The Tale of Two Clerics
We are all inclined to wonder whether Father Curran, who is so quick to designate official teachings of the church he claims allegiance to as wrongheaded, might be wrongheaded himself. Is he sure that his own priorities, logic and conclusions are infallibly correct? Is intellectual pride a factor here?
His moral theology bristles with worldliness and existentialism in the face of the abiding exhortation of the church to its people to cling to the other worldly and the transcendental.
Curran says, “One cannot deny truths and still be a Catholic Christian.” True--but Curran takes it upon himself to decide what are the “certain truths,” rejecting the teachings that he doesn’t like.
There are other questionable statements in his short article too numerous to go into here. But, to follow his arguments to their logical conclusion, the Catholic Church would become a meaningless social club with vague doctrines from which members could pick and choose. The members would either create a personal moral theology or choose a favorite theologian to follow.
JOHN RUSSELL CROMIE
North Hollywood
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