Diogenes of CWN wrote something amusing about Pope Benedict and the Jesuits (emphasis mine).
Yesterday, the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano celebrated Mass for a "pilgrimage" of Jesuits and Jesuit collaborators in St. Peter’s Basilica. After the Mass [can you blame him?] Pope Benedict arrived and addressed the assembly…
This reminds me of and old chestnut about how you know of the Masses of different religious orders was successful or not (with a large grain of salt, of course). So, how do you know?
A Mass by Benedictines is successful if more than half the notes were sung correctly.
A Mass by Domincans is successful if more than half of them show up for it.
A Mass by Jesuits is successful if more than half of them are still there by the end.
A Mass of Franciscans is successful if more than half of them are still uninjured.
While clearly an exaggeration, there is a kernel of truth in these stereotypes. Today, however, this could probably be better applied to parishes, rather than religious orders, no? Where would yours fit?
