Murray's long winter.I applaud your intellectual courage in publishing Luke Timothy Johnson's article "After the Big Chill" (January 27). His vision of "a healthy balance between magisterial mag·is·te·ri·al adj. 1. a. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a master or teacher; authoritative: a magisterial account of the history of the English language. b. authority and theological inquiry" merits the attention of every bishop from Rome to Reykjavik. Hierarchical authority is indeed indispensable to insure the accuracy of Catholic doctrine. Still, pope and bishop would do well to look into the "chills" of the past. One example: in 1955 Jesuit theologian the·o·lo·gi·an n. One who is learned in theology. theologian Noun a person versed in the study of theology Noun 1. John Courtney Murray The Reverend John Courtney Murray, SJ (September 12, 1904—August 16, 1967), was a Jesuit priest, theologian, and prominent American intellectual who was especially known for his efforts to reconcile Catholicism and religious pluralism, religious freedom, and the American was informed that anything he published on religious freedom or church and state required prior approval from Rome. Unable to work under such a restriction, yet unwilling to disobey dis·o·bey v. dis·o·beyed, dis·o·bey·ing, dis·o·beys v.intr. To refuse or fail to follow an order or rule. v.tr. To refuse or fail to obey (an order or rule). , Murray had to maintain a difficult silence on those issues for almost a decade, until the Second Vatican Council Noun 1. Second Vatican Council - the Vatican Council in 1962-1965 that abandoned the universal Latin liturgy and acknowledged ecumenism and made other reforms Vatican II Vatican Council - each of two councils of the Roman Catholic Church , when he served as the principal architect of the Declaration on Religious Freedom. Chills such as this can only harm the church, undermine authority and theological inquiry, and confuse the faithful. Johnson's article, if taken seriously, should warm the current climate. WALTER J. BURGHARDT, SJ Merion Station, Pa. |
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