Hope for effective antiabortion strategy

THEOLOGIAN Fr. Charles Curran has made a valuable contribution to the national conversation about abortion with his recent lecture arguing that the US Catholic bishops’ approach to changing the law is deeply flawed.

Curran termed his lecture at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he now teaches, “A Critique from Within the Church,” a claim that some scoff at because in 1986 the Vatican revoked his license to teach theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington for taking issue with some church teachings regarding birth control and other cultural issues.

That satisfies the journalistic requirement to note that Curran will forever drag a footnote along with him. A deeper look would show as much church politics as doctrinal debate involved in the matter (not to mention a certain late cardinal’s undying resolve to see Curran booted).

One result, of course, is that Curran’s questions then and now are rarely debated in the court of theological opinion. It’s much easier to make Curran the subject of debate. So the bishop of Dallas, Kevin Farrell, apparently felt no need to talk with Curran or read the content of his lecture before pronouncing his regrets that the theologian “has chosen to criticize” the position of the US bishops.

Full report at National Catholic Reporter