Leonard Edward Feeney (February 18, 1897 – January 30, 1978) was an American
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
priest, poet, lyricist, and essayist.
He articulated a strict interpretation of the
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
doctrine ''
extra Ecclesiam nulla salus
The Latin phrase (meaning "outside the Church here isno salvation" or "no salvation outside the Church")[salvation
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...]
"). He took the position that
baptism of blood and
baptism of desire
In Christian theology, baptism of desire ( la, baptismus flaminis, lit=baptism of the breath), also called baptism by desire, is a doctrine according to which a person is able to attain the grace of justification through faith, perfect contritio ...
are unavailing and that therefore no non-Catholics will be saved.
Fighting against what he perceived to be the liberalization of Catholic doctrine,
[
] he came under ecclesiastical censure. He was described as Boston's homegrown version of Father
Charles Coughlin
Charles Edward Coughlin ( ; October 25, 1891 – October 27, 1979), commonly known as Father Coughlin, was a Canadian-American Catholic priest based in the United States near Detroit. He was the founding priest of the National Shrine of the ...
for his
antisemitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
.
Biography
Feeney was born in
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by E ...
, on February 18, 1897. In 1914 he entered the Jesuit Novitiate of Saint Andrew in Poughkeepsie, New York. During his 14 year formation as a Jesuit, he studied in England, Wales, Belgium, France, and in his homeland. He took religious vows as a son of Saint Ignatius, and was ordained a priest on June 20, 1928. in the 1930s, he was literary editor at the Jesuit magazine,
''America''.
He was a professor in
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
's graduate school, and then professor of spiritual eloquence at the Jesuit seminary in
Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, about 15 miles west of Boston. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, the population of Weston was 11,851.
Weston was incorporated in 1713, and protectio ...
, before he became the priest chaplain at the Catholic
Saint Benedict Center, a religious center at
Harvard Square
Harvard Square is a triangular plaza at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street and John F. Kennedy Street near the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. The term "Harvard Square" is also used to delineate the busin ...
founded by
Catherine Goddard Clarke
Catherine Goddard Clarke , also known as Sister Catherine, (August 21, 1900 – May 8, 1968) was an American Traditionalist Catholic writer, educator, and lay religious sister. She was the founder of the Saint Benedict Center in Cambridge, Mass ...
, in 1945. (He had first visited in 1941.) He gave incendiary speeches on the
Boston Common
The Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street (139 Tremont St.), Park Street, Beacon ...
on Sundays, leading
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...
, then a
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
undergraduate, to write Archbishop
Cushing of Boston requesting his removal. He induced some of the faithful to drop out of Harvard or Radcliffe to become students at his Center, now accredited as a Catholic school. From 1946, the Center published ''From the Housetops'', a periodical focused on Catholic theology that enjoyed contributions from the archbishop himself, but Feeney’s rigid interpretation of ''Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus'' put him on a collision course with the same archbishop,
Richard Cushing
Richard James Cushing (August 24, 1895 – November 2, 1970) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970 and was made a cardinal in 1958. Cushing's main role was as fundraiser and builder ...
(who became a Cardinal 10 years after these particular incidents; also Senator Edward Kennedy in a memoir claimed that his brother Robert actually met with Cushing about the subject but only after their father first called Cushing).
After April 1949 the affair became a public scandal when Feeney undertook in the press the defence of dismissed laymen who were teaching in the Jesuit College (founded in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
by the Society of Jesus in 1863) that those who were not members of the Catholic Church were damned.
Feeney criticized Cushing for, among other things, accepting the church's definition of “baptism of desire". Finally, in 1949, Cushing declared Feeney's St. Benedict's Center off-limits to Catholics.
[Feldberg, Michael. "American Heretic: The Rise and Fall of Father Leonard Feeney, S.J.", ''American Catholic Studies'', vol. 123 no. 2, 2012, pp. 109-115. Project MUSE]
That same year Boston College and
Boston College High School
, motto_translation = ''So they may know You.''
, address = 150 Morrissey Boulevard
, city = Boston
, state = Massachusetts
, zipcode = 02125
, country ...
dismissed four of the Center's members from the theology faculty for spreading Feeney's views in the classroom. In light of his controversial behavior, his Jesuit superiors ordered him to leave the Center for a post at
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is a private, Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston. Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England and one of the oldest ...
, but he repeatedly refused, which led to his expulsion from the order. Cushing suspended Feeney's priestly faculties in April 1949; Feeney continued to celebrate the sacraments although he was no longer authorized to do so.
