Fr. McBrien ??

[infoguy]

What is up with Father McBrien??

In his latest column, “The Church and change,” he claims that the authors of Catholicism for Dummies "lack theological credentials."

I looked up co-author Rev. John Trugilio (emphasis mine):

Fr. John Trigilio, Jr., Ph.D., was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Harrisburg in 1988 by William Cardinal Keeler after completing his studies at Mary Immaculate Seminary in Northampton, PA. A native of Erie, PA, Fr. John attended St. Mark High School Seminary and Gannon University. He has served as a hospital chaplain, as an Auditor of the Harrisburg Marriage Tribunal, and in parish work. Fr. John is a member of the Board of Directors of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy and Editor of the Confraternity’s international newsletter. He is a cooperator in Opus Dei, and the founder of the Fraternity of Mary (Fraternitas Marialis Regina Cleri). ewtn.com/faith/QA/expertslist.htm

And the other co-author, Rev. Kenneth Brighenti:

Rev. Kenneth Brighenti, PhD, a native of New Britain, Connecticut, serves as pastor of St. Ann Catholic Church (Raritan, New Jersey). He is the managing editor of Sapientia magazine, a member of the board of directors for the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, and co-host of Council of Faith, a weekly TV series on EWTN. Father Brighenti also served as a U.S. Naval Reserve Chaplain for ten years and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Metuchen (New Jersey) in 1988. He and Father Trigilio co-authored Catholicism For Dummies (2003) and The Everything Bible Book (2004). http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesTitle/productCd-0764584758,page-authorInfo.html

“Lack theological credentials”?? Isn’t this a smear by Fr. McBrien??

…

 

[SusanL]

infoguy:

What is up with Father McBrien??

In his latest column, “The Church and change,” he claims that the authors of Catholicism for Dummies “lack theological credentials.”

I looked up co-author Rev. John Trugilio (emphasis mine):

And the other co-author, Rev. Kenneth Brighenti:

“Lack theological credentials”?? Isn’t this a smear by Fr. McBrien??

…

I think that these two priests have their own program on EWTN. They sounded pretty good to me. I think that Father McBrien isn’t well respected among well-known apologists.

 

[Ghosty]

Fr. McBrien is, to put it bluntly, lacking any Catholic theological credentials at this point. Oh, he might be a theologian, but he is not a Catholic theologian. I take anything he says on such matters with as much consideration as you would any anti-Catholic polemist.

 

[Jon_Jay2]

infoguy:

What is up with Father McBrien??

In his latest column, “The Church and change,” he claims that the authors of Catholicism for Dummies “lack theological credentials.”

I looked up co-author Rev. John Trugilio (emphasis mine):

And the other co-author, Rev. Kenneth Brighenti:

“Lack theological credentials”?? Isn’t this a smear by Fr. McBrien??

…

I would say that it’s a smear. These two priests happen to be clelbrating Mass this week on EWTN. They are both completely loyal to the Magisterium and Fr. Trigilio, if I’m nt mistaken is a member of Opus Dei. McBrien is so far to the left that he makes the Berrigan’s(Jesuit brother) from the seventies look like saints.

 

[JimG]

Jon_Jay2:

They are both completely loyal to the Magisterium. . .

Yes. And that’s what bothers Fr. McBrien. In his mind, completely loyal to the magisterium means “lacking theological credentials.”

 

[otm]

OK, so does anyone know what the two priests in question got their Ph.D.'s in?

Not that I have any love for McBrien, but my recollection is that Ph.D.'s are granted for a number of areas, Theology only being one of them.

Just a question.

Too bad Notre Dame can’t get its act squared with the Mandatum; freedom of speech, tenure, and all that, you know…

 

[Jon_Jay2]

otm:

OK, so does anyone know what the two priests in question got their Ph.D.'s in?

Not that I have any love for McBrien, but my recollection is that Ph.D.'s are granted for a number of areas, Theology only being one of them.
…

Fr. Trigilio has a PhD,ThD, He is president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy. Among other positions he’s been listed in Who’s Who in America in 1993 and Who’s Who in Religion in 1999 and is a member of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars.
Pretty good credentials I’d say.
Fr. Brighenti, PhD. Managing editor of Sapientia Magazine…Ewtn co-host of Council of Faith. Not sure what his degree is in.

