Leonard Feeney
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Father Leonard Feeney (1897-1978) was an American Jesuit priest who defended the strict interpretation of the Catholic doctrine, "Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus," or (outside The Church there is no salvation), arguing that baptism of blood and baptism of desire are unavailing and that all non-Catholics therefore will not be saved. He fought against what he perceived to be the liberalization of Catholic doctrine.
Father Feeney was excommunicated in 1953 during the pontificate of Pope Pius XII, for refusing to submit to ecclesiastical authority. He was reconciled to the Church before his death and was not required to retract nor recant his interpretation of the doctrine, "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus", which is inscribed on his tombstone. [1]
After Fr. Feeney's death, his spiritual descendants split into several groups. The two most prominent both use the name Saint Benedict Center. The branch of the Saint Benedict Center in Still River, Massachusetts follows the Benedictine Order. It is fully reconciled with the Diocese of Worcester and is the site of a regular Traditional Roman Rite of the Canonized Mass. The other, located in Richmond, New Hampshire, is not in communion with the Catholic Church and is considered by many to be a cult.
In recent years, Paul Anthony Melanson, a Catholic lay-philosopher and apologist, has exposed the flawed theology and anti-Semitism of the Saint Benedict Center in Richmond, New Hampshire. The Southern Poverty Law Center has listed the center in Richmond as an anti-Semitic hate group.
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Feeney Forgiven", Time Magazine 14 Oct 1974
