Fr Thomas Merton Purged From Catechism

[StBasiltheGreat]

Cistercian monk, poet, & peace activist whose work & life brought many to the Church, Merton is slated to be removed from the catechism. But it’s not too late to contact officlals to have him reinstated. See:

danphillips.blogspot.com/2004/12/thomas-merton-december-10-day-of.html

 

[Lisa_N]

Do you think this is the result of his later affliation with some asian religions?

Lisa N

 

[HagiaSophia]

See thread:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=30890&highlight=merton

 

[fix]

StBasiltheGreat:

Cistercian monk, poet, & peace activist whose work & life brought many to the Church, Merton is slated to be removed from the catechism.

Good. With all the great saints and writers in the church why do we need to bring in a controversial figure like this?

 

[Robert_in_SD]

fix:

Good. With all the great saints and writers in the church why do we need to bring in a controversial figure like this?

Because he was one of the greatest Catholic thinkers of the 20th Century. He should be recognized not just in spite of his later interaction with other religions, but because of it, IMHO.

“I will be a better Catholic, not if I can refute every shade of Protestantism, but if I can affirm the truth in it and still go further. So, too, with the Muslims, the Hindus, the Buddhists, etc. This does not mean syncretism, indifferentism, the vapid and careless friendliness that accepts everything by thinking of nothing. There is much that one cannot ‘affirm’ and ‘accept,’ but first one must say ‘yes’ where one really can. If I affirm myself as a Catholic merely by denying all that is Muslim, Jewish, Protestant, Hindu, Buddhist, etc., in the end I will find that there is not much left for me to affirm as a Catholic: and certainly no breath of the Spirit with which to affirm it.”

Thomas Merton, The Guilty Bystander

Peace

 

[fix]

Robert in SD:

Because he was one of the greatest Catholic thinkers of the 20th Century. He should be recognized not just in spite of his later interaction with other religions, but because of it, IMHO.

Peace

There are plenty of others in the last century, and other centuries, that should be used without all the baggage.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Robert in SD:

Because he was one of the greatest Catholic thinkers of the 20th Century. He should be recognized not just in spite of his later interaction with other religions, but because of it, IMHO.

Well then… His later interaction with other religions became problematic.

There are many who would disagree with your statement that he was “one of the greatest Catholic thinkers of the 20th Century.”

I am all for his removal as the Church is full of Saints and Doctors of the Church, they should be used first and foremost.

 

[Cockney_Clive]

This is his profile in the American edition of the CCC? Seven storied Mountain was a good read and truly spiritual but some of his theology, especially regarding other faiths was really suspect. See some of Merton’s last letters, written while planning to attend the Conference in Thailand, and especially his last letter, which appears to place Buddhism in a higher place than Christ and His Church.

Incidently, the new edition/compendium of the CCC published last week in Latin and Italian, has 16 delicious and wonderful art plates of Christian subjects at Benedicts personal request. God Bless our wonderful Pope.

 

[fix]

ByzCath:

W
I am all for his removal as the Church is full of Saints and Doctors of the Church, they should be used first and foremost.

Exactly. Merton, while some of his early work may be very good, became a fav of the liberal left and still is.

 

[Lisa_N]

HagiaSophia:

See thread:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=30890&highlight=merton

Thank you that makes sense. I suspect Merton was famous for being famous. IOW he lifted up the Catholic profile with his best selling book. I read “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” profiling four well known Catholics. Certainly his story was interesting but I agree that St Elizabeth Ann Seton is a more appropriate choice. No doubt about her orthodoxy!

Lisa N

 

[Digitonomy]

I was thumbing through my catechism, trying to find where this alleged Merton reference was. Finally went back to the OP’s link.

There is no reference to Merton in the standard Catechism of the Catholic Church. Instead, the article talks about a new American Catholic Catechism, apparently a book which takes a more literary (and probably North American) approach, rather than the long-winded, and sometimes dense, CCC. That’s my WAG, anyway.

So if there is to be particular emphasis on the American Catholic tradition, I could certainly see including Fr Merton. As with any source, it would be important for the editors to choose passages carefully which illuminate and adhere to the particular tenet of the faith they are being used to explain.

 

[mlchance]

fix:

There are plenty of others in the last century, and other centuries, that should be used without all the baggage.

Better to use someone like Saint Augustine. No baggage there.



– Mark L. Chance.

 

[mgy100]

Father Louis… aka Thomas Merton was a deep thinker. You should read his books before judgement. Sure he thought outside of the box, he gets you thinking sometimes.

 

[otm]

fix:

Good. With all the great saints and writers in the church why do we need to bring in a controversial figure like this?

Because he, like many of the great saints and writers in the Church were contrioversial in their times?

 

[otm]

mlchance:

Better to use someone like Saint Augustine. No baggage there.



– Mark L. Chance.

It would then appear that you next to nothing about St Augustine.

 

[sweetchuck]

What about Tertullian? His writings are often cited, but he later sided with the heretics.

They must have their reasons for ditching Merton’s writings, but as far as I am concerned, truth is truth.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

otm:

Because he, like many of the great saints and writers in the Church were contrioversial in their times?

But the fact is that he is not a saint.

Catechisms should favor writings of saints over non-saints.

 

[mlchance]

otm:

It would then appear that you next to nothing about St Augustine.

Either that, or you don’t understand things like irony, sarcasm, and emoticons when you see them. Smart money wouldn’t bet on the former.

– Mark L. Chance.

 

[Digitonomy]

ByzCath:

Catechisms should favor writings of saints over non-saints.

This is a limited view of what a catechism can be. For me, the CCC is just fine. But for those buying the catechism in the OP, they apparently want a more specialized book.

A catechism could conceivably be published using quotes from Shakespeare, or Ben Franklin, or whoever, as its sole source illustrating the principles of the Catholic faith. Certainly the lives of these individuals are not especially saintly, but the relevant material quoted must adhere to the Faith - or I suppose it could be used in a negative way, illustrating an error on the part of the speaker in his interpretation of morality.

 

[mlchance]

ByzCath:

But the fact is that he is not a saint.

Catechisms should favor writings of saints over non-saints.

Thomas Merton died in 1968. Charity demands I assume he died in a state of grace. That makes him a saint, even if the Church hasn’t declared him a Saint.

– Mark L. Chance.