The Vatican too "repressive"?? Gimme a break!

Karl Keating's e-letter of March 8, 2005, lists the following Vatican discipline cases during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. The list was reportedly taken from the leftist National Catholic Reporter, which provided it as "evidence" of the "repressiveness" of the current pontificate. Keating's own conclusion is just the opposite, that if there is a scandal here it is that so few have been disciplined as to be almost laughable--only 24 in 26 years! I would add one further observation. All but one of the cases cited (Lefebvre) was left-wing. This should furnish some consolation to Catholic traditionalists who worry that the Vatican has been too hard on faithful, conservative Catholics while being too soft on liberal dissidents. Proportionately this certainly hasn't been the case. Still, when it comes to the big picture, Keating's point is well taken: this pontificate has probably leaned much more toward the laissez-faire side of things than towards discipline. Here's the list:

1. Fr. Jacques Pohier, a French Dominican with heterodox views on the Resurrection, lost his license to teach theology and left the Dominicans in 1984.

2. Fr. Hans Kung lost his license to teach in 1979, partly because of his erroneous teaching about papal infallibility.

3. Fr. Edward Schillebeeckx questioned the virginity of Mary and received "notifications" from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) saying that his writings conflicted with Church teaching.

4. Fr. Charles Curran lost his license to teach in 1986. He was the most prominent American opponent of "Humanae Vitae."

5. Fr. Leonardo Boff, a proponent of liberation theology who taught a skewed Christology, was silenced twice, then left the Franciscans and the priesthood in 1992.

6. Fr. Anthony Kosnik formerly taught at Detroit's seminary and was forced to resign because his writings on sexuality conflicted with basic Catholic teachings.

7. Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez, another proponent of liberation theology, had his writings criticized by the CDF.

8. Fr. Karl Rahner was silenced by John XXIII and was rehabilitated by Paul VI. In later years he became heterodox on contraception and priestly ordination. He also was at odds with the CDF.

9. Fr. Matthew Fox taught pantheism and eventually was expelled from the Dominicans. He joined the Episcopal Church in 1994.

10. Sr. Mary Agnes Mansour was the director of the Department of Social Services in Michigan, where she oversaw funding of abortions. She was forced to choose between that job and the religious life, and she chose the former.

11. Srs. Elizabeth Morancy and Arlene Violet served in the Rhode Island government. Told to choose between their jobs and their lives as members of the Sisters of Mercy, they chose the jobs.

12. Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen, of Seattle, was investigated by the Vatican after numerous allegations of liturgical abuse. An auxiliary bishop was appointed, and Hunthausen lost much of his authority.

13. Fr. Ernesto Cardenal was the minister of culture in Nicaragua's Sandinista government. He was chastised by John Paul II when the Pope visited that country in 1983. Cardenal refused to quit his government post and lost his priestly faculties.

14. Fr. Robert Nugent and Sr. Jeannine Gramick, proponents of homosexuality, were forced to leave New Ways Ministry in 1984. In 1999 the Vatican levied additional sanctions on them.

15. Fr. John McNeill was investigated by the CDF in the 1970s for his views on homosexuality. He was expelled from the Jesuit order in 1987.

16. Srs. Barbara Ferraro and Patricia Hussey signed a 1984 "New York Times" ad that backed abortion and refused a Vatican order to retract their support for the ad.

17. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre ordained four bishops without papal consent and thereby suffered automatic excommunication.

18. Fr. Tissa Belasuriya published heterodox writings on Christ's divinity, Mary, and original sin. The CDF notified him of errors and ordered him to sign a profession of faith. He refused and was excommunicated in 1997. A year later he was reconciled to the Church.

19. Fr. Eugen Drewermann questioned the Virgin Birth and the reality of the Resurrection. He was expelled from the priesthood.

20. Sr. Ivone Gebara publicly advocated legalized abortion. She was silenced for two years.

21. Bishop Jacques Gaillot lost his position as bishop of Evreux, France, in 1995 because of his promotion of contraception and homosexuality.