Catholic Theologians Criticize Vatican’s Role

More than 400 American Roman Catholic theologians charged this week that the Vatican has been throttling church reforms and imposing “an excessive Roman centralization.”

The theologians contended that the Vatican has undercut a greater role for women, violated rights of theologians, slowed the ecumenical drive for Christian unity and undermined the collegial functioning of national conferences of bishops.

The “role of the local churches, of their bishops, and of the bishops’ conferences is being diminished,” the theologians declared in a 2,400-word statement drawn up in 1 1/2 years of work.

Sent to all American bishops by the Catholic Theological Society of America, the statement was approved by 431 of its 1,400 U.S. and Canadian members, which was 79% of a mailed response from 544 who replied.

The Rev. Walter H. Principe of Toronto, president of the society, said the support was greater than if the society had taken the action formally at a convention, because fewer than 300 usually attend.

The theologians portrayed recent restrictive moves by the Vatican as failing to live up to the reforming vision of the Second Vatican Council of 1962-65.

Issued on the 25th anniversary of the council’s close, the theologians noted that it invited all Christians to speak out “with that liberty and confidence which befits the children of God.”

They said Roman officials had put “unprecedented obligations” on theologians, such as in a recently prescribed loyalty oath and profession of faith, and by treating “public disagreement with official teaching as defiance.”

Charging theological “narrowness of consultation” in the Vatican, the theologians said questions among them are “cut off prematurely” and different levels of teachings “are presented as carrying the same authority.”

Procedures of the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation, headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in investigating views of theologians “fail to honor fundamental human rights and the safeguards” to protect them, the theologians said, adding:

“The ‘freedom of inquiry, thought and expression’ necessary for serious theological scholarship . . . and procedural traditions in our seminaries, colleges and universities which protect that freedom, have been called into question.”

Development of “legitimate public roles for women in the church is being neglected,” the theologians said.

Although recent bishops’ reflection and assignments have recognized a larger role for women and brought out the possibility of their ordination, the Vatican has firmly cut off such consideration, the theologians said.