Instead of writing this review on the Church or parish I've decided to review its pastor Fr. Anthony Bus. A few weeks ago a homily that Fr. Anthony gave went viral online. In it he talked about how much he enjoyed being an American. A friend of mine saw it online and asked me to tell him more about this man who was giving such a strong sermon so here I go.
Those who go to mass at St. Stanislaus Kostka will know that the big point that Fr. Anthony is making is that Christianity has been on the wrong track since the Protestant Reformation and that the Catholic Church has become infected with the dry rot of heresy and compromise and that the problem haws gotten steadily worse since the 2nd Vatican Council. There are many signs he points to to back his view up. First there has been a neglect and de-emphasis on the supernatural aspect of the faith in favor of a peace and justice gospel. Number two the growing immorality, greed and luxury in the church especially the sin of sodomy. Third a poverty of worship, cowardly priests and lukewarm religion. Lastly a modernist trend in theology accepting the heresies of universalism and indifferentism. He points to the symptoms being a enormous decline in Mass attendance, priestly and religious vocations and the absence of true evangelization. Fr. Anthony believes that the problem has reached crisis point, and that the worst thing is that the heresy and scandal is all covered over with a false cover of tolerance and kindness. Moreover he argues that most Catholics including the hierarchy are trying desperately to ignore the problems. Fr. Anthony's strengths are that he talks straight, doesn't pull any punches, takes aim and shoots the gospel gun. On the other hand he's not subtle or nuanced or balanced. Oftentimes he paints with a broad brush. He points the finger and calls people out. He is not always fair and he sometimes attacks those who are actually on his side. He has no time for compromise or dialogue. These are some of the problems with Fr. Anthony's message and ministry, but the greatest problem is that Fr. Anthony's understanding of the Catholic faith and Church is simply and fundamentally at odds with what his opponents believe the church to be. Fr. Anthony thinks the church is God's Army on earth. It is the Church Militant fighting heroically against sin, the flesh and the devil. He believes the Catholic Church is the citadel of faith from which the brave warriors pluck souls from the fires of hell and lead them to everlasting salvation. His opponents over on Rush St. believe this view of the faith is not just wrong, but horribly wrong. They believe such a view is out of date, guilt driven and mythological. They actually not only think this view of the church is wrong. They think it is bad. For them the church is the gentle gathering of the people of God. It is the Church is the brotherhood of man and the parenthood of God. They believe the Church is not there to make war but to make peace. Much like the Superior General of the Jesuits said to them Satan is not so much an evil person, but the force of self righteousness, bigotry and racism in the world. While fiery preachers of the world like Fr. Anthony are often controversial they also tend to be the most respected and admired. The ruling establishment run by the lavender mafia should not underestimate how fed up many people in the pews really are. Many of them want their shepherds to stand up and speak out against the immorality, corruption and heresy in the church. That's why they like Fr. Anthony and his militant attitude. read more