Contradicting Catholic teaching on the likes of homosexuality, divorce, gay marriage and masturbation brought a stinging criticism from the Vatican of a book written by a prominent American nun.
“Defective” and “not consistent with authentic Catholic theology” is how the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) labelled “Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics”, by Mercy sister Margaret Farley.
The Vatican office says the book should not be used by Roman Catholics, however the following day after it was condemned, the book moved to number 16 on Amanzon.com’s best-selling list, up from position 142,982.
According to the Vatican, the book either ignores Church teaching on core issues of human sexuality or considered a Catholic understanding of human sexuality as merely one option among many.
The CDF criticism of the book, published in 2006, comes after two years of study.
Farley, who taught Christian ethics at the Yale Divinity School, a past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and an award-winning scholar, commented on the Vatican’s decision, saying she did not write the book to reflect Catholic teaching, but rather wrote it to explore sexuality via various religious traditions, theological resources and human experiences.
“I can only clarify that the book was not intended to be an expression of current official Catholic teaching, nor was it aimed specifically against this teaching. It is of a different genre altogether,” Farley said in a statement.
The book, she said, offers “contemporary interpretations” of justice and fairness in human sexual relations, moving away from a “taboo morality” and drawing on “present-day scientific, philosophical, theological, and biblical resources.”
The president of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Sr Patricia McDermott RSM has defended Farley and her book.
“Sister Margaret Farley, RSM, is a highly respected and valued member of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas,” said Sister Patricia McDermott, the order’s president. “I know that I speak for our membership in expressing our profound regret that a Notification has been issued.”
“Sister Margaret has given witness to the highest quality of academic work and compassionate presence,” Sister McDermott continued. “She assiduously attempts to present the Catholic tradition as formative of her own rich experience while recognizing the ecumenical audience she often engages. While being faithful to her own faith tradition and commitments, her sensitivity to the varied circumstances, realities and needs of her students is the context she consistently honors.”
The Vatican’s move comes at a time when the Vatican is concerned the Leadership Conference of US Religious Women has serious doctrinal problems and has ordered them to undergo a forced reform.
Correction: When originally researched, Amazon listed “Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics” as out of print. Within hours of the Vatican’s condemnation, the book moved to number 16 on Amazon’s best-selling list.
As of 11 June, Amazon has the book shipping within 1 – 3 months. Third-party sellers have second-hand copies available. A hard covered version sells for US$999.00
Sources
Related Posts:
News category: World.
