Controversies: October 2003 Archives

Gov. Bush promises to sign bill to stop Terri Schiavo's court-approved starvation.

First, the Archbishop of Edinburgh called for "full and open discussion" on celibacy and contraception. Orthodox Catholics everywhere were aghast at such a suggestion from a Cardinal-designate.

And a few days later, in an appendix to the Profession of Faith required of new Cardinals, the Archbishop seemed to reverse himself by affirming the points of law and doctrine he had called into question:

I further state that I accept and intend to defend the law on ecclesiastical celibacy as it is proposed by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church; I accept and promise to defend the ecclesiastical teaching about the immorality of the homosexual act; I accept and promise to promulgate always and everywhere what the Church's Magisterium teaches on contraception. So help me God and these Holy Scriptures which I touch with my hand.

The Scotsman reports:

Critics seized on the statement, claiming it had been ordered by the Vatican.

However, Archbishop O’Brien denied that any pressure had been brought to bear on him from Rome and rounded on conservative elements of his Catholic flock. He told The Scotsman: "Having recently restated my loyalty to the Church, its teachings and the Pope, I would hope that Catholics everywhere will join with me in respecting the decisions of the Pope and demonstrate their own loyalty by not questioning them."

The archbishop added that his Profession of Faith amounted to the start of a "healing process" for the Church.

There's a nice way to start the healing process: by turning on the people he's offended, pretending their loyalty's in question, and urging them politely to shut up. I suppose the #1 papal decision people mustn't question is the Pope's decision to name this dicey prelate a cardinal.

It's a little hard to believe that nobody in Rome asked the Archbishop to make the extra profession and publish it to the press. After all, bishops don't routinely add extra affirmations to a canonically required Profession of Faith on their own initiative.

This was a special case, the start of a healing process, a matter of unity.

Peter Kearney, the media director of the Catholic Church, last night described Archbishop O’Brien’s affirmation of belief as being similar to a politician toeing the party line.

I hope the spokesman didn't mean to suggest that the Archbishop were insincere, right after Abp. O'Brien himself had publicly celebrated the Sacrament of Clarification.

(Thanks, Diogenes.)