Bishops Reiterate Opposition to Homosexuality

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Vatican’s chief doctrinal watchdog, wrapped up a three-day conference with U.S, Canadian and Pacific doctrine committees Friday by restating the Roman Catholic Church’s opposition to abortion and homosexual acts, while the group praised feminist theology for its contribution to understanding the love of God.

At the same time, the bishops and Ratzinger discussed a simmering controversy in the United States over the role of bishops in reining in errant theologians at Catholic universities and colleges.

The wide-ranging examination of doctrinal matters was held at the San Francisco archdiocese’s Vallombrosa Retreat and Conference Center. It comes at a time when tensions are building anew within the church in the United States over academic and intellectual freedom.

Such issues have arisen over the pending implementation of the 1990 Vatican document “Ex Corde Ecclesiae,” which would give local bishops more authority over many of the 236 Catholic universities and colleges in the United States.

No disagreements were mentioned Friday at a news conference after the closed-door meeting. But a ranking Vatican archbishop appeared to acknowledge concern about academic freedom. “Obedience to the truth of Jesus Christ represents not a suppression of the intellect but a progressive harmonization of one’s mind and heart with the mind and heart of God,” said Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, secretary to Ratzinger’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Ratzinger has also continued to carefully watch developments involving feminist theology. Feminist theologians, among others, have long been pushing for a greater role for women in the church, including ordination to the all-male priesthood.

Pope John Paul II has repeatedly said that the church has no authority to ordain women because Jesus did not choose women as his disciples.

However, the group acknowledged contributions made by feminist theologians. Cardinal Aloysius M. Ambrozic of Toronto said feminist theologians had helped to show “God not only as the master, not only as the creator, but God as a friend, something that women appreciate, I think, more than men do.”

He also said women had helped by showing God as a reconciler.

Also of concern have been issues involving human sexuality. Indeed, today Ratzinger has chosen to speak on “culture and truth” during a public address.

In his opening address Feb. 9, Ratzinger emphasized the church’s rejection of “moral relativism,” a theme repeated by others present. Homosexual acts, they agreed, cannot contribute to the “authentic good of the human person.”

In response to a question, Ratzinger rejected the blessing of same-gender unions, even when same-sex couples promise to love and be monogamous and faithful in a long-term committed relationship.

“Blessing is a recognition that this is a way of good and a confirmation in this action [of an] underlying internal goodness,” Ratzinger told reporters. “So if it is true what we say that this is not a contribution to the human good, [to] confirm as a blessing this way would not be helpful for these persons,” he said.

The meeting here is one of a series that Ratzinger, as prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has held throughout the world to maintain unity in church teaching while taking into account cultural differences from country to country.

Archbishop William J. Levada of San Francisco on Friday characterized the conference as “cordial and productive.”