[
On August 8, 1949, ]Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani
Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani (1 October 1871 – 13 January 1951) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Secretary of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, Vicar General of Rome, Secretary of the Holy Of ...
of the Holy Office
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy and is the body responsible f ...
sent a protocol letter to Archbishop Cushing on the meaning of the dogma ''extra Ecclesiam nulla salus'' (''outside the church there is no salvation''), which Feeney refused to accept. This protocol, approved by the Pope on July 28, 1949 stated "(T)his dogma must be understood in that sense in which the Church herself understands it. For, it was not to private judgments that Our Saviour gave for explanation those things that are contained in the deposit of faith, but to the teaching authority of the Church."
On October 25, 1952, Feeney received a letter from Cardinal Pizzardo, Secretary of the Holy Office, summoning the priest to Rome. Feeney replied to Cardinal Pizzardo requesting an explanation of the charges against him in order to prepare his defense as per ''canon 1723'', but none was forthcoming. Petitions to Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
went unanswered.
After Feeney repeatedly refused to reply to a summons to Rome to explain himself, he was excommunicated
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
on February 13, 1953 by the Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
for persistent disobedience to legitimate church authority due to his refusal to comply. According to Cardinal John Wright, Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
personally translated the edict into English.
The decree of excommunication was later published in the ''Acta Apostolicae Sedis
''Acta Apostolicae Sedis'' (Latin for "Acts of the Apostolic See"), often cited as ''AAS'', is the official gazette of the Holy See, appearing about twelve times a year.Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press 2005 ), ...
'' in ANNUS XXXX V - SERIES II - VOL. XX, page 100. His followers said that his excommunication was invalid.[ originally published in Fidelity, 206 Marquette Avenue, South Bend, IN 46617]
Following his excommunication, Feeney set up a community called the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary refers to a number of different religious communities which all trace their roots to the St. Benedict Center, founded in 1940 by Catherine Goddard Clarke in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
In 1945 ...
.[ ][ Now http://sistersofstbenedictcenter.org/history.html .] He was reconciled to the Roman Catholic Church in 1972 through the efforts of Boston Archbishop Humberto Cardinal Medeiros, but, given his age and health, was not required to retract or recant
Recantation means a personal public act of denial of a previously published opinion or belief. It is derived from the Latin "''re cantare''", to re-sing.
Philosophy
Philosophically recantation is linked to a genuine change of opinion, often ...
his interpretation of "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus". The phrase is inscribed on his tombstone.
Thomas Mary Sennott in his book ''They Fought the Good Fight'' wrote'':''It is to be noted that this document xcommunicationdoes not contain the seal of the Holy Office
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy and is the body responsible f ...
, nor is it signed by Cardinal Pizzardo or the Holy Father. The only signature is that of a notary public.
Speaking two decades after the controversy Cardinal Avery Dulles
Avery Robert Dulles (; 1918–2008) was an American Jesuit priest, theologian, and cardinal of the Catholic Church. Dulles served on the faculty of Woodstock College from 1960 to 1974, of the Catholic University of America from 1974 to 1988, a ...
judged Feeney's doctrine on a series of lectures not having to do with "extra Ecclesiam..." to be quite sound. Dulles' reflections on Feeney's life did not endorse nor deny Feeney's views on ''extra Ecclesiam nulla salus'', and spoke only to his theology, not his political views on issues such as Zionism
Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a Nationalism, nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is ...
.
Feeney died in Ayer, Massachusetts
Ayer () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871, and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massa ...
, on January 30, 1978. He received a Mass of Christian Burial by his bishop.
''The Point''
Feeney was editor of "The Point," which ran a mixture of theological and political articles, some of them branded anti-semitic
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
by Feeney's critics. The newsletter frequently contained sentiments such as:
... the Church has never abandoned her absolute principle that it is possible for an individual Jew to scrap his hateful heritage, sincerely break with the synagogue, and cleanse his cursed blood with the Precious Blood of Jesus. (October 1957)
Those two powers, the chief two in the world today, are Communism and Zionism. That both movements are avowedly anti-Christian, and that both are in origin and direction
Jewish, is a matter of record. (September 1958)
As surely and securely as the Jews have been behind Freemasonry, or Secularism, or Communism, they are behind the "anti-hate" drive. The Jews are advocating tolerance only for its destructive value — destructive, that is, of the Catholic Church. On their part, they still keep alive their racial rancors and antipathies
July 1955
A single year, 1957, saw the following article titles:
:January: "Jewish Invasion of Our Country—Our Culture Under Siege"
:February: "When Everyone Was Catholic—The Courage of the Faith in the Thirteenth Century"
:March: "Dublin's Briscoe Comes to Boston"
:April: "The Fight for the Holy City—Efforts of the Jews to Control Jerusalem"
:May: "Our Lady of Fatima Warned Us"
:June: "The Rejected People of Holy Scripture: Why the Jews Fear the Bible"
:July: "The Judaising of Christians by Jews—Tactics of the Church's Leading Enemies"
:August: "A Sure Defence Against the Jews—What Our Catholic Bishops Can Do for Us"
:September: "An Unholy People in the Holy Land—The Actions of the Jews"
:October: "The Jewish Lie About Brotherhood—the Catholic Answer—Israeli Brotherhood"
:November: "Six Pointers on the Jews"
The Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Sept ...
