Friday, September 29, 2006

Blogging Priest gives advice to Blogging Seminarians - Be Careful!

Fr. Martin Fox gives some excellent advice to seminarians about blogging: Be careful! In some dioceses, this may apply to newly ordained priests, as well.

Advice to seminarians

I've noticed, along with the explosion of blogs of every sort, a number by seminarians discerning the priesthood. I've visited some of them, have some linked at your right, and seen posts from them, linked at other Catholic blogs.

Many of those seminarians visit here, and I'm delighted to have you.

But may I offer you gentlemen some advice?

Be careful about blogging!

This may seem obvious, however -- what you blog is visible to the world, including anyone in your diocese . . . including anyone who may have an agenda in your diocese . . .

I've seen blogging seminarians who boast how orthodox they are; who make it very clear they are traditional and conservative. I just visited a blog where the young man talked about heresy in one of the parishes he was involved with.

Be careful, gentlemen! You're asking for trouble...

Now, some might protest: "Shouldn't I speak up?"
Continue reading Fr. Martin Fox...

You can always read more blog entries from Fr. Martin Fox by clicking on his home page in my side bar, under the Blogging Priests section.

As I said in Father's "combox" the goal is to get ordained. Like a soldier in the bush behind enemy lines you musn't swat at the flies biting you lest you give up your position.

I'll add that while it takes courage to stand up to some of the things you can run across as a seminarian, it takes tremendous self-discipline, prudence and strength to lay low. God will grace you with these things as He is fully aware of all that is going on. A soldier who charges out of the fox hole too early can get himself killed and that renders him unavailable for the bigger mission.