Three Bishops refute flawed theology of Fr. Andrew Greeley

No other Vatican memorandum has caused so much controversy in recent times as has that written by the head of the Vatican’s second most important dicastery of the Roman Curia.

Moreover, one Cardinal and one Catholic priest are at the forefront of this controversy, namely Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and retired sociologist Father Andrew M. Greeley, Ph.D.

The three Bishops who are refuting Fr. Greeley's recent errant ramblings are:
Bishop Robert Francis Vasa, M.Div., J.C.L., Bishop of Baker, OR,
Bishop Michael J. Sheridan, Bishop of Colorado Springs, CO, and
Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, D.D., S.T.D., Bishop of Lincoln, NE.

Here are some excerpts of their responses:

Bishop Vasa gave the following statement, [in part]:
“I see little sense in entering into a debate about the theological merits of Father Andrew Greeley’s statement in the New York Daily News article of August 10, 2004. I do believe his interpretation of Cardinal Ratzinger’s June Statement is erroneous.

"...Pre-born human life in our country is under consistent and vicious attack and those lives must be defended. As I have said elsewhere, these little ones have no vote but mine and I will use it for them at every opportunity.”

Bishop Sheridan gave the following statement [in part]:
“It is my opinion that Fr. Andrew Greeley’s reading of Cardinal Ratzinger’s memorandum is very incorrect. Nowhere does Fr. Greeley even attempt to deal with the qualifying phrase: “…in the presence of proportionate reasons.”

Both Bishops stated more, which should be read by all.

However, Bishop Bruskewitz has responded more to my way of thinking (with my emphasis added):

Bishop Bruskewitz conveyed through his Vicar General, Monsignor Timothy J. Thorburn, J.C.L., the following assertion:

“No Catholics of any sense will take any pastoral advice from Father Andrew Greeley, a superficial writer who appears to spend his time promoting himself to various elements in the secular media.

“It is often said by priests and people in his native region of Chicago that he long ago published all his thoughts, and in the last decades has been publishing his fantasies.

“In his article in the New York Daily news, fostering a pro-abortion vote (‘so long as it is not merely for that…’), he seems to strongly indicate not only a tragic indifference to abortion, which the Second Vatican Council called ‘an abominable crime,’ but a shallowness of mind akin to a harlequin.

“In his self-important buffoonery, he has appointed himself as instructor to Bishops and to Catholics nationwide. In doing this, he merely announces to every thoughtful Catholic that his views are totally self serving and undeserving of any serious consideration.

“Father Greeley even appointed himself to be an interpreter and spokesman for Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, to the great amusement of all who really know the Cardinal.

“My advice to any Catholics who would ask me about that Greeley article would be to give it the same view as you would the words and acts of a clown.”

This is one of those responses of which I am envious...But I applaud all of the Bishops who have the courage to stand up to imposters such as Fr. Greeley.

Source.