Richard McBrien
Encyclopedia
Richard Peter McBrien is the Crowley-O'Brien Professor of Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...

 at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...

. He is a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

 of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford is a particular church of the Latin Rite in Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut. The archdiocese includes about 700,000 Catholics, more than 500 priests, 216 parishes and almost 300 deacons. This is roughly one-half the population of...

 and the author of several controversial books and articles discussing Catholicism. He is most well known for his authorship of Catholicism. He also served as president of the Catholic Theological Society of America
Catholic Theological Society of America
The Catholic Theological Society of America is a professional association mostly in the United States and Canada. It is a "Catholic" organization that was founded in 1946 to promote studies and research in theology within the Catholic tradition...

 from 1974–1975. In 1976 he was the awarded the John Courtney Murray Award
John Courtney Murray Award
The John Courtney Murray Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Catholic Theological Society of America, named after John Courtney Murray, the great American theologian known for his work on religious liberty.-Winners of the John Courtney Murray Award :...

 for outstanding and distinguished accomplishments in theology.

His stated scholarly interests are ecclesiology
Ecclesiology
Today, ecclesiology usually refers to the theological study of the Christian church. However when the word was coined in the late 1830s, it was defined as the science of the building and decoration of churches and it is still, though rarely, used in this sense.In its theological sense, ecclesiology...

, the relationship between religion and politics, and the theological, doctrinal and spiritual facets of the Catholic Church. He produces a syndicated theological column for the Catholic press, but the number of Catholic papers willing to print his column has recently dropped from 40 to 20, since many of his works espouse beliefs or opinions in direct conflict with orthodox Catholicism (see examples below). Papers that have recently dropped the column include his home archdiocese of Hartford.

McBrien has published 24 books and is the general editor of the Encyclopedia of Catholicism. He has also served as an on-air commentator on Catholic events for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

in addition to his regular contribution as a commentator on several major television networks. He is currently a consultant for ABC News. He has written several essays for the National Catholic Reporter
National Catholic Reporter
The National Catholic Reporter is the second largest Catholic newspaper in the United States; its circulation reaches ninety-seven countries on six continents. Based in midtown Kansas City, Missouri, NCR was founded by Robert Hoyt in 1964 as an independent newspaper focusing on the Catholic Church...

, as well as the The Tidings
The Tidings (newspaper)
The Tidings is a weekly newspaper published by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the largest Catholic archdiocese in the United States. The paper began publication in 1895 and is the oldest continuously published Catholic newspaper on the West Coast of the United States. It is also...

 in Los Angeles.

Controversy

He is a controversial figure in the American Catholic Church, due mainly to the content of his published works.

USCCB critique of Catholicism

McBrien's two volume work, Catholicism, does not bear the Nihil Obstat
Nihil obstat
Nihil obstat is a declaration of no objection to an initiative or an appointment....

 and Imprimatur
Imprimatur
An imprimatur is, in the proper sense, a declaration authorizing publication of a book. The term is also applied loosely to any mark of approval or endorsement.-Catholic Church:...

 declarations from the Church that state the book is free of moral or doctrinal error. (It should be noted that fewer authors seek these marks than occurred before Vatican II when the banned books list still exsited.) It was officially disapproved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...

 on the grounds that many of its statements are "inaccurate or misleading," that it exaggerates "plurality" within the Catholic theological tradition, and that it overemphasizes "change and development" in the history of Catholic doctrine, even though official dogmas of the Catholic Church are, according to the Magisterium
Magisterium
In the Catholic Church the Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Church. This authority is understood to be embodied in the episcopacy, which is the aggregation of the current bishops of the Church in union with the Pope, led by the Bishop of Rome , who has authority over the bishops,...

, unchangeable truths. The third edition of the book was reviewed by James Likoudis
James Likoudis
- Career :In 1977 Likoudis translated Casin's St. Thomas Aquinas, Orthodoxy, and Neo-Modernism in the Church from French to English. Likoudis also has authored several books dealing with sex education, the Eastern Orthodox church, liturgical issues following the Second Vatican Council and articles...

, the president of Catholics United for the Faith, who stated that the book would leave students "doctrinally illiterate".

Scholarly reviews of Encyclopedia of Catholicism

A report on McBrien in Catholic Culture stated McBrien also served as the general editor of The Harper Collins Encyclopedia of Catholicism. According to the review of that book in First Things, "one has the impression that it was written for undergraduates who have little or no idea of what was once the common world and parlance of Catholic culture.". The review itself elaborates, "It is intended as a handy reference for students or journalists who need a quick and succinct explanation of some Catholic term or practice." It concludes by stating that some "articles are models of precision and succinctness. The better ones include Revelation, Apostolic Succession, Conciliarism, Faith, Hell, Heresy, Homosexuality, Immortality, Inerrancy, Justification, Magisterium, Mary, Purgatory, and the Vicar of Christ. These have the merit of explaining clearly and concisely what the Catholic Church believes and why."

Accusation of plagiarism

A formal complaint was sent to the University of Notre Dame in January 2006 alleging plagiarism by McBrien. He vigorously denied the claims and John Cavadini, chair of Notre Dame’s theology department, dismissed the charges.

The DaVinci Code

McBrien served as a paid consultant for the controversial film The DaVinci Code, a movie which offended many Catholics because it portrayed a sexual relationship between Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene.

Eucharistic adoration

In September 2009, McBrien published an article in the National Catholic Reporter in which he criticized the centuries-old devotional practice of Eucharistic Adoration, calling it "a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward." McBrien's outspoken critique, shaped by an understanding of the Eucharist which centers upon the communal meal (and thus locates the proper place for the Eucharist within the setting of the Mass), was met with a sharp and critical reaction from Catholics who find the traditional practice, encouraged by Pope Benedict XVI, to be spiritually fruitful.

Criticism of Popes

Criticizing Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

, McBrien stated that, "He’s left the Catholic Church with probably the worst crop of bishops it’s had in centuries" and that "Some of my liberal friends just say he’s a disaster and can see nothing good that he’s done."

In regards to the papal conclave
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...

 after Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

's death, McBrien said several times during the sede vacante
Sede vacante
Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...

that he did not expect Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

) to be elected. In fact, he predicted that if the German were elected, "thousands upon thousands of Catholics in Europe and the United States would roll their eyes and retreat to the margins of the Church."

Referring to the conclave itself, McBrien complained about "watching 115 men in liturgical dress. There isn’t a woman among them."

External links

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