By Francis C. Spataro, DD

The recent murder of the beloved ecumenist and Christian Br. Roger of Taizé should be a wake of call for all of us in the Independent Catholic and Orthodox Movement. For 29 years I have been laboring in this Our Lord's Vinyard. I have met many eccentrics, oddballs, screwballs and not a few sociopaths and psychopaths in our Movement. They bang on our door seeking ritualistic kicks or a sacramental fix as it were. Yes, they are druggies, criminals, perverts and even a fair share of Satanists and Neo-Pagans.

Recently in a new book, The Many Paths of the Independent Sacramental Movement (Newtbooks.com) the author has outlined all and every of these faddists and cultists. They are not Christians. They do not subscribe to Christian morality. In His Book, Bishop Plummer describes the Crowley and Steiner ritualistic cults. He says that he fears the correct intention is lacking in many of these sacramental cults. The woman who assassinated Br. Roger had spent some time at the Taizé Community. She palmed herself off as a Seeker from troubled Eastern Europe from a former Communist Romania. She was in the Community and she was known. Unfortunately no one knew she was a psychopath. In my time I have vetted our share of the same ilk. They come with hat in hand offering their "skills," be it music, writing, crafts, choreography or some other artistic talent.

Recently in an email exchange with Archbishop Gladfelter of the Augustana Evangelical Catholic Communion, we discussed just this point: How do you vet these crackpots? His answer from many years of military service was we need a professional investigator to vet such visitors and aspirants. Something like the Roman Church has now in place to vet future seminarians and clergy. Too often in the Independent Movement someone is ordained, only to be defrocked shortly after when the truth of this person's background is known. We must know before any ordination who it is we are ordaining. Too often in the so-called sacramental groups, ordination is a foregone conclusion upon entry. No questions asked. It is almost a prerequisite for ritualistic and occult practices. Let us think and reflect on Br. Roger's murder and what it means for each of us in our respective communities.

God bless you all abundantly and may the ministering Angels protect us all from these Demons who wander about seeking to comsume souls and bodies. Amen.

+Bishop Francis C. Spataro, DD, is OCR Provincial for N.A.