Cancer on the Body Politic of the Church

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Rome orders Roger Haight to stop teaching, publishing

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR., NCR Staff

Published:

Jan. 5, 2009

American Jesuit theologian Fr. Roger Haight, whose writing on Christ and non-Christian religions was censured by the Vatican in 2005 for causing "grave harm to the faithful," has been ordered by Rome to stop teaching and publishing on theological subjects.

Sources told NCR that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s doctrinal agency, communicated the restrictions to the Jesuits in spring 2008. They apparently came amid back-and-forth discussions involving the Vatican, the Jesuit leadership in Rome, and the order’s New York province. Among other steps, Jesuit officials in America reportedly had consulted the late Jesuit Cardinal Avery Dulles in an effort to resolve the concerns.

A Jesuit spokesperson in Rome confirmed the measures, but said that a "final resolution" has not yet been reached in the Haight case, suggesting that the bans on teaching and publishing could turn out to be interim measures.

"The process continues," said Jesuit Fr. Jose de Vera, who is finishing his term as the order’s spokesperson.

Haight declined comment, but Jesuit sources told NCR that he intends "to comply fully" with the restrictions. Those sources said that Haight has been working with his Jesuit superiors in responding to the Vatican’s concerns.

News of the recent Vatican action was reported last month by Catholic journalist David Gibson on the web site of Commonweal magazine.

In practice, the order means that Haight, a past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, will no longer teach at Union Theological Seminary in New York, where he is presently a scholar in residence. It is not yet clear what future role Haight may play at Union Theological, founded in 1836 as a Presbyterian institution which today describes itself as "multi-denominational."

In its 2005 notification citing "serious doctrinal errors" in Haight’s 2000 book Jesus: Symbol of God, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stipulated that until Haight’s positions were amended, he was barred from teaching Catholic theology. At the time, Haight and the Jesuits believed that teaching at a non-Catholic institution would satisfy that requirement; the recent action by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith makes clear that he’s not to teach anywhere.

Haight, 72, will also not be able to publish any new writings on theological topics, though he will be able to complete a project on the spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order.

The Vatican’s original 2005 notification did not restrict Haight’s ability to publish, and since Jesus: Symbol of God, he has produced several other works, including a three-volume study of the church titled Christian Community in History, and 2007’s The Future of Christology. Speaking on background, a Vatican official said these works largely "reiterated" the views which had triggered the earlier censure, and were part of the motivation for the new restrictions.

"We had hoped that Haight would amend his positions in light of the notification," the official said. "It’s fairly obvious that hasn’t happened."

Haight had earlier been removed from a position at the Jesuit-run Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass., by the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education.

Jesus: Symbol of God has been described by Haight as an attempt to express traditional doctrines about Christ and salvation in a language appropriate to postmodern culture. In particular, the book offers a positive theological reading of non-Christian religions and savior figures. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith asserted that the book endangered traditional doctrines on such matters as the divinity of Christ, the Trinity, the saving value of Christ’s death on the Cross, and the importance of the church.

Most observers see the action on Haight as part of a broader concern with the "theology of religious pluralism," referring to various attempts to treat non-Christian religions as vehicles of salvation in their own right. Prior to his election as pope, Benedict XVI repeatedly warned that such theologies, if pushed too far, lead to religious relativism – the idea that one religion is as good as another. In particular, critics worry that such approaches may sap the missionary energies of the church.

Since its publication eight years ago, Jesus: Symbol of God has engendered lively theological debate. Some reviewers found it an exciting new Christological approach, while others say that Haight, a past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, goes too far in jettisoning or reinterpreting core doctrines.

Whatever they may think of the theological merits of Haight’s work, some sources told NCR that they find the recent Vatican action overly "punitive."

"This is hard for us to get our minds around," one Jesuit official said, speaking on background. "It’s not clear what purpose is served by making him leave Union, since the point has already been made that his views do not represent official Catholic theology."

A Vatican spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The 2004 notification from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20041213_notification-fr-haight_en.html

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As usual, the neo-modernists at NCR soft pedal Fr. Haight's blatant heresy.

The money quote being:

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"(Fr. Haight's) book offers a positive theological reading of non-Christian religions and savior figures. "

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There is only one "Savior," He's not a figure - His name is Jesus Christ - He's the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity!

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Undoubtedly John Allen's defenders will once again rush to his defense.

Nonetheless, this is a good news.

Comments

[Simple soul]

Saint Ignatius Loyola must be turning in his grave to see what has become of the splendid order he founded which were once known as the Pope's men!

[Phillip]

The theology teacher I had last semester here in my high school got his degree from Weston in the 70s. His class was the worst theology class I ever had, and I live in San Francisco. I was the only one who objected to his use of "In the Name of the 'Creator,' Son, and Holy Spirit. The man also claimed James was the first pope, not Peter. What did he do in return? Gave me a low conduct grade. Every other teacher gave a good one. But its all good.

[Karl]

Phillip, you are missing the good theologians intent. He was manifesting his
"orthodoxy" by making it clear to you that while the others gave you high marks in "conduct" for their course content as you applied it well. Wisely, knowing your take on his theology was rather "resistant" to his efforts he had to grade you appropriately with a low grade in "conduct" because you did not incorporate his drivel into your educational experience.

Congratulations on this "low conductance" of inferior material.

[Karl]

Phillip, you are missing the good theologians intent. He was manifesting his
"orthodoxy" by making it clear to you that while the others gave you high marks in "conduct" for their course content as you applied it well. Wisely, knowing your take on his theology was rather "resistant" to his efforts he had to grade you appropriately with a low grade in "conduct" because you did not incorporate his drivel into your educational experience.

Congratulations on this "low conductance" of inferior material.

[Phillip]

Ha ha!
Thanks Karl. The guy is the modernist heresiarch of the school. The theology department chair wants him gone, but he's been there for 25+ years. I really don't care about the conduct grade. Being that I want to study theology at an orthodox Catholic university, or (God willing), in a seminary of a traditionalist order, I doubt they will really care what conduct grade a radical feminist gives me.

[Mary]

Pray for him!! That is what we all should be doing.

[richard]

I google image Fr. Haight and I couldn't find one not one picture of him in clerical dress, not one.

Every single picture has him dressed like on an accountant.

This reinforces my theory that if a priest or religous is not in clerical dress or habit, chances are very very good that they are heterodox.

The clothes do make the man.

[richard]

I google image Fr. Haight and I couldn't find one not one picture of him in clerical dress, not one.

Every single picture has him dressed like on an accountant.

This reinforces my theory that if a priest or religous is not in clerical dress or habit, chances are very very good that they are heterodox.

The clothes do make the man.

[Albanus]

"Saint Ignatius Loyola must be turning in his grave to see what has become of the splendid order he founded which were once known as the Pope's men!"

It is a splendid order precisely because it has members who think. Which is more than can be said for many Catholics and certainly most on this board.

Fr. Haight illustrates the communication of ideas in the Church of today and in the future. He will be heard. Either through Catholic auspices or otherwise.

Most Catholics will read and hear what he has to say no matter what the mind control specialists ,their sheepish followers and other flat earth folks in Vatican City think or do to him.
Silencing clerics is an abject failure. In fact, it simply makes their teachings that much more popular and the laity more eager than ever to familiarize themselves with the theologian being penalized.
Rome either debates Fr. Haight's points and encourages debate, or it has lost the struggle for the faithful's attention and their loyalty. Silencing such discussion in the name of protecting so-called "divinely revealed truth" really doesn't defend "the truth" at all.

[Steve]

It wasn't that long ago that Catholics could not join the YMCA. The reason was because they taught "indifferentism". Which is the idea that one religion is just as good as another and that any of them can provide a path to salvation.

[Ha!]

Mary is right. Is anyone praying for this man?
There is an awful lot of complaining and posting taking place on Catholic blogs, but no one has yet gathered them all together for a prayer rally, or a rosary rally and rarely do you see anyone suggest praying for the enemy. I have read this blog and several others for over a year now - it's nothing more than a blow-by-blow account of the end of the Catholic Church. I've actually seen people on these blogs dismiss the idea of prayer.
Look, people - you are CATHOLICS. You are being eradicated from all sides because you absolutely refuse to use the weapons given to you - your bible and rosaries are two of your best weapons. Someone take charge and start an online rosary rally. Pick a day and a time. See what change YOU can effect, rather than sitting by and lamenting the end of all you believe.

[Simple soul]

Albanus
Ignatius' men did think and they were loyal to the magisterium. Jesus left His Church in the care of the Holy Spirit and promised it would be protected from error till the end.The great saints would always sacrifice personal pride in holy obedience to Mother Church knowing that things would be righted in God's time. Mary Mackillop from Australia is a great example of such holy obedience and the great man Galileo.
Reason and faith are never incompatible because God is pure reason but as human beings even the greatest of minds sees only dimly and we all should remain humbly aware that the devil remains a superb conjuror and his smoke and mirrors can both beguile and dazzle.

[Dan Hunter]

Albanus,

Maybe you had better read your history of the Jesuits to see that that they have always been undyingly loyal to the Holy Father, and the staunchest defenders of traditional and orthodox teaching in the Church, as well as the most forceful opponents of Protestantisn in the Church, at least until recent times.

They used to be aptly called, "The Holy Fathers Stormtroopers."
And the Holy Father is the greatest "thinker" of them all.

From the Catholic Encyclopedia:

The Society of Jesus

(Company of Jesus, Jesuits)

The Society of Jesus is a religious order founded by Saint Ignatius Loyola. Designated by him "The Company of Jesus" to indicate its true leader and its soldier spirit, the title was Latinized into "Societas Jesu" in the Bull of Paul III approving its formation and the first formula of its Institute ("Regimini militantis ecclesia", 27 Sept., 1540). The term "Jesuit" (of fifteenth-century origin, meaning one who used too frequently or appropriated the name of Jesus), was first applied to the society in reproach (1544-52), and was never employed by its founder, though members and friends of the society in time accepted the name in its good sense. The Society ranks among religious institutes as a mendicant order of clerks regular, that is, a body of priests organized for apostolic work, following a religious rule, and relying on alms for their support [Bulls of Pius V, "Dum indefessae", 7 July, 1571; Gregory XIII, "Ascendente Domino", 25 May, 1585].

As has been explained under the title "Ignatius Loyola", the founder began his self-reform, and the enlistment of followers, entirely prepossessed with the idea of the imitation of Christ, and without any plan for a religious order or purpose of attending to the needs of the days. Unexpectedly prevented from carrying out this idea, he offered his services and those of this followers to the pope, "Christ upon Earth", who at once employed him in such works as were most pressing at the moment. It was only after this and just before the first companions broke to go at the pope's command to various countries, that the resolution to found an order was taken, and that Ignatius was commissioned to draw up Constitutions. This he did slowly and methodically; first introducing rules and customs and seeing how they worked. He did not codify them for the first six years. Then three years were given to formulating laws the wisdom of which had been proven by experiment. In the last six years of the Saint's life the Constitutions so composed were finally revised and put into practice everywhere. This sequence of events explains at once how the society, though devoted to the following of Christ, as though there were nothing else in the world to care for, is also excellently adapted to the needs of the day. It began to attend to them before it began to legislate; and its legislation was the codification of those measures which had been proved by experience to be apt to preserve its preliminary religious principle among men actually devoted to the requirements of the Church in days not unlike our own.

The Society was not founded with the avowed intention of opposing Protestantism. Neither the papal letters of approbation nor the Constitutions of the order mention this as the object of the new foundation. When Ignatius began to devote himself to the service of the Church, he had probably not even heard of the names of the Protestant Reformers. His early plan was rather the conversion of Mohammedans, an idea which, a few decades after the final triumph of the Christians over the Moors in Spain, must have strongly appealed to the chivalrous Spaniards.

The name "Societas Jesu" had been born by a military order approved and recommended by Pius II in 1450, the purpose of which was to fight against the Turks and aid in spreading the Christian faith. The early Jesuits were sent by Ignatius first to pagan lands or to Catholic countries; to Protestant countries only at the special request of the pope and to Germany, the cradle-land of the Reformation, at the urgent solicitation of the imperial ambassador.

From the very beginning the missionary labours of the Jesuits among the pagans of India, Japan, China, Canada, Central and South America were as important as their activity in Christian countries. As the object of the society was the propagation and strengthening of the Catholic faith everywhere, the Jesuits naturally endeavored to counteract the spread of Protestantism. They became the main instruments of the Counter-Reformation; the re-conquest of southern and western Germany and Austria for the Church, and the preservation of the Catholic faith in France and other countries were due chiefly to their exertions.

God bless you.