Against The Grain

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Opus Dei Bishop Robert Finn Cleans House -- Help Wanted

I rarely respond to blegs, but this came by way of my brother . . . apparently Opus Dei Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City has been cleaning house since his appointment by the late John Paul II; according to the Kansas City Star:

The new bishop of northwest Missouri’s 144,000 Catholics, who describes himself as “a strict constructionist,” wants his flock to be the faithful followers the Vatican wants.
Several months into the job, Bishop Robert W. Finn has made changes in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph that some people feared and others hoped for.
After taking over in late May, Finn:

Replaced the leadership team of his predecessor, Bishop Raymond J. Boland.
More than halved the diocese’s funding of a longstanding center that trained Catholic laypersons to help in their parishes.
Stopped publishing the column of a theologian [Rev. Richard McBrien] often at odds with the Vatican, a move that caused an outcry from some readers of the diocesan newspaper.
[...] Although Finn still is getting a feel for his new position, he is definite about his love for the church and his trust in its teachings.
He thinks the church should take a stand against the prevailing culture: Not only is everyone’s viewpoint seen as valuable, which Finn accepts, but “every person’s claim on truth is regarded as equally valid,” which he said is not true. The church has the duty to pass on certain lasting truths, he said.
“We have to be unafraid to announce the gospel without compromise and teach what the church teaches without compromise,” Finn said.

Background story on the Extreme Diocesan Makeover (with typical liberal bias) from the National Catholic Reporter; see also: The bishop responds: After some sweeping changes, Robert Finn explains his decisions, by Helen T. Gray. Kansas City Star Sept. 17, 2005.

Anyway, as regards to the bleg, the Bishop Helmsing Institute needs a director:

Full time faculty position in Theology, to begin in July 2006 -- or sooner, if feasible. The successful candidate will possess a Ph.D. or S.T.D. The Institute is seeking an established scholar with recognized contributions to the field of Theology to direct the newly founded Institute and to teach and author courses in our integrated core curriculum.
Applicants should be conversant with patristics, moral theology and all magisterial teaching. In addition to suitable credentials, applicants should demonstrate experience in pastoral settings, a knowledge of and commitment to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, competency in Latin or Greek desirable, ability to travel regularly, management and leadership skills, and the classroom skills appropriate to the educational needs of a markedly diverse student body.
In addition, the successful applicant will be committed to the educational mission of the Diocese, which is the education of the whole person in the Catholic liberal arts tradition, as articulated in Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Veritatis Splendor, and Fides et Ratio.
Applicants should submit a letter of application, a short statement relating the diocese's mission to their philosophy of teaching, curriculum vitae, official transcripts, and three letters of recommendation to: Rhonda Stucinski, Human Resources Director, Diocese of Kansas City ~ St. Joseph, Post Office Box 419037, Kansas City, Missouri 64141-6037. Electronic applications are preferred. Review of applications will begin upon receipt and continue until the position is filled. The Diocese is an Equal Opportunity Employer.