Posted on 06/04/2012 6:53:44 AM PDT by marshmallow
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith warned June 4 that Mercy Sister Margaret Farley's 2006 book, "Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics," contains "erroneous propositions" on homosexual acts, same-sex marriage, masturbation and remarriage after divorce that could cause confusion and "grave harm to the faithful."
In a notification signed by U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada and approved March 16 by Pope Benedict XVI, the congregation said the book "is not in conformity with the teaching of the church" and "cannot be used as a valid expression of Catholic teaching, either in counseling and formation, or in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue."
Sister Farley, who taught at Yale University Divinity School from 1971 to 2007 and now serves as Gilbert L. Stark professor emerita of Christian ethics, is a past president of both the Catholic Theological Society of America and the Society of Christian Ethics.
The five-page Vatican notification says the congregation first wrote to Sister Farley about its concerns through her superior, the president of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, more than two years ago. Urged to "correct the unacceptable theses contained in her book," Sister Farley sent responses in 2010 and 2011 that "did not adequately clarify the (book's) grave problems," the congregation said.
The congregation cited five specific problem areas in "Just Love," published by Continuum:
-- Masturbation: Sister Farley's view that masturbation "usually does not raise any moral questions at all" and "actually serves relationships rather than hindering them" does not "conform to Catholic teaching ... that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action," the notification said.
-- Homosexual acts: Sister Farley writes in the book that "same-sex relationships and activities can be justified according to the same sexual ethic as heterosexual relationships and activities." But the......
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnews.com ...
What if the pastor or the counselor believes that adultery is not always wrong? Especially not if done with your pastor or marriage counselor?
Why would a moral relativist like you care?
Considering your oft demonstrated level of intelligence, you’d probably make the same stupid statement about Christ and St. Paul.
I don’t ask for moral advice from others, that’s why I was asking about other people.
You asked me some questions and I answered them.
Because it’s an interesting subject and it was posted for discussion. Why would you assume that all questions people ask, are only about themselves?
I got that. Since there are no universal truths, finding your own truth would be the way to go.
Just about everyone believes adultery is wrong..even the ones doing it deep down(for the most part).
That being said though on a Catholic thread do you believe people who remarry are committing adultery?
Yes. Marriage is not simply a civil agreement between two persons, it is also a sacrament and a vocation. A marriage creates a real spiritual institution that is separate from the parties involved. A Catholic marriage requires that both parties love that institution more than they love their spouse and certainly more than they love themselves. Unfortunately, to the detriment of the Church and those involves, that is not made clear often enough.
A Catholic marriage, once formed and instituted, survives as long as both of the spouses are alive. Unless nullified, meaning that the marriage never happened, any remarriage while either of the spouses is alive is adultery.
Peace be with you.
If a wife get's the shiiite beat out of her every week and she get's divorced and then nullified then it's ok with the Catholic faith to remarry?? I'm Catholic but not practicing.
I posited the proposition that one of the conditions for consulting with Catholic clergy for advice on sexual ethics within marriage is the belief in universal truths. If one arrives as his ethics apart from that belief, there would be no point in doing so.
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That being said though on a Catholic thread do you believe people who remarry are committing adultery?
According to Catholic teaching which claims to be informed by the universal truths taught by Jesus, a man who is married in the Church commits adultery with any union outside that marriage.
I believe the teaching of the Catholic Church. You may not, and the purpose of my post was not to engage in apologetics but rather to clarify the conditions under which consultation with Catholic clergy in these matters would be logical.
Nope, God’s truth instilled in me as an individual. Just as I believe He does with each of us.
Or maybe not. Remember, there are no universal truths so that can't be one either.
Then ask yourself why the Holy Spirit drew you here today.
The Church is not insensitive to the plight of battered and abused spouses and is not opposed to separations and civil divorce. Incompatible couples are free to live apart from one another, but not to live as husband or wife to anyone other than their original spouse as long as the initial marriage is considered to have been valid.
"What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." - Mark 10:9
Peace be with you.
Sister Margaret A. Farley, R.S.M., Ph.D. is an ethicist and the Gilbert L. Stark Professor of Christian Ethics at Yale Divinity School (YDS).
Her focus is misplaced ... totally! Instead of concentrating on one's libido, she would do better to spend hours in quiet meditation before the Eucharist.
Why did you have to post that photo? Why?
THAT is a female?? No way!
“...she would do better to spend hours in quiet meditation before the Eucharist.”
I wonder what her belief is regarding the Eucharist. The fact that she has so obviously missed the truth and wisdom of the Teaching Magisterium of the Church with regard to sexual ethics causes me to wonder about the very foundations of her beliefs.
Lord Jesus, please have mercy on this sister. Please heal her and grant her understanding of her errors so that she may repent and be truly happy in her relationship with you.
You’re right. It’s just a belief, not knowledge.
Would you seek marital or sexual guidance/advice from someone that is celibate?
Would you then refuse medical care and advice for a disease if your doctor has never personally suffered from it? Should cancer patients only accept help from doctors with cancer? Is that really a qualifier?
The relevant question is not this, but whether the person you are seeking advice from is knowledgeable about the subject and able to convey that knowledge to you. If a priest successfully lives a celibate life, or whatever level of chastity is relevant to their life situation, they sound like a good place to go for advice on also being chaste. These are people who, theoretically at least, sacrifice worldly pleasure for Christ, and you wonder why a Christian would ask them for guidance in matters of morality?
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