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	Vatican Curbs U.S. Theologian over Liberal Views on Sex Issues By Ari L. Goldman New York Times August 19, 1986 http://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/19/us/vatican-curbs-us-theologian-over-liberal-views-on-sex-issues.html The Vatican yesterday revoked the authorization of a major liberal theologian to teach theology at the Catholic University of America after a protracted battle over the priest's views on sexual issues. The priest, the Rev. Charles E. Curran, a popular lecturer at the university in Washington, has generally argued that the church's opposition to divorce, birth control, homosexual acts and abortion should not be absolute. It was the first time the unusual censure action had been used against an American Roman Catholic theologian. It was last used in 1979 against the Swiss theologian Hans Kung. Letter Made Public In a letter to Father Curran made public late yesterday, the Vatican said it had acted "in light of your repeated refusal to accept what the church teaches." The letter said that the Vatican was notifying Catholic University that "you will no longer be considered suitable nor eligible to exercise the function of a Professor of Catholic Theology." The letter, from Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said that the action had been approved by Pope John Paul II. The action against Father Curran is consistent with the Pope's effort to reassert orthodox Catholic teaching and to discipline those who have been found to have strayed. Last year, for example, the Vatican ordered a period of silence for a Brazilian theologian, the Rev. Leonardo Boff, an exponent of liberation theology, which involves social activism in behalf of the poor. Father Curran's case had deeply divided American Catholics. Liberal Catholics said the Vatican's action against Father Curran violated any sense of intellectual freedom within the church, something that should be maintained especially in a university, they argued. Informed by Chancellor In dissenting from the church's ban on contraception and divorce, Father Curran represented the views of what polls have shown to be a substantial body of American Catholic opinion. Father Curran was informed of the decision at 4 P.M. yesterday by Archbishop James A. Hickey of Washington, Chancellor of Catholic University. Afterward, Father Curran could not be reached for comment at his home or at the University. It was not clear if he would be allowed, or would be willing, to stay on at Catholic University and teach something other than theology. The Vatican action, the letter from Cardinal Ratzinger said, was based "exclusively on your published works and on your personal responses" to discussion with Vatican officials. "In effect," the letter said, "your own works have been your 'accusers' and they alone." In his works, Father Curran has argued that the church should acknowledge nuances in regard to sexual issues. In general, he has endorsed the morality of contraception and said that divorce should sometimes be permitted. He has said that abortion, masturbation, premarital sex and homosexual acts are not always immoral. In discussing his case last March, Father Curran said: "It should be evident that the positions taken by me are neither radical nor rebellious but are in the mainstream of contemporary Roman Catholic theology. I find myself at home in the church and it's as much my church as anyone else's." More traditionalist Catholics asserted that because his teachings on birth control, abortion and divorce so clearly contradicted official doctrine, he should not be allowed to teach as a Catholic theologian. Archbishop Backs Judgment This position was summarized by Archbishop Hickey yesterday in a statement released together with Cardinal Ratzinger's letter. "I fully support this judgment of the Holy See," Archbishop Hickey said. "The Holy Father and the bishops have the right and the duty to insure that what is taught in the name of the church be completely faithful to its full and authentic teaching. The faithful have a right to sound teaching and the church's officially commissioned teachers have a particular responsibility to honor that right." This is not the first time that Father Curran has run into trouble with Catholic University as the result of his views. In 1968, he was dismissed after making public statements that birth control was permissible. But he was reinstated after students staged a five-day strike. The Vatican's action yesterday was taken during the summer lull at the campus, which in full swing has 7,000 students. Father Curran, 52 years old, is a priest of the Rochester diocese, who has taught at the university with the permission of his Bishop. His ability to say mass or perform the other sacraments of the church were in no way affected by the Vatican action. Father Curran's case was complicated by the fact that Catholic University is a "pontifical" university, that is, under official papal charter, and thus seen as having a special obligation to the Pope and the Vatican. Cardinal Ratzinger's statement referred specifically to Catholic University's pontifical status, suggesting that it was at least possible that Father Curran could end up on the faculty of a Catholic university that did not have pontifical status. The decision on Father Curran constituted one of the Vatican's most important statements on sexual ethics and one of its firmest condemnations of a Catholic theologian. Writings Long Scrutinized The Vatican has been investigating Father Curran's writings since 1979. Earlier this year, the Vatican announced that he had to retract his views or face dismissal. In turn, Father Curran argued that he should be permitted to continue to teach theology because he dissented from church teachings that were "non-infallible" and had a right to differ with official church positions. He said that the church's position on matters of sexual ethics were less central to the church's fundamental faith than such questions as the divinity of Jesus or the belief that He rose from the dead. However, in his letter, Cardinal Ratzinger argued that the "the church does not build its life upon its infallible magisterium alone, but on the teaching of its authentic, ordinary magisterium as well." The magisterium refers to the church's teaching authority, and the word "ordinary" refers to doctrines that have not been declared "infallible" by the Pope, a power the Pontiff rarely uses. In the strongly worded letter yesterday, Cardinal Ratzinger said that the Catholic faithful "are to give the religious submission of intellect and will to the teaching which the Supreme Pontiff or the College of Bishops enunciate on faith or morals when they exercise the authentic magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim it with a definitive act." "This," the Cardinal wrote to Father Curran "you have continued to refuse to do."
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