I think the article over-reacts to the Church's view that not all parts of Scripture are to be read ONLY literally, especially the first 11 Chapters of Genesis, call Pre-History. We first take the Scriptures literally, but we realize that it is possible that our interpretations should be taken in a more spiritual sense to get the most out of Scripture.
The story of Jonah, for example, CAN be taken as a parable or a story. It may or may not be literally true. However, the truth that God meant to say THROUGH the story is inerrant. What is that truth? Certainly, that Gentiles can be saved, and can be far more repentant than the chosen people (whether you interpret that as Jews of the OT or Christians of the NT).
Brother in Christ
The difference between literal history and history. Literal history being the history witnessed by the author, versus the Creation which was witnessed by God and the angels. Genesis of Creation was the act of God and his actions made it be, but not necessarily EXACTLY as described in Genesis. Versus, the History of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, the Judges, etc, which is literal history witnessed by humanity and the people of Israel.
I don't see this as an over-reaction by a newsman but as a simple positional statement from the Catholic Church. Your statement above is indicative of that position.
With all due respect I think this is where Catholics get themselves into trouble and it relegates the scriptures down to nothing more than stories. Consequently how do you know the virgin birth of Mary isn't a story? Or how about Abraham? Based upon traditions? Who's to choose what is a story and what isn't? The Church?
There are prophesies in scripture that are not clear. Certainly there have been various scriptural interpretations for what God is telling us for centuries. But I have to accept the Bible as God's word or reject it entirely. It doesn't contain stories or myths. It is the history of God's elect as put together by God-not a bunch of church fathers trying to pick and choose.
I mean this kindly. Catholics are quick to accept Mary appearing on a cheese sandwich, in a tunnel on a New Jersey expressway, or in a corn field in Spain but they cannot reconcile themselves to God's divine intervention of creating His written word. Our Lord Jesus referred to some of the more controversial events in scripture as fact; Noah, Daniel, and, (yes) Jonah. Yet we have people saying Jonah was "just a story" but believe Mary appeared on a cheese sandwich.
For some of the other criticism that has appeared the pot shots are unwarranted. If I was a Catholic I would be outraged that such a thing would come from the Vatican, not Harley. The early church fathers never felt these were "stories" but live events and believed in the inerrant of God's word. The took pains to separate the "inspired" word from the rest of the documents. I wonder what Augustine or Jerome would say to some of the "brilliant" people in the Vatican these days?
All their work is now being discarded and undermined not only by the Catholics but a great many churches. For what reason-because the "theory" of E-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N isn't spelled out? It doesn't sound "scientifically" accurate. Rubbish!! What makes us so smart? But sometimes, sadly, it is much more important to just go along with the crowd than to be true to God. In one of our previous discussions I said there were lines in the sand for me. This is one of them.
God's word is holy, righteous and just. Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God. To minimize it important is to minimize His Son because Christ is "the Word". We just do not understand what we have.