Sunday, May 17, 2009

Fr. Richard McBrien v Fr. Frank Pavone on Fox News Sunday

UPDATED...

I caught an advertisement on Fox News yesterday in which ultra-dissenting priest Fr. Richard McBrien will go up against Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life on the Notre Dame Scandal. It will be on Fox News Sunday, which goes on in about 15 minutes (I went to the 6:30am early bird Mass this morning). If you miss it, I think it will be rebroadcast sometime later today (check your schedule). More than likely, it will end up on YouTube so if I find it, I'll post it.

Fr. McBrien teaches theology at the University of Notre Dame, but does not have the mind of the Church. Why he is still teaching there is beyond my understanding. This is what needs to change. Our bishops just can't wait for the biological solution to take care of those who use their teaching positions to promote dissent. A list of positions he has taken, which are clearly at odds with Catholic teaching, are found in this article at Catholic Answers in This Rock: The Faith According to McBrien.

McBrien's book, Catholicism, has come under fire more than once by the US Bishops.

When will these people be silenced?

I'm glad it is Fr. Pavone who can get to the point with brevity without compromising the Church's position.



UPDATE:

I watched the interview. I was able to put up some tweets on twitter - start at the bottom and work your way up. I'll elaborate a little here.

As I stated at the bottom, McBrien found his collar for the interview. He was explaining his interpretation of the USCCB statement from Catholics in Political Life in which it states that we should not be giving a platform or honors to people like Obama who are promoting the culture of death. Bottom line is that, as Bishop D'Arcy pointed out in his April 21st letter to the Notre Dame president, theologians or others are not responsible for interpreting that statement, rather it is the right and duty of the local bishop to provide that interpretation. McBrien, et al, are ignoring the interpretation offered by the bishop.

Fr. Frank Pavone made two excellent points:

  1. Would the university invite an avowed racist on the same principles that it is inviting a president who advocates dismemberment and death for the unborn through nine months of pregnancy.
  2. Advocating the reduction of abortions is as ridiculous as advocating the reduction of clergy sex abuse. The goal for both should be elimination. Both are wrong always and everywhere.





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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!