VATICAN CRITICIZES YALE NUN'S BOOK ON SEXUALITY
By NICOLE WINFIELD | Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) —
The Vatican on Monday sharply criticized a
book on sexuality written by a prominent American nun, saying it
contradicted church teaching on issues like masturbation,
homosexuality and marriage and that its author had a "defective
understanding" of Catholic theology.
The Vatican's orthodoxy office said the book, "Just Love: A
Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics" by Sister Margaret Farley,
a member of the Sisters of Mercy religious order and emeritus
professor of Christian ethics at Yale Divinity School, posed "grave
harm" to the faithful.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said that in the 2006
book, Farley either ignored church teaching on core issues of human
sexuality or treated it as merely one opinion among many.
Farley said Monday she never intended the book to reflect current
official Catholic teaching. Rather, she said, she wrote it to explore
sexuality via various religious traditions, theological resources and
human experience.
The Farley critique, signed by the American head of the
congregation, Cardinal William Levada, comes amid the Vatican's
recent crackdown on the largest umbrella group of American
sisters. The Vatican last month essentially imposed martial law on
the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, accusing it of
undermining church teaching and imposing certain "radical feminist
themes" that were incompatible with Catholicism.
It ordered a full-scale overhaul of the group and appointed three
bishops to carry it out.
The crackdown on Farley, a top American theologian, will likely fuel
greater resentment at Rome among more liberal-minded American
sisters.
The Vatican examination of the book began in 2010 and involved
seeking Farley's responses to its concerns. After her replies failed
to satisfy the Congregation, it moved to a full-fledged "examination
in cases of urgency" that concluded Dec. 14.
Pope Benedict XVI approved the decision last March and ordered
the decision published.
In its statement, the Vatican singled out specific problems in
Farley's book which it said "affirms positions that are in direct
contradiction with Catholic teaching in the field of sexual morality."
Farley, for example, writes that masturbation doesn't raise any
moral problems and can actually help relationships rather than
hinder them. The Vatican asserted that according to church teaching
"masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action."
Farley wrote that homosexual people as well as their activities
should be respected. Church teaching holds that gays should be
respected but that homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered."
framework for sexual ethics that "uses a criteria of justice" in
evaluating sexual relations.
She acknowledged that her responses to certain issues do depart
from traditional doctrine, but said they nonetheless were coherent
in theological and moral traditions.
"The fact that Christians (and others) have achieved new
knowledge and deeper understanding of human embodiment and
sexuality seems to require that we at least examine the possibility
of development in sexual ethics," she wrote.
She said she appreciated the Vatican's work but lamented that her
positions weren't reflected in the Congregation's final document.
The Rev. James Martin, a liberal-leaning Jesuit author, said the
notification will sadden many Catholic theologians who consider
Farley a mentor.
"It will also, inevitably, raise strong emotions among those who
already feel buffeted by the Vatican's Apostolic Visitation of
Catholic sisters in the U.S., and its intervention into the LCWR,"
said Martin, who has been a vocal supporter of U.S. sisters since
the Vatican crackdown.
Farley has received 11 honorary degrees over her lifetime, is a past
president of the Society of Christian Ethics and the Catholic
Theological Society of America, and won an award in 2008 for "Just
Love."
The Vatican criticism, while seemingly harsh, is rather tame. It's
not a formal censure of Farley herself, but just the book. And given
that Farley doesn't teach at a Catholic university, the Vatican
couldn't forbid her from teaching as it has done with other Catholic
theologians who don't toe the Vatican line.
But the Vatican did seem indirectly to hold Farley's superiors to
blame for having allowed her to voice such positions that are so
contrary to church doctrine. The Vatican notification said it was
saddened that a "member of an institute of consecrated life" would
do such a thing.
Found on the Internet at:
Link -->> Vatican criticizes US nun's book on sexuality - Yahoo! News
Genes is3:22 - 24
And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to
know good and evil:
and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life,
and eat, and live for ever:
Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to
till the ground from whence he was taken.
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of
Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to
keep the way of the tree of life.
The Vatican on Monday sharply criticized a
book on sexuality written by a prominent American nun, saying it
contradicted church teaching on issues like masturbation,
homosexuality and marriage and that its author had a "defective
understanding" of Catholic theology.
The Vatican's orthodoxy office said the book, "Just Love: A
Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics" by Sister Margaret Farley,
a member of the Sisters of Mercy religious order and emeritus
professor of Christian ethics at Yale Divinity School, posed "grave
harm" to the faithful.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said that in the 2006
book, Farley either ignored church teaching on core issues of human
sexuality or treated it as merely one opinion among many.
