Top Ten

Dom reports that the Cardinal Newman Society has now alerted the University of Notre Dame to a second instance of possible plagiarism involving dissident theology professor Rev. Richard McBrien.

CNS yesterday faxed Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins, C.S.C., an 11-page comparison of numerous citations from McBrien’s 1997 book Lives of the Popes which closely paraphrase and sometimes identically resemble wording in the 1986 edition of The Oxford Dictionary of Popes by Rev. J.N.D. Kelly. This “troubling problem” was first revealed by another Notre Dame professor—Rev. Marvin O’Connell, professor emeritus of history—in a 1998 book review published in Books & Culture magazine.

Interesting since Dan Brown is also in the news today for his plagiarism trial where the judge called him a liar. Fr. McBrien was hired as an advisor on the Da Vinci Code movie and now we know the reason why. Maybe Dan Brown wanted a fellow (alleged) plagiarist with (not alleged) wacky theology on the set.

It does make me think of doing a top ten list.

The top ten things Fr. McBrien will not Plagiarize.

10. Actual documents from Vatican II
9. Academic Mandatum
8. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
7. Catholic Answers: Voter’s Guide for Serious Catholics
6. General Instruction of the Roman Missal
5. Ex Corde Ecclesiae
4. Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons
3. Redemptionis Sacramentum
2. Humanae Vitae

And the top document that Fr. McBrien will not Plagiarize is:

1. Ordinatio Sacerdotalis