with it long in his presence, Iosephus? That does sound exhilarating. I wonder how it would go. I'm relieved to hear he isn't a Jesuit, but do Carmelites dish out thumpings to insolent students? Interesting.
If, in his presence, you want to get along and calling him silly names is what it takes, I don't mind, or likewise if you are among familiars.
Anyway this isn't in his presence so there's no need for it. As an aside, don't you feel goofy even saying it?
Oh, certainly. I'd much rather call him Fr. Foster. But he's sort of sui generis. And if he wasn't vocal about not going by "Father", it wouldn't be a big deal, and people would call him Fr. Reginald or Fr Reggie or something.
Reggie taught me everything I know about how to teach, as well as teaching me more Latin in a few weeks than several English schools and two universities had taught me in 27 years. I am no liberal, and whatever else he is, I don't think he is one either.
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