Farley said Monday she never intended the book to reflect current
official Catholic teaching. Rather, she said, she wrote it to explore
sexuality via various religious traditions, theological resources and
human experience.
The Farley critique, signed by the American head of the
congregation, Cardinal William Levada, comes amid the Vatican's
recent crackdown on the largest umbrella group of American
sisters. The Vatican last month essentially imposed martial law on
the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, accusing it of
undermining church teaching and imposing certain "radical feminist
themes" that were incompatible with Catholicism.
It ordered a full-scale overhaul of the group and appointed three
bishops to carry it out.
The crackdown on Farley, a top American theologian, will likely fuel
greater resentment at Rome among more liberal-minded American
sisters.
The Vatican examination of the book began in 2010 and involved
seeking Farley's responses to its concerns. After her replies failed
to satisfy the Congregation, it moved to a full-fledged "examination
in cases of urgency" that concluded Dec. 14.
Pope Benedict XVI approved the decision last March and ordered
the decision published.
In its statement, the Vatican singled out specific problems in
Farley's book which it said "affirms positions that are in direct
contradiction with Catholic teaching in the field of sexual morality."
Farley, for example, writes that masturbation doesn't raise any
moral problems and can actually help relationships rather than
hinder them. The Vatican asserted that according to church teaching
"masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action."
Farley wrote that homosexual people as well as their activities
should be respected. Church teaching holds that gays should be
respected but that homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered."
On gay marriage, Farley said legal recognition of gay
marriage can help transform the stigmatization of gays.
Levada wrote back that approving gay marriage would
not only signal approval of "deviant behavior" but would
obscure the value of traditional marriage between man
and woman in society.
marriage can help transform the stigmatization of gays.
Levada wrote back that approving gay marriage would
not only signal approval of "deviant behavior" but would
obscure the value of traditional marriage between man
and woman in society.
"The principles of respect and non-discrimination cannot
be invokedto support legal recognition of homosexual
unions," he wrote.
In her statement, Farley said she had aimed to propose abe invokedto support legal recognition of homosexual
unions," he wrote.
framework for sexual ethics that "uses a criteria of justice" in
evaluating sexual relations.
She acknowledged that her responses to certain issues do depart
from traditional doctrine, but said they nonetheless were coherent
in theological and moral traditions.
"The fact that Christians (and others) have achieved new
knowledge and deeper understanding of human embodiment and
sexuality seems to require that we at least examine the possibility
of development in sexual ethics," she wrote.
She said she appreciated the Vatican's work but lamented that her
positions weren't reflected in the Congregation's final document.
The Rev. James Martin, a liberal-leaning Jesuit author, said the
notification will sadden many Catholic theologians who consider
Farley a mentor.
"It will also, inevitably, raise strong emotions among those who
already feel buffeted by the Vatican's Apostolic Visitation of
Catholic sisters in the U.S., and its intervention into the LCWR,"
said Martin, who has been a vocal supporter of U.S. sisters since
the Vatican crackdown.
Farley has received 11 honorary degrees over her lifetime, is a past
president of the Society of Christian Ethics and the Catholic
Theological Society of America, and won an award in 2008 for "Just
Love."
The Vatican criticism, while seemingly harsh, is rather tame. It's
not a formal censure of Farley herself, but just the book. And given
that Farley doesn't teach at a Catholic university, the Vatican
couldn't forbid her from teaching as it has done with other Catholic
theologians who don't toe the Vatican line.
But the Vatican did seem indirectly to hold Farley's superiors to
blame for having allowed her to voice such positions that are so
contrary to church doctrine. The Vatican notification said it was
saddened that a "member of an institute of consecrated life" would
do such a thing.
Farley's superior, Sister Pat McDermott, defended Farley and said
she was deeply saddened that the Vatican had criticized "the
significant pastoral and ethnical (sic) thinking that are represented in
her book."
she was deeply saddened that the Vatican had criticized "the
significant pastoral and ethnical (sic) thinking that are represented in
her book."
Found on the Internet at:
Link -->> Vatican criticizes US nun's book on sexuality - Yahoo! News
Genes is3:22 - 24
And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to
know good and evil:
and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life,
and eat, and live for ever:
Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to
till the ground from whence he was taken.
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of
Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to
keep the way of the tree of life.