Last Saturday’s Irish Times carried a report written by Patsy McGarry about a Capuchin priest, Fr Owen O’Sullivan, who, it reports, has been banned by the Vatican from writing.
It is reported that the Vatican has banned Fr O’Sullivan from writing any more of his writings after he suggested homosexuality is ‘simply a facet of the human condition’.
This follows an article on homosexuality by Fr O’Sullivan in The Furrow last December.
When it comes to banning the written word one thinks of countries such as Burma, China, North Korea, the former Soviet Union and its satellite States.
Of course if you belong to an organisation you are expected to follow the party line. Or are you and should you?
If a politician writes critical material about her or his party it is likely that she or he will run into trouble with authority. But no political party in a democratic society will ever admit to banning any member from expressing opinions critical of the party. The party whip might be taken from them.
Banning someone from expressing their opinion is not appropriate in a democratic society. It is certainly not appropriate in a church, which claims to preach the Word of God and is in constant search of truth.
Fr O’Sullivan’s analogy with what it means to be Irish makes for interesting reading.
Wondering out loud, one might well be tempted to ask what about the orientation of those who issue the banning orders. As the church constantly says there is nothing wrong with orientation but what happens when men are forced to deny their orientation? And that is something the hierarchical church continues to do.
The clear and open dishonesty that follows on is profoundly sad and greatly worrying.
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