 

[Gilbert_Keith]

And to think that Notre Dame has sunk from Chesterton giving lectures there in the early 30’s to McBride giving them today!

 

[stanley123]

Ghosty:

Fr. McBrien is, to put it bluntly, lacking any Catholic theological credentials at this point.

I don’t see how anyone could say that Father McBrien is "lacking any Catholic theological credentials ".
Hasn’t Father McBrien written several books, including

Do We Need the Church? (1969), Church: the Continuing Quest (1970), The Remaking of the Church (1973); Caesar’s Coin: Religion and Politics in America (1987); Catholicism (1980; rev. ed., 1994), Lives of the Popes (1997), and Lives of the Saints (2001), and was he not the general editor of The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism (1995). Also, was he not the president of the Catholic Theological Society of America (1973-74) and winner of its John Courtney Murray Award “for outstanding and distinguished achievement in Theology” (1976). And has he not written a syndicated weekly theology column for the Catholic press since 1966.

Also, did he not receive the S.T.D., Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, 1967? And is he not at present the Crowley-O’Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.
I doubt that people who say Father McBrien is lacking Catholic credentials, have anything remotely near the credentials that Father McBrien has.

 

[RyanL]

Gilbert Keith:

And to think that Notre Dame has sunk from Chesterton giving lectures there in the early 30’s to McBride giving them today!

Well, just today I went to a lecture by Amy Welborn, author of Decoding DaVinci. I’d say she was pretty orthodox. We are also scheduled to get several other speakers this year, all orthodox. With any luck, I will be able to arrange for Fr. Corapi or Tim Staples to come.

Don’t write ND off yet.

That said, if you can find what class Fr. McBrian teaches, I would be more than happy to “have a word” with him. Is it a sin to hit a blaspheming priest?

God Bless Notre Dame,

RyanL

 

[RyanL]

So I’m looking into this a bit more…

McBrien’s words…

Almost every reputable Catholic moral theologian who commented on the Schiavo case concluded that continuing the use of a feeding tube to keep Mrs. Schiavo alive was a clear instance of an extraordinary means, and as such could be dispensed with. In the words of The Catechism of the Catholic Church, such means would be “disproportionate to the expected outcome” (n. 2278).

Aparently, the late John Paul the Great doesn’t qualify as a reputable Catholic moral theologian according to McBrien. Nor, for that matter, then Cardinal Ratzinger.

This makes me feel like a fightin’ Irish.

 

[otm]

stanley123:

I don’t see how anyone could say that Father McBrien is "lacking any Catholic theological credentials ".
Hasn’t Father McBrien written several books, including

Do We Need the Church? (1969), Church: the Continuing Quest (1970), The Remaking of the Church (1973); Caesar’s Coin: Religion and Politics in America (1987); Catholicism (1980; rev. ed., 1994), Lives of the Popes (1997), and Lives of the Saints (2001), and was he not the general editor of The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism (1995). Also, was he not the president of the Catholic Theological Society of America (1973-74) and winner of its John Courtney Murray Award “for outstanding and distinguished achievement in Theology” (1976). And has he not written a syndicated weekly theology column for the Catholic press since 1966.

Also, did he not receive the S.T.D., Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, 1967? And is he not at present the Crowley-O’Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.
I doubt that people who say Father McBrien is lacking Catholic credentials, have anything remotely near the credentials that Father McBrien has.

It would appear that you are not fmiliar with his brand of “catholic” theology. Hans Kung had plenty of training, too, but that didn’t prevent him from straying from the truth to the point that the Church keelhauled him. McBrien has made no bones about the fact that he departs from the Magiserium significantly.

 

[Ghosty]

I don’t see how anyone could say that Father McBrien is "lacking any Catholic theological credentials ".

Because a list of credentials mean nothing if you reject Catholic theology at the core. Since he does not accept, nor teach Catholic theology, how can he have Catholic credentials? He’s a theological fraud who presumes to speak for a Church that he rejects.

