A new theology on sexuality

The problem of the ongoing child abuse scandal within the Roman Catholic Church continues to escalate with new revelations taking place just about every other day in various parts of the Catholic world. The Church itself seems unable to stem the flow. Whenever Pope Benedict is confronted with its victims all he is able to offer is his apologies. At the same time the church has offered little more than legalistic preventative measures that will hopefully stop future abuse by members of the clergy. But are these measures deep enough? What changes in theology are we likely to expect that will enhance and heal the lives of both victim and deviate?

Strange as it may seem such theology has been accessible for at least twenty years . Unfortunately the Church would not adopt it because it originated through the inspired words of a former Roman Catholic theologian by the name of Matthew Fox. This priest was silenced in 1988 for his denial surrounding the question of 'original sin' by none other than our present Pope Benedict XVI. What follows is my feeble attempt to summarize some of Matthew Fox's prophetic views on human sexuality and the healing theology it embraces.

Matthew Fox in his book 'The Coming of the Cosmic Christ' (1988) shares how religion has very little to tell us that is good news about sexuality, which is so special a gift of the cosmos. No rites have ever been established celebrating sexuality – the only response has been silence! There are no puberty rites, no effective rites of passage for our young to celebrate the immense news that they are now fit and able to pass on the mystery of human life. A second response to sexuality from our religions is moralizing. Telling us all the sins we are capable of performing with our sexual organs does not enlighten us about our sexuality. "In the name of moralizing, so Fox states, "the mystery of sexuality has been so often reduced to problems of morality." The Western church, following in the spirit of St. Augustine, basically regrets the fact that we are sexual, sensual creatures. "If only sexuality would go away," the message goes, "we could get on with important issues of faith."

Thankfully, Fox reminds us there is another tradition besides St. Augustine's regarding our bodiliness and deep sexual natures-the tradition of praise. It is time that the voice of the churches joined the voices of the other creatures to praise the Creator for the surprising and imaginative gift of our sexuality.

At the same time Fox warns us that the Cosmic Christ is abused when sexuality is used as a weapon to keep people down or to play our games of control or power. The Cosmic Christ is wounded when people are victims of rape, impotence, sterility, or sexual scapegoating (the projection of repressed sexuality onto sexual minorities. Among the wounds that the Cosmic