Two Pamphlets and a Swirl of Controversy

Over this past weekend, in my weekly column at St. Bridget, I noted a short article that was in the Catholic Northwest Progress, our local Archdiocesan Catholic newspaper. The article noted that theologian Dan Maguire at Marquette University (my alma mater) had written and circulated two pamphlets to the bishops of the United States, one on abortion and birth control, and the other on same-sex marriage, claiming that there were other legitimate Catholic positions on these topics besides those held by the hierarchy. It noted further that the bishops had responded collectively in an open letter to Catholics, renouncing his positions on these matters. Since then, there have been numerous calls for Marquette to fire Maquire.

I think that all of these documents are well-written, and that this is a real opportunity for Catholics to understand these issues a little better. I read Maguires articles first, and was actually very surprised but also a bit dubious. The bishops' letter did not address Maguire's writings point by point, which I would have liked, but was otherwise clear and convincing. To read any of these three writings, click on the underlined words above.