Rating: 
Summary: Goodbye Good Men reviewed by Karl Maurer
Review: After spending over two years interviewing ex-seminarians and ordained priests about the homosexual subculture dominating Catholic seminaries in the United States, Michael Rose could not have picked a better time to release Goodbye, Good Men (Regnery Publishing, 2002). Some may say his timing is providential. Whatever you call it, this book is a "must-read" for Catholics who want the real story of how homosexual predators have become so notorious in the Catholic clergy and how liberal Catholicism brought corruption into the Catholic Church. Trained as an architect, Rose gained a reputation as a thorough and insightful author of several successful books dealing with the deplorable state of modernist Catholic Church architecture. His new book on the priesthood is a shocking documentation of the homosexual infiltration of the American Catholic hierarchy, and accurately identifies widespread dissent from core Catholic teaching by the Catholic clergy in the seminaries as the root of the so-called vocation crisis. Ironically, the Catholic media have been pretty rough on Rose. Critics have faulted him for the use of fictitious names; they have nit-picked petty details, and accused him of bad journalism. While many of Rose's sources have chosen to remain anonymous to protect themselves from retaliation, the consistency of the testimony, coupled with the sad stories of men who go by their real names, results in a highly credible and accurate account of the situation. One wonders whether the Catholic media's negative responses are an effort to save face because they remained silent while they were aware of the homosexual corruption in the seminaries. Rose documents the bizarre exams administered by admitted anti-Catholic psychologists, the feminist nuns in charge of diocesan recruitment programs, and the openly homosexual formation advisors and faculty at the seminaries, all of whom systematically identified orthodox, truly Catholic young men and drove them away from the priesthood. Catholics will find the seminarians' stories -- Rose documents dozens of them occurring all over the country -- to be infuriating in light of the growing shortage of priests in America. Some orthodox men left the seminary of their own accord after suffering sexual harassment by homosexual faculty and students. Others, who admitted to being against homosexuality or women priests, were drummed out as being "too rigid", for having a "lack of openness to new ideas", or for being "unaccepting of others as they are", often after they had completed years of study and sacrifice. Those who survived the initial weeding out process often did so by posing as liberals. Having survived the first cut, the orthodox seminary student was then subjected to mandatory classes that included homoerotic films, pornography, heterodoxy in theology, and in some cases, outright heresy. Rose documents the case of one student who actually sued a seminary for falsely advertising they were Catholic, when the theology classes were openly hostile to well established Catholic teachings. To avoid the lawsuit, the heterodox theology professor involved was dismissed. Because most seminaries continue to be overrun by dissenters and homosexuals, particularly in the area of formation and recruitment, it should come as no surprise that finding "straight" males willing to endure years of being cloistered in such an environment is nearly impossible. Rose provides a mountain of evidence that the shortage of priests has been effectively self-imposed by a liberal, feminist, and disproportionately homosexual clique dominating church administration. My only criticism of Rose's outstanding book is that he fails to acknowledge any culpability or complicity on the part of Rome for the debacle in the church. The mess in the seminaries didn't just happen unnoticed or overnight. Since Vatican II, complaints to Rome about homosexual priests and bishops, sexually perverse seminaries, heterodox or heretical clerics, and the scandal of liturgical and sacramental abuses have been virtually ignored. In my own experience over the last 5 years, none of my letters regarding abuses in the church addressed to Rome or the Papal Nuncio have been acknowledged. I know too many other concerned Catholics who have had the identical experience, from Rochester, New York, to Oakland, California. When the Vatican finally did respond to the decades of complaints of rampant and unchecked homosexuality in U.S. seminaries, the process of investigation and the outcomes were highly suspect. Rose identifies the fact that so-called Vatican investigations of the American seminaries during the 1980's (the Marshall report) were conducted by American Catholic Church insiders, who were treated to 'Potemkin village' tours of seminaries, and submitted their largely misleading, milk toast reports back to Rome. He