monitored ''The Point'' magazine for at least 14 editions. In 1955, the Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...
exchanged correspondence with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
regarding possible criminal investigation of Feeney and his followers, but no investigation was started.
Reactions and references
As a Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
undergraduate, Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...
attended a meeting of students at which he stood up and challenged Feeney, later storming out following the priest's assertion that there was no salvation outside the Catholic faith. A similarly negative reaction to Feeney's teaching was recorded by British novelist and Catholic convert Evelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...
, who wrote of visiting the priest while in the United States:
A few years later Feeney wrote critically of Knox and Newman in his collection of essays ''London is a Place'', with an unsympathetic passing reference to Waugh's biography of St. Helena:
In 2003, in an article for The Jewish Week
''The Jewish Week'' is a weekly independent community newspaper targeted towards the Jewish community of the metropolitan New York City area. ''The Jewish Week'' covers news relating to the Jewish community in NYC. In March 2016, ''The Jewish We ...
newspaper, editor Gary Rosenblatt
Gary Rosenblatt was the editor and publisher of ''The Jewish Week'' of New York, a position he held from 1993 through 2019. Previously he was the editor of the ''Baltimore Jewish Times'' for 19 years. Rosenblatt is the father of musician Dov.
E ...
wrote:In a lesser-known case, Richard Cardinal Cushing
Richard James Cushing (August 24, 1895 – November 2, 1970) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970 and was made a cardinal in 1958. Cushing's main role was as fundraiser and builder ...
excommunicated a priest, Leonard Feeney, in 1953, for preaching that all non-Catholics would go to Hell. Even though Father Feeney’s words were based on the Gospel, Cardinal Cushing found them offensive, in large part because his sister had married a Jew, said Carroll, and the Cardinal had grown close to the family, sensitizing him to the Jewish perspective toward proselytization
Proselytism () is the policy of attempting to convert people's religious or political beliefs. Proselytism is illegal in some countries.
Some draw distinctions between '' evangelism'' or '' Da‘wah'' and proselytism regarding proselytism as invo ...
.
Feeney appears in Paul Theroux
Paul Edward Theroux (born April 10, 1941) is an American novelist and travel writer who has written numerous books, including the travelogue, '' The Great Railway Bazaar'' (1975). Some of his works of fiction have been adapted as feature films. He ...
's ''My Secret History: A Novel'' where he delivers a fiery sermon on Boston Common while surrounded by members of his sect. The adolescent protagonist describes how he "had been scared, but... also been thrilled by his anger and conviction."
Bibliography
* Printed Music
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* Manuscript Music
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See also
* Feeneyism
Feeneyism is a Christian doctrine, associated with Leonard Feeney, which advocates an interpretation of the dogma '' extra Ecclesiam nulla salus'' ("outside the Church there is no salvation") which is that only Catholics can go to heaven and tha ...
, a pejorative name for Feeney's obstinate defence of ''Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus
The Latin phrase (meaning "outside the Church here isno salvation" or "no salvation outside the Church")[Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary refers to a number of different religious communities which all trace their roots to the St. Benedict Center, founded in 1940 by Catherine Goddard Clarke in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
In 1945 ...]
, the community he founded
References
External links
The Point Newsletter
Errors of the Feeneyites
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Feeney, Leonard
1897 births
1978 deaths
20th-century American Jesuits
Former Jesuits
People temporarily excommunicated by the Catholic Church
People from Lynn, Massachusetts
American lyricists
American male poets
American traditionalist Catholics
Boston College faculty
Traditionalist Catholic conspiracy theorists
Deaths in Massachusetts
Songwriters from Massachusetts
Catholicism and far-right politics
Catholics from Massachusetts
Anti-Masonry
20th-century American male writers