 

[Philthy]

Ghosty:

Fr. McBrien is, to put it bluntly, lacking any Catholic theological credentials at this point. Oh, he might be a theologian, but he is not a Catholic theologian. I take anything he says on such matters with as much consideration as you would any anti-Catholic polemist.

You are too kind! Did any of you read the article in the last issue of This Rock? They were not nearly so diplomatic…he was basically considered a heretic.

Phil

 

[stanley123]

Ghosty:

He’s a theological fraud who presumes to speak for a Church that he rejects.

But do you personally have the credentials similar to his, which enable you to say that he is a “theological fraud”? He is still in good standing with the RCC is he not? Why should a Catholic beleive you and not a man with his sterling credentials? How do we know that you are not the one who is the “theological fraud”?

 

[stanley123]

otm:

It would appear that you are not fmiliar with his brand of “catholic” theology. Hans Kung had plenty of training, too, but that didn’t prevent him from straying from the truth to the point that the Church keelhauled him. .

However, has that happened to Father McBrien? I haven’t heard about it. Isn’t he still in good standing with the RCC? The question was raised as to whether or not Father McBrien had credentials.
*First of all, Father McBrien has written several books, including **

Do We Need the Church? (1969), Church: the Continuing Quest (1970), The Remaking of the Church (1973); Caesar’s Coin: Religion and Politics in America (1987); Catholicism (1980; rev. ed., 1994), Lives of the Popes (1997), and Lives of the Saints (2001), and was he not the general editor of The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism (1995). Also, he was the president of the Catholic Theological Society of America (1973-74) and winner of its John Courtney Murray Award “for outstanding and distinguished achievement in Theology” (1976). And he has written a syndicated weekly theology column for the Catholic press since 1966.**

Also, he received the S.T.D., Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, 1967? And he is at present the Crowley-O’Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.*

I don’t see how anyone can say that he does not have credentials. Also, what are the credentials of those who say that Father McBrien does not have any credentials?

 

[Ghosty]

But do you personally have the credentials similar to his, which enable you to say that he is a “theological fraud”?

Superior to his, actually: I’m faithful to the Magisterium.

He is still in good standing with the RCC is he not?

Not according to him, he’s not. He flatly denies the authority of the Magisterium a number of fundamental issues. The Church hasn’t officially excommunicated him, but he has excommunicated himself in his own writings.

Why should a Catholic beleive you and not a man with his sterling credentials?

Because, unlike him, I’m actually Catholic. I actually submit to the Magisterium.

How do we know that you are not the one who is the “theological fraud”?

See above.

 

[stanley123]

Philthy:

…he was basically considered a heretic.

If Father McBrien is a heretic, why has he been writing a syndicated weekly theology column for the Catholic press since 1966. Why is he the winner of the John Courtney Murray Award for outstanding and distinguished achievement in theology? Every week, his column apperas in certain Catholic newspapers, including the LA Archdiocese Catholic newspaper The Tidings. If he is a heretic as you say he is, why do the Catholic authorities promote him and provide him with a pulpit from the newspaper each and every week of the year, for almost 40 years?

 

[stanley123]

Ghosty:

The Church hasn’t officially excommunicated him, but he has excommunicated himself in his own writings.
.

Do you have the credentials to excommunicate Father Richard McBrien or to declare that he has been excommunicated? If he is a theological fraud, as you say, then why has he been writing a syndicated weekly theology column for the Catholic press since 1966. Why is he the winner of the John Courtney Murray Award for outstanding and distinguished achievement in theology? Every week, his column apperas in certain Catholic newspapers, including the LA Archdiocese Catholic newspaper The Tidings. If he is a theological fraud as you say he is, why do the Catholic authorities promote him and provide him with a pulpit from the newspaper each and every week of the year, for almost 40 years?
By the way, do you have a syndicated weekly column that appears each and every weeek in Catholic newspapers, such as the LA Tidings? If so, for how long have you had this column?

 

[Ghosty]

Do you have the credentials to excommunicate Father Richard McBrien or to declare that he has been excommunicated?

He has done it by saying that he’s not subject to the Magisterium. So what if he’s published in some “Catholic” periodicals? What he says is flatly heresy, and it doesn’t require the Church to formally address him in particular.