quotes Notre Dame Professor Ralph McInerny, "Here indeed was a failure, and by churchmen, who had to make a determined effort not to acquaint themselves with the facts they were supposed to be investigating". To make matters worse, the homosexual infiltration of the Catholic Church does not stop in America. Veteran Catholic commentators have indicated a distinct possibility that there were highly influential homosexuals in Rome who helped to suppress the real story. Part of the problem lies in the re-organized conciliar Catholic Church, in which the Vatican has effectively ceded away much of its authority to administer, regulate and discipline to regional councils like the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. These conferences are often part of the process of recommending candidates to the Vatican when episcopal vacancies occur. Typically, the Vatican accepts these recommendations, trusting that local prelates are in a better position to find "the right man for the job". But this system is also open to abuse, and abused it has been. Rose stops short of saying so, but I doubt he would object if the Vatican began to assert itself in a more authoritative way regarding open dissent and disobedience by American clerics. In the absence of such discipline, the Catholic laity are left with the obvious impression that the refusal to accept certain Catholic doctrines is acceptable behavior. If the local priests and bishops can dissent from Church teachings and get away with it, what incentives are there for the laity to abide by the Catholic doctrines they object to? Rose concludes with an upbeat assessment of how orthodox seminaries are succeeding in attracting vocations, and producing good priests. The crisis having reached a high water mark, Rose speculates things are turning around; good priests will emerge in greater numbers and the dissenting sub-culture in the Church will become extinct. It's true that seminaries like Mundelein, Illinois are not as bad as they were before, but there's a long road ahead for many seminaries before they begin to look Catholic inside and out. Though the seminaries may be improving, the broader problem is the sorry state of the Catholic population in America. The most tragic consequence of dissent and this scandal has been has been the declining influence of Catholicism in the lives of American Catholics over the past 40 years. Mass attendance is now down to 20% of registered parishioners, and churches are being shuttered for lack of funds and parishioners; the sacrament of Penance is ignored, and not for lack of sinning; Catholic divorce and abortion rates are at the same levels as the general population. "Goodbye, Good Catholic Parents", is my suggestion for a Rose follow-up to his well timed, and much needed, "Goodbye, Good Men", which will hopefully spark reform now that it has caught the attention of the nation.
Rating:
Summary: Goodbye Good Men: OH SO TRUE!!
Review: Any person who reads this book and does not reflect upon it is in total denial. Was this written by a conservative person? Absolutely. But what everyone must remember is that the truth is an absolute; and if the truth in this book hurts and critiques those who consider themselves liberal, then so be it. The Catholic Church has been damaged severely as a result of misguided agendas the past 35 years but it is not dead. I commend Michael Rose for stepping up to plate and writing this book. It is the first step of many that is needed to correct the wrongs that have invaded the Church. It is time to get back to the basic premise of what the Catholic Church is all about: adhering to the teachings of Christ as guide to your life. Those who dedicate their lives to this premise (priests, nuns, etc.) truly need to rededicate themselves to this mission.
It's not about political agendas; it's about charity and good works towards others. We are not perfect and we will make mistakes but we should never forget why we are Catholics and what our charge on Earth is. I consider this book as a reminder to that. I also challenge anyone who thinks this book is a sham to actually do something Christlike for someone who truly needs help. That feeling of accomplished charity may actually open their eyes to what the Church is all about. Bravo to Michael Rose.
Rating: 
Summary: Crazy People
Review: As Jesus said a good tree cannot produce bad fruit. Mr. Rose is suggesting that the GOOD Catholic Church has somehow, just somehow, produced perverts! Oh, but how could this happen if the roots of the tree are GOOD? DUH? Who let these bad LIBERALS in? How did they get there in the first place? Ha ha ha, very funny idea. Imagine this, a man pretends to be conservative, gets into the priesthood, then announces his LIBERAL POLICIES and the Pope doesn't INSTANTLY EXCOMMUNICATE HIM OUT THE DOOR ON HIS ASS! Yeah, that could happen. The pope has a better chance of getting pregnant.
