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>Very helpful! I’m going to print it for our RCIA lending library.

Writer of the article: Fr Overberg

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/700220/posts?q=1&;page=21

In the name of equity—so as not to incense the McBrien sycophants—the Messenger also discontinued the bi-weekly James Hitchcock column, which was characteristically faithful to Church doctrine and sensitive to traditional disciplines and Catholic culture. Whereas the former version of the Messenger presented local Catholics with food to chew on both sides of the mouth, the new editorial policy appears to promote what might be labeled “stealth dissent.” This is clearly in evidence with the addition of the “Catholic Moment” column written by Fr. Kenneth Overberg, et al.

Collarless Jesuit and professor of theology at Cincinnati’s Xavier University, Fr. Overberg has the uncanny ability to masquerade dissident ambiguities as mainline orthodoxy. While it was always indubitably clear that Fr. McBrien was displeased with the magisterial teaching of the Church, Fr. Overberg’s modus operandi is less forthright. Instead of overtly calling Church teaching into question, Fr. Overberg creates confusion regarding the Church’s position on a given matter (e.g., contraception, euthanasia, homosexuality) and then uses that confusion to suggest the illegitimacy of the magisterial position. He will usually present the teaching of the magisterium (the official teaching arm of the Church), but only as if it were an optional source for the formation of one’s conscience in moral matters.

True to his template, Fr. Overberg’s December column, which appeared in both Covington’s Messenger and Cincinnati’s The Catholic Telegraph, subtly questioned the Church’s teaching on homosexuality. Using the document “Always Our Children” (AOC)—recently released by the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Marriage and Family—as his authoritative springboard, he presents “the Catholic tradition” as stated by AOC: “Genital expression is to be unitive and procreative, love-giving and life-giving.” The column concludes, however, by calling the traditional teaching of the Church into question. He poses several questions for Catholics to ponder. “One thoughtful position,” writes Fr. Overberg, “asks whether it is right to require celibacy of all homosexuals? Could not these relationships be considered love-giving and life giving [and therefore blessed by the Church]? Are the Church’s laws too biologically focused, instead of considering the whole person? Do the passages in the Bible concerning homosexuality [sic] reflect cultural fear and prejudice more than divine revelation?” Although the questions posed are hackneyed at best, Fr. Overberg is able to call into question the natural law, Church teaching, and biblical authority all in one paragraph. No need for a heretical McBrien.

http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/ >Dissent >speakers and authors

Fr. Richard McBrien	Claims that a future Pope must overturn the infallible document disallowing women "priests" (Ordinatio Sacerdotalis).
Fr. Richard McBrien	Says, among other things, that Jesus did not establish the Catholic Church, and calls into question the virginal conception of Jesus and the perpetual virginity of Our Lady, and promotes dissent.
Fr. Richard McBrien	Supporter of Call to Action.