Book not magisterial document

by Letters Editor · December 5, 2013

From Fr Stephen Giles MHM, Kroonstad

With respect to the rebuke by Cardinal Wilfrid Napier to the the observations of Fr Chris Clohessey on the five archbishops� book, God, Love, Life and Sex (November 13), and without prejudice to the teaching authority of the five metropolitans and indeed all bishops, Cardinal Napier draws a long bow in placing God, Love, Life and Sex as an authoritative magisterial document.

This he implies the book is, for it is written for popular and general consumption, rather than in the singular style of authoritative teaching documents that are written for bishops and theologians to explain to the faithful.

In short, the popular style of God, Love, Life and Sex leaves itself wide open to legitimate criticism, and as such the cardinal and his co-authors � and one assumes Cardinal Napier speaks for the other four archbishops � should generously leave themselves open to criticism from whatever quarter, rather than attack a fair and reasonable critique of their authorship.

With regard to the book itself, it is an excellent popular exposition of the teaching of the Church on its subject matter. I find it difficult to discern the hand of five authors, one of whom I know to be an accomplished Scripture scholar and the other a sociologist. And, indeed, I must say that I find it difficult to clearly discern the hand of a moral theologian or ethicist at all.

The morphing and melding of authorship may be the result of one or two possibilities; either it is the product of outstanding editorial skills, or the book is the work of one archepiscopal pen to which four other bishops appended their name.

But this really does not matter: the fact is that God, Love, Life and Sex, within its popular genre, is informative and ought to be read widely as intended, but his Eminence and their Excellences ought not to elevate this work to unquestionable teaching on the matters of God, life, love and sex, nor get their backs up if others, inter alia moral theologians and ethicists, point out real or alleged shortcomings in their writings, as it fits ill with the orientation of the present bishop of Rome and me!