And the notion that the Catholic Church is permitting LIBERALS to control its seminaries is laughable in the extreme. The Vatican doesn't permit a dollar to spent without its conservative HEALTHY SEX-HATING blessing. (Perverted sex is okay, wink, wink. Just don't get caught.) Please! Any LIBERAL in the Church would be thrown out so fast his collar would settle around his feet.
Who let thess bad LIBERALS in? Ha, ha. Right!
Liberals, ha! The only liberals in the church are those who are on their way out the door after seeing the light and repenting.
The Catholic Church is the very definition of CONSERVATIVE. Where else would you find the teaching that birth control is WRONG? Six billion people in the world, half of them living in mud and eating cow dung and the church wants to bring more children into the world!! Where else would you find the teaching that although God made men and women to procreate [that means have sex boys and girls!] (which the church wants its tax payers to do - good for church revenue and cheap labor) it wants its priests and nuns to remain celibate (one of the most PERVERTED acts of nature possible or almost possible) [but, again, good for church revenue; cheap labor and no inheritance leaving the church treasury!] Follow the money trail and it leads to CONSERVATIVE PERVERTS.
Who let these bad LIBERALS in? Funny, very funny!
Anyone with half a brain can see that the current child molestation AWARENESS has more to do with people being less afraid of standing up to the church and its conservative pervert priests than it has to do with the BAD LIBERALS (that unexplainedly just happened to sneak into the church when the conservatives weren't looking!!!) Who let these bad LIBERALS in? A good tree does not bear bad fruit. A good church does not create perverts that prey on children. Read the history of the church. Child perverts have always lived in this church. and HYPORCISY! SHAMELESS HYPOCRISY! Popes and Cardinals produced bastards like they were handing out holy cards. The church had a practice of allowing boys to serve as "special aides" and "valets" to the "holey' fathers. This later turned into "altar boys". Please! It is the horribly perverted CONSERVATIVE doctrine of the church that demands celibacy that INVITES perverts (not homosexuals, mind you) into the priesthood. Perverts know they are in a position of power and trust around children.
Rose wants the simpleminded to draw the illogical conclusion that homosexuality and child molestation are somehow related! Wake up, Rose, or just stop lying. There is no connection. A pervert is a pervert whether he rapes boys or girls, men or women. A rapist is a rapist! But a homosexual is a woman or man who looks for CONSENTUAL sex with one of the same sex. BIG DIFFERENCE, MR. ROSE. CONSENTUAL. BIG DIFFERENCE. Consent, rape. Consent, rape. Different, Get it?
Who let these bad LIBERALS in? The Catholic Church is about as liberal as Hitler after he was REMOVED from power. The only thing liberal about the church is that the state has REMOVED the church's POWER to torture "heretics" and other "trouble makers" who ask questions and insist on thinking instead of mindlessly "obeying and believing" (and handing over money every week!!!)
Who let these bad LIBERALS in? This entire premise is a lie and an evil one at that. Look to the Pope, Cardinals and Bishops and tell me how LIBERALS snuck past these rich fat old men, the very definition of CONSERVATIVES. Who let the liberals in the church?
Liberals!, not in this life, Rose. Not in the Catholic Church anyway. You should join hands with other rabid Catholic Ultra Conservatives and oil up the rack, sharpen the torture instruments and stockpile firewood. Let's bring back that old time religion, boys! Liberals! HA!
Thanks for the laugh, Rose. But the only GOOD MEN have LEFT the Church long ago and ratted it out for its CONSERVATIVE PERVERSIONS. These men BECAME LIBERALS after seeing what perversions CONSERVATIVES do. Conserve the old ways (rape children but keep it quiet) Liberals are trouble makers who want to LIBERATE children from perverts. Yeah, those bad LIBERALS!
