A Very Catholic Joke

Awhile back me brother Phil and I passed a school as we were driving along. "Oh, look," I said, pointing at a sign. "St. John's Jesuit Academy."

"Hm. I wonder if it's Catholic?' Phil remarked. We both laughed pretty good at that. I actually almost had a spit take with my coffee.

For non-Catholics, the Jesuits are an order of priests who for most of the last 100 years or so have frequently, ah, engaged in questionable theology and methodology. Quite bluntly, think Pope Francis, himself a Jesuit. Conservative Catholics such as Phil and I find them tedious if not, I will say it, heretical.

To drive the point home further, I remember about 40 years ago I had the chance to meet one Dr. William Marra, a relatively well known at the time Catholic philosopher and teacher. He asked where I went to college. "The University of Detroit," I answered, a Jesuit university.

"Oh. Have you been to confession yet?" Dr. Marra asked without missing a beat. He had an idea of what and how they were teaching there during my tenure.

You get the point I'm sure. Even if you aren't Catholic.