the hypostatic union, and you

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Jun 02, 2004

Remember Fr. Robert Meffan, the Boston mystic who took such special care that girls studying to be nuns be steered clear of the heresy of Docetism? This is how he explained his spiritual approach in an interview with the Globe:

"What I was trying to show them is that Christ is human and you should love him as a human being," he said at the time. "Don't think he's up there and he's spiritual and he's not human and physical. He's human; he's physical. That's what I was trying to point out to them. I felt that by having this little bit of intimacy with them that this is what it would be like with Christ."

Great work, Padre. The Vatican has finally "returned Meffan to the lay state" -- a formula not especially flattering to laymen but which somewhat limits his field of operation. It's a pity, in a way, since Meffan is another marvelous St. Luke Institute success story, and no doubt has a framed photo hanging outside the Geoghan Memorial Shower Room. Cardinal Law's February 2003 deposition gives the edifying details:

MACLEISH: Now, this relates to an assertion, allegation being made by EH., and she recalls that -- it says:

"At night, she recalls that each of the girls would individually go into a room upstairs with Father Meffan and there would be hugging, kissing, touching everywhere and kissing of genitals. Also, she recalls Father Meffan telling them that he had learned through a mystic that he was going to be Christ of the Second Coming."

You had read that earlier; is that correct?

LAW: Well, I have read it -- I have not read this earlier, but I believe that I saw within the last several weeks, either reference to or this earlier document which you put before me. ...

MACLEISH: Okay. Now, as Archbishop of the Boston Archdiocese in May of 1993, if you had learned that one of the priests in the diocese thought he was going to be Christ of the Second Coming, would that concern you?

LAW: Well, if I -- you know, I believe that what was done here was exactly what should have been done here; that this priest should have been sent to St. Luke's for an assessment.

One can only imagine the wonder and delight as those white-coated therapists in Maryland hitched up Meffan to the plethysmograph. "You mean that thing can assess my Christology too?"