And let's keep those pesky women from ever becomming priests, boys, because we know that they would not stand for rape in any form. But I could be wrong. Perhaps an apple tree can produce pumkins!
Perhaps a "good" tree like the Catholic Church can produce perverts! Joseph Francione, author of HOW TO SAVE AMERICA AND THE WORLD
Rating:
Summary: Looking for someone else to blame
Review: I knew seminaries were in trouble, but are they this bad?
I am pondering the priesthood, and a friend of mine handed me this to warn me about what I might encounter. He wants me prepared to survive it. However, the vocations director of my diocese says things aren't nearly as bad as Rose portrays them, and Rose rarely uses the names of seminarians who gave him this information.
Also, the book repeats a lot of stuff he mentioned earlier.
Rose talks about how the vocation shortage is contrived, orthodox diocese like Atlanta and Lincoln do not have this problem, and how those in charge do little to stop the rampent heresy and homosexuality in the seminaries.
Rating:
Summary: Fait Accompli for the Pope (Demand for Married Priests)
Review: Michael S. Rose wrote a highly detailed, investigated expose on the liberal bishops who are attempting to ram a married priesthood through the Vatican. The result has been an invasion of homosexual priests who molest young boys in America and the shortage of priests with genuine vocations. Proof is the scandal lies in the shortfall of seminarians in the more liberal dioceses and the overflowing seminaries in the traditional dioceses of Denver, CO, Lincon, NE, and Northern, VA mentioned in the book. I have attended several masses in the Northern, VA diocese at Mary, Queen of the Apostles in Alexandria, VA, Saint Elizabeth Seton in Woodbridge, VA and another church in Stafford, VA. Those priests were tremendous. They speak the truth of the gospel, not the water downed Christianity of other dioceses. Other proof are comments from my local priest who said it was true in his seminary in Florida. Also a friend who trained to become a priest in the North American seminary in Rome. He refused an advance by a homosexual seminarian. By the way, my friend was not rejected by the seminary holding a bent against it. He realized that he did not have a true vocation and left this seminary after studying there for several years. Another proof is a priest friend who went to the "Pink Palace," Saint Mary's in Baltimore, the first seminary in the United States. He is very angry what went on there. It's so good to find and listen to the homilies of young priests who are traditional and speak about the saints at Mass. These younger priests, who are loyal to the Pope, scare the dickens out of some of the older priests who hate and despise Pope John Paul II. We really ought to pray for the liberal priests. When one learns their their life's work is based on a lie, it causes tremendous psychological suffering. University professors suffered terribly when communism self-destructed between 89 and 91. Bottom Line: It's pretty bad, when the leaders of the Boy Scouts of America are more intelligent about the realities of putting homosexuals in leadership positions than many Catholic Bishops of American. Putting a homosexual priest in a parish is like putting a kid in the candy store. Homosexuals should not become priests anymore than they should become boy scout leaders. I look forward to God sending his blessings on the Church just like He did with Saint Catherine of Sienna in the 13th Century to clean up the Church. It's about to happen. When one hits rock bottom, the upward climb is about to begin. I hope that we have finally hit rock bottom and are about to rise out of this morass.
Rating: 
Summary: Why all the controversy?
Review: Non-Catholics and those whose life in the Church has been somewhat sheltered may wonder at the accuracy of the portrait that Michael Rose paints in his book. In some ways it does seem too bad to be true- how could Catholic seminaries go from orthodoxy to a "gay subculture" in a mere decade? What possible factors could cause priests and nuns to reject core Catholic doctrines? Are conservatives really persecuted? However, I do believe it. Moreover, I don't think the substance of Rose's assertions can be reasonably denied. How else to explain the simple reality that in many dioceses in the USA, it is extremely difficult or impossible to find a reasonably traditional parish with solid teaching and a reverent liturgy? Orthodox and devout men are, by definition, more apt to be attracted to the priesthood than any other group. So where are these men? To suggest they are all unfit for the priesthood is laughable- unless you believe that orthodoxy itself makes a man unfit. This is exactly what the powers that be in many dioceses do believe, and that is the situation Rose describes. It is worth noting that nowhere in the book does Rose pretend this describes all dioceses, or that the situation is equally bad everywhere. The descriptions of a gay subculture I would have believed exaggerated, except for the recent revelations regarding priestly assaults on (mostly teenaged) boys. Sorry, but there is no way to explain this abysmal scandal unless we understand that homosexuality has been thriving in certain sectors of the Catholic priesthood for decades. To blame celibacy is irrational, since a heterosexual man who can't cope with abstinence will turn to women, girls or even magazines. He certainly won't turn to boys, unless we want to believe that men can be spontaneously "converted" to homosexuality by lack of sex!! Since most of the material in the book is anecdotal, it's tough to make any real conclusions about the state of the American Church in general. More analysis of the source of these problems along with more data about their scope would have made the book even more useful. I will note that some of the book's material is so scandalous, that Catholics have to be very discerning about reading it (especially true of sexual material). Let's face it, the "dirt" tends to be fascinating, and can easily distract good Catholics from their own sins and need for improvement. Granted, an educated population is in a better position to work for positive change, which is why I think the book is important and valuable. But don't hesitate to skip over certain portions, and do read only with the intention of taking some sort of action in response, even if it is only to support good seminaries, or to inform yourself about your own local programs. An appendix helping Catholics to respond to the book's information in an appropriate and fruitful way would have been a great addition. I'm recommending this book with the reservations expressed above. Catholic adults need to understand and continue to combat the realities Rose describes.
Rating:
Summary: Why all the controversy?
Review: Non-Catholics and those whose life in the Church has been somewhat sheltered may wonder at the accuracy of the portrait that Michael Rose paints in his book. In some ways it does seem too bad to be true- how could Catholic seminaries go from orthodoxy to a "gay subculture" in a mere decade? What possible factors could cause priests and nuns to reject core Catholic doctrines? Are conservatives really persecuted? However, I do believe it. Moreover, I don't think the substance of Rose's assertions can be reasonably denied. How else to explain the simple reality that in many dioceses in the USA, it is extremely difficult or impossible to find a reasonably traditional parish with solid teaching and a reverent liturgy? Orthodox and devout men are, by definition, more apt to be attracted to the priesthood than any other group. So where are these men? To suggest they are all unfit for the priesthood is laughable- unless you believe that orthodoxy itself makes a man unfit. This is exactly what the powers that be in many dioceses do believe, and that is the situation Rose describes. It is worth noting that nowhere in the book does Rose pretend this describes all dioceses, or that the situation is equally bad everywhere. The descriptions of a gay subculture I would have believed exaggerated, except for the recent revelations regarding priestly assaults on (mostly teenaged) boys. Sorry, but there is no way to explain this abysmal scandal unless we understand that homosexuality has been thriving in certain sectors of the Catholic priesthood for decades. To blame celibacy is irrational, since a heterosexual man who can't cope with abstinence will turn to women, girls or even magazines. He certainly won't turn to boys, unless we want to believe that men can be spontaneously "converted" to homosexuality by lack of sex!! Since most of the material in the book is anecdotal, it's tough to make any real conclusions about the state of the American Church in general. More analysis of the source of these problems along with more data about their scope would have made the book even more useful. I will note that some of the book's material is so scandalous, that Catholics have to be very discerning about reading it (especially true of sexual material). Let's face it, the "dirt" tends to be fascinating, and can easily distract good Catholics from their own sins and need for improvement. Granted, an educated population is in a better position to work for positive change, which is why I think the book is important and valuable. But don't hesitate to skip over certain portions, and do read only with the intention of taking some sort of action in response, even if it is only to support good seminaries, or to inform yourself about your own local programs. An appendix helping Catholics to respond to the book's information in an appropriate and fruitful way would have been a great addition. I'm recommending this book with the reservations expressed above. Catholic adults need to understand and continue to combat the realities Rose describes.
