Another typical Father McBrien article this time of homosexual adoption. It ends with the following.
Unfortunately, there are still many Catholics who believe that such columns have no place in the diocesan press or in parish publications. For such Catholics, a diocesan paper is merely a house organ, the bishop’s vehicle by which he communicates with his flock and insures that they will be exposed to no ideas, opinions or even news stories that might "disturb" their faith or lead them to question church teachings and policies.
I guess "unfortunately" I am one of those Catholics who think that "such columns" shouldn’t appear in diocesan publications. I have no problem questioning Church policies, but not Church teaching. When it comes to Church teaching I want to be able to come to a deeper understanding of it which is something that Fr. McBrien’s is guaranteed not to deliver.
This column does not presume to challenge the document issued by the CDF in 2003, nor the decision of the Archbishop of Boston and the remaining members of the Catholic Charities board to terminate their adoption services. But the column does presume to raise questions prompted by both.
The last is what is called on the Laura Ingraham show a "But… monkey."
Is there evidence that "violence" is, in fact, done to children placed in adoptive households of same-sex couples, as the CDF asserted? What of the 13 children already placed by Catholic Charities since 1987?
Of course it will not matter just how much evidence is stacked up to show that the CDF document is exactly right in what it claims. Cosmos-Liturgy-Sex previously had an excellent post on this subject here.
If a homosexual Catholic, including many gay priests and bishops, were to read and ponder the entire CDF document, could he or she continue to feel at home in the Catholic Church?
Well those Catholic with same sex attraction who are striving to truly live the Catholic faith will say a hearty yes to this. The point Fr. McBrien is really making is that those people with same-sex attraction who already don’t believe that active homosexuality is sinful in the first place will also take a dim view on this also. How about some intellectual honesty here Father. Don’t just talk about the prudence of homosexual adoption when you also don’t have a problem with homosexual activity and same-sex marriages in the first place.
If such questions are not addressed, the adoption controversy can have no constructive outcome.
Kind of like his columns.
12 comments
The papal nuncio needs to call Bishop Tod Brown of Orange, CA and let him know that two men listed as father and father in a Catholic school directory should not even have adopted children, let alone be allowed to have them in a Catholic grade school, scandalizing many.
The issue with the adoptions is that of SCANDAL. By placing a child in such situation you are virtually ensuring that the little one will be taught that homosexual fornication is OK. Didn’t somebody say something about this while referencing a millstone?
I’m exposed to a lot of material questioning Catholicism, from the obviously stupid Dan Brown or Jack Chick sort of materiel to more serious questioning, and I have no problem with it.
*But* I don’t want to see it in Catholic publications, especially not publications put out by officially sanctioned organizations. Don’t call yourselves Catholic if you can’t figure out what that means, alright?
Fr.McBrien: “Unfortunately, there are still many Catholics who believe that such columns have no place in the diocesan press or in parish publications. For such Catholics, a diocesan paper is merely a house organ, the bishop’s vehicle by which he communicates with his flock and insures that they will be exposed to no ideas, opinions or even news stories that might “disturb” their faith or lead them to question church teachings and policies.
Holy shmoly. Because I want a paper that allows my bishop to communicate with me, I get bold defenders of truth like Fr.M. to write articles to help me “question Church teachings.” Thank GOd he stands for people like me who he thinks are fickle, weak-minded followers who never wants to be “challenged” by anti-Christ morality that is rammed down my throat by nearly every other newspaper on the face of the earth. So, he wants to uphold the ability of Catholic publications to also spew forth revolting moral-rot-acid. Great!!!
If Fr. M needs to protect my freedom to see ideas against the Church, he should stop tokin’ huge doobies and check out the million of other more popular sources that back any Homosexual “parents” right to adopt children. He might be able to see those by cracking open his eyes when he reads 85% of any paper in America.
Thanks Fr.M for keeping revolting anti-Christ rot before me when I do read my Catholic newspaper! You really do serve a very just and grace filled and Christian purpose for his flock! God bless you so that you can continue to fill the so socially “unpopular” job of attacking the Church and her teachings. There is so little anti-Catholic rot out there, that I am glad you, one of her Priests has the courage to bash her. It is so hard to find this stuff in the NY Times, The Boston Globe, The National Catholic Reporter, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune …
I wish my Bishop believed that such columns have no place in the diocesan press, but alas he pumps out Fr. McBrien’s swill into our diocesan paper on a monthly basis, along with other heretics and fools. And he actually expects me to give money to his ABA to pay for this “evangelization”…(who in thier right mind would want to become Catholic reading Fr. McBrien???)
You’re looking for “innerlekshul Honesty” from McBrien? Why not look for alligators at the South Pole?
The issue with the adoptions is that of SCANDAL. By placing a child in such situation you are virtually ensuring that the little one will be taught that homosexual fornication is OK.
This is something that Prof. McBrien does not, and apparently cannot, grasp. Even if the only effect is that such children have a distorted and corrupted view of sexuality, which they will if they approve of their two dads, a great violence is done to their conscience, soul, and intellect.
If Father McBrien thinks Catholics aren’t exposed to non-Catholic and anti-Catholic ideas—he is the fool I have always thought him to be. The problem for Catholics is getting through all the lies, distortions, fabrications, and biases in the liberal news media. That McBrien also wants those ideas (his pet ideas) to be also trumpeted in Catholic publications shows he wants his ideas to exist as a dictatorship–with no alternative ideas getting any real media prsentation. Catholic publications of all sorts should be unabashadly pro-Catholic and apoloogetic in tone–and that would still leave the Catholic Faith at a 95% disadvantage in the media world.
uhh….. uh…..
“For such Catholics, a diocesan paper is merely a house organ, the bishop’s vehicle by which he communicates with his flock and insures that they will be exposed to no ideas, opinions or even news stories that might “disturb” their faith or lead them to question church teachings and policies.”
Cuz, y’know, we’re all ignorant and we have delecate sensibilities. None of us ever watch the news or buy a local or national newspaper.
I take offense to this. This guy is saying basically that anyone who reads their local catholic newspaper or actually believes what their bishop says is correct, or god forbid, actually follows what the church teaches is an ignorant hick who’s afraid of “new ideas.”
Which means that people who “embrace” “new ideas,” meaning “dissenting views from the Church-Proper,” are intellegent, thinking individuals.
I want my fricking money back on my masters, now. I’m an allegidly educated and well-read individual, but I still read the local catholic paper and believe what my bishop says (granted he’s not off smoking the dubie and is actually saying things that’re in line with church teaching–which I also happen to believe in and follow). I mean, who’d have guessed that I was an uneducated redneck hick?
Indeed, but one cannot help but notice Darth McBrien seems to be engaging in some self-defense here.
What’s the matter, Dark Master? You seem to be feeling a little pressure a generation after all the unfaithful Catholics have left what you constantly preach is an irrelevant Church — while their numbers dwindle because they have been contracepting. WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU TOLD THEM TO DO!!
Suddenly, you seem to have worn out your welcome. You seem to forget that when one group of people close their hearts to life, another group open to life simply replaces them. (Take THAT Shakers!) http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3376
If the service you offer is so indispensable, why not offer this “valuable” insight in your OWN publication and spare us the pitiful sight of a snake eating its own tail.
Just popped into my wee head:
Fr. McBrien’s problem is this:
He signed up for clean-up committee.
You see, when the Church was finally over, he wanted to be the one to put up all the pews, sweep up the floor, turn out the lights and fondly whisper “good-bye old friend…” as he exited Catholicism and locked the door behind him.
He thought 2000 years would be enough of a good thing, but he was wrong. Now, he is just of hanging out like a sullen wallflower trying to rain on everyone’s parade. Just when he thought the party was over, in true wedding-at-Cana fashion, Our Lord kicks it into overdrive.
Things are just getting started, my friend! Have a brew! Mingle! Relax! It’ll be a long wait after all…
His second problem is that in his old age his feet are kind of crooked so that every time he tries to go straight, he ends up veering off to the left. I suggest we all chip in and buy him a good pair of Ortho Shoes.
Orthodoxic Shoes…
When Bishop Robert Finn became our local bishop last year, one of his first tasks (Praise the Lord) was to drop McBrien’s column from our diocesan paper. His humble and accurate comment: “We can do better than that”.