REBUKE, BUT NO PENALTY...YET

From The Huffington Post:

A book written by two Creighton University faculty members is erroneous and “harmful to one's moral and spiritual life,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says.

“The Sexual Person: Toward a Renewed Catholic Anthropology” presents views that differ from the Catholic Church's traditional teachings prohibiting premarital sex, homosexual acts, contraception and artificial insemination, the bishops say.
The book was published in 2008 by Todd Salzman, chairman of Creighton's theology department, and Michael G. Lawler, a professor emeritus in theology.

The volume says, for instance, that while many theologians feel the Bible speaks clearly on the issue of homosexuality, the Bible is in fact “far from clear and unambiguous” on the topic.

Deacon Tim McNeil, chancellor of the Omaha Archdiocese, said the conference's rebuke this month comes with no penalty against the professors. But Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha “is confident that Creighton officials will deal with this in a manner that is consistent with the mission of a Catholic university,” McNeil said. (My emphasis)

Hmm. The rebuke comes with no penalty, however, the Archbishop's words to the officials of the university could be read as tinged with threat, so perhaps the most we can say is that no penalty has been imposed, yet.

Creighton, operated by the Jesuits, sent out a statement Wednesday that said it is “fully committed to the Catholic tradition” and that the institution “accepts as authoritative the statement” of the conference.

But Creighton “is nonetheless mindful of its obligation to honor the academic freedom of individual faculty members,” the statement said. It added that Pope Benedict XVI has reaffirmed “the great value of academic freedom.”

Take that! Whether Pope Benedict still places "great value on academic freedom" remains to be seen.

The book could well give hope to Catholic gays and lesbians in faithful partnerships that they could remain within the church, in good conscience, without living under the constraints of celibacy. That's not to speak of the positive influence of the book in helping to ease the consciences of heterosexual couples in matters of sex and conception. And why is the church in the bedrooms anyway?

One likely result of the public rebuke will be to bump up sales of the book.

The warning by the bishops brings back not-so-fond memories of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum or Index of Forbidden Books.

Thanks to Ann V.