Rating:
Summary: Are seminaries controlled by a gay-radical clique?
Review: Rose's argument is that prospective priests in the traditionalist mould are routinely screened out by anti-religious psychologists employed by the dioceses, as well as by radical feminist nuns who often serve as diocesan vocation directors. The end result is that the seminaries are filled by gays and theological liberals. The book consists largely of first-person accounts by ex-seminarians and ex-professors who felt they were driven out of seminaries controlled by liberals and gays who regard traditionalists as threats to their way of life.
It is difficult to reconcile Rose's portrait of US Catholicism, in which gays and liberals are taking over, with the books written by Thomas Reese and John Allen, who describe a traditionalist-controlled Church that is rapidly dwindling in size and relevance.
This is, to say the least, a highly provocative book. It is written by a traditionalist Catholic who assumes the reader shares that perspective; for example, Bishop Bruskewitz of Lincoln and Cardinal Ratzinger are held up as heros. Rose argues that if dioceses and their seminaries return to traditional Catholicism, prospective priests of integrity will want to join in large numbers, but the current situation actually serves to screen out such seminarians.
Rating:
Summary: Profound Expose of a Crisis in the Catholic Church
Review: Sometimes the most vital books are those which arouse a strong hatred in a minority, even a large minority, of its readers. Such is Goodbye, Good Men. Not only is Mr. Rose scorned by many reviewers on this site, many Church liberals like Charlie Curran, Richard McBrien and Rembert Weakland (recently disgraced Archbishop of Milwaukee, who was caught paying off his former male lover with Diocesan funds) foam at the mouth at Mr. Rose's name and anybody else willing to expose the cancer which pervades the seminaries of the Roman Catholic Church. Using scores of interviews of orthodox young men who have felt the call to become priests and attend seminaries, Mr. Rose paints an ugly and sometimes bizarre picture of the American seminary system. Orthodox seminarians are turned away from seminaries due to their orthodoxy and belief in traditional Catholicism. Many seminaries, like St. Mary's of Baltimore (nicknamed the Pink Palace), are hot-houses of homosexuality where cruising gay bars is deemed acceptable behavior for a seminarian's off-hours. A homosexual network has been formed that has enveloped dozens of seminaries in the United States, seminaries where non-homosexuals and the orthodox are not wanted and are driven out. Mr. Rose explains that many seminaries forsake forming solid, orthodox, holy priests but rather wish to form the young men into worldly, politically correct, left-wing modernist priests. In this millieu, no wonder many devout, orthodox young men get discouraged in the seminaries and leave. No wonder priestly formation has collapsed in the United States since the onset of Vatican II and the modernist takeover of the Roman Catholic Church. One does not have to look very hard to find the results of a Church which has adopted the modernist way. Sexual scandals are front page news and million dollar pay-offs to those sexually abused by priests are not unusual today. The Roman Catholic Church is a disgraced institution with a well-deserved loss of prestige. By the account of Catholic scholar Donald Cozzens, 30-50 % of Roman Catholic priests in the USA are homosexual. The Roman Catholic laity, which numbers about 60 million in the United States, attends weekly Mass at about a 20-25 % rate. A majority of nominal Roman Catholics have turned their backs on the Church. The teachings of the Church are virtually ignored by American Catholics today. What Mr. Rose details so thoroughly in Goodbye, Good Men is a good reason why the Roman Catholic Church is in such a terrible state in the United States.
Rating:
Summary: Roseneedsto go to confession
Review: This book contains lies. One of the students that claims to have been thrown out of the American college at Louvain due to his orthodoxy simply could not handle the course work. He flunked out, and then came up with this slander to cover his failure. Rose is such a poor scholar that he never checked it out. The publisher refuses to defend the author, and has formally apologizd to the university.
Isn't it odd that academically challenging universities are accused of being liberal (or some other supposed sin) by those who are to stupid to actually attend?
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