Father Sean Fagan

[Fish and Bread]

Irish theologian and priest Father Sean Fagan died on July 15:

https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/irish-theologian-criticizes-bishops-absence-fagan-funeral

His books "Does Morality Change?" and "What Ever Happened to Sin?" are out of print, probably as a result of sanctions against him imposed by Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict, partly as a result of him writing these books.

Anyone read these books? If so, what did you think of them?

I have to admit, I read the article and was ready to go buy one, until I saw that they weren't available on Kindle and that used copies are going for ridiculous prices because they are relatively rare. Hopefully they come back into print. They sound interesting.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

"He was never contacted directly by the CDF, he was never told the names of his accusers so that he could face them and challenge them. His health was badly affected by this lack of a right of reply and the culture of secrecy, which Sean despised."
A shame about this. From my experience in catholic culture, it its so true.


Fagan was critical in his writings of the church's position on mandatory celibacy, women's ordination and homosexuality. Over 10 years ago, he called for an inquiry into clerical sexual abuse in every diocese in the Irish church.
Agree with him on the second part anyway.

In 2008, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith silenced Fagan by ordering him to stop writing articles and books and giving interviews to the media. He was threatened with laicization if he wrote anything contrary to the magisterium and forbidden from revealing the terms of his censure to the media.
Oh no! Not the dreaded laicization!

In his writings, Fagan emphasized compassion over rigidity when applying church teaching to pastoral situations. His agenda was to "relativize our false absolutes."
Agree with compassion over rigidity. Not sure about relativizing false absolutes.

He told me there were times he wept after hearing confessions in the past, to see the damage done by the church to people's sense of self, the poor moral development and the desperate scruples than many suffered," she said. "Sean had no tolerance for clerical privilege. ... He rarely wore the black suit and Roman collar. He had a deep distaste for episcopal robes and pomp and circumstance."
Starting to really like the guy now.

Ratzinger, what a suitable name for him! I think Pope Francis can thank his own popularity in part to his polar opposite, Ratzinger.