Theologian Daniel Maguire Reprimanded by U.S. Bishops

Catholic News Service reports that Marquette University Catholic theologian Daniel C. Maguire has been "publicly corrected" on his "erroneous" position on gay marriage and reproductive issues.

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The "mistaken views" on contraception, abortion, same-sex marriage and other church teachings expressed in two 2006 pamphlets by Marquette University theology professor Daniel C. Maguire "should not be confused with the faith and moral teaching of the Catholic Church," the U.S. bishops' Committee on Doctrine said.

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Maguire, a theology professor at the Jesuit-run university in Milwaukee since the early 1970s, said the bishops "stuck to their obsession with sexual and reproductive matters" in the committee statement and ignored his call in a letter accompanying the pamphlets for greater episcopal attention to issues such as the war in Iraq, the environment, poverty, racism and sexism.

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In a response to Maguire, Archbishop Dolan [of Milwaukee] said his views "are totally at odds with clear church teaching ... in opposition to abortion and so-called same-sex marriage."

"You speak of your duty to dissent. Well, at least call it such," the archbishop added. "To claim that support for abortion and same-sex 'marriage' is consonant with Catholic moral teaching is preposterous and disingenuous."

This following the recent "notification" sent to liberation theologian Fr. Jon Sobrino concerning his christology.

Dolan's comments may seem harsher than the USCCB's reprimand, but at least the archbishop takes Maguire's position seriously. The USCCB phrased their objection in terms of Maguire's apparent "mistaken views," implying that he doesn't really know what he's saying.

The two pamphlets circulated by Maguire are A Catholic Defense of Same Sex Marriage and The Moderate Roman Catholic Position on Contraception and Abortion.