Some of you know the Rev. Richard McBrien and some of you may not. I call him Father because he is still a priest, even though he makes this difficult to recognize. For some strange reason, he always seems to find his collar when being interviewed on cable news about something happening in the Vatican. For news outlets to even use him as a source on Catholicism is not much different than asking a vegetarian to offer a comment about cooking beef steak.I won't use the term "left" or "liberal" because "dissident theologian" is most fitting. How he could still be teaching in any Catholic institution is beyond my comprehension. Perhaps you might be moved to raise this question to the Papal Nuncio - Pietro Sambi, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Congregation for Catholic Education. I don't have time to get the addresses, but if someone wants to drop them in the comment boxes that is fine (see Fr. Z's helpful notes about writing to bishops and congregations. These apply whether you are writing to your own pastor, bishop, or to someone at the Holy See).
What follows here are links to two posts made by Fr. Z in which he dissects McBrien's words in recent articles featured in the ultra-dissenting "catholic" rag, the National Catholic Reporter. I call it a rag without hesitation because it publicly promotes certain things that are opposed to Catholic teaching and provides to it's readers "all sorts of strange teachings".
What is good about reading it at Fr. Z's blog is the indepth analysis. He indeed captures it.
First, you may want to read the analysis on Fr. McBrien's attack on Eucharistic Adoration. ND's McBrien: Eucharistic Adoration "is a doctrinal, theologican, and spiritual step backward".
Please make some acts of reparation......in Adoration....for this blatant public attack.
Now, Fr. Z looks very closely at a more lenthy article. In it, Fr. McBrien has other ideas on the Year for Priests.
In the comment box, Tim Ferguson - a frequent commentor at Fr. Z's blog has offered a most interesting perspective on the challenges faced by newer priests who enter the typical parish scene. He's got some situations pegged very well. Hopefully, after considering the plight of some newer priests you will be moved even moreso to pray for them.
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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
