Monday, June 24, 2019

Former Dominican Matthew Fox talks in Dublin

Episcopalian priest and activist for gender justice, Matthew Fox gave a lecture in Dublin's Christ Church on Saturday.

The title of his talk was 'Signs of Hope in a Time of Despair'

Matthew Fox was born Timothy. When he joined the Dominicans in the United States he was given the name Matthew and ironically he has kept that name since his dismissal from the Order.

Irish Dominican Damian Byrne was Master of the Order during this time.

Was the full story of Matthew Fox ever told?

The piece below is from Wikipedia.

In 1984 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, asked the Dominican Order to investigate Fox’s writings. 
When three Dominican theologians examined his works and did not find his books heretical, Ratzinger ordered a second review, which was never undertaken.
Due to his questioning of the doctrine of original sin, in 1988 Fox was forbidden from teaching or lecturing for a year by Ratzinger. 
Fox wrote a “Pastoral Letter to Cardinal Ratzinger and the Whole Church,” calling the Catholic church a dysfunctional family. 
After a year "sabbatical" Fox resumed writing, teaching, and lecturing. In 1991 his Dominican superior ordered Fox to leave the ICCS in California and return to Chicago or face dismissal. Fox refused.

8 comments:

Michael said...

I think creative priests like Matthew Fox are a loss to the Church when they are given their marching orders. I wouldn't agree with everything he says but from the books I've read by him, I've found him thought provoking. He is a learned man, steeped in the writings of the mystics. Mystic and fellow Dominican Meister Eckhart also landed himself in trouble with his own idiosyncratic take on the mystery of God. The dogmatic people who tend to run the church fear the untamed spirit which really can't be formulated in concepts and words. It's easy to call someone a heretic. It's just a sophisticated form of name calling children taunt each other with. Perhaps Matthew Fox is more aptly called heterodox. There have been plenty saints in the church who could be described as heterodox. They tend to see things differently than others. They bring another perspective to ultimately unanswerable questions. St Francis of Assisi comes to mind. In the language of the Buddhists he was non-dualistic. He respected all people and all creation and could dialogue with Moslem sultans. These prophets are the type of people the church needs.

Michael said...

With his readership running into the millions, perhaps he should be invited to come back to the Dominicans and take over editingAlive

Póló said...

Oh Michael. You are awful!

Michael Commane said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Póló said...

My comment above refers to the suggestion that the rag ALIVE be turned into something useful. Whatever would Father Brian do then?

Michael Commane said...

It is believed/rumoured that Fr Brian is no longer editor of 'Alive'.

Póló said...

Interesting you should say that. I have checked and he is listed in the paper as editor up to and including the January 2019 issue. Subsequent issues do not name any editor.

Anonymous said...

Any idea who the current editor is? And why the change? Has the freesheet still links with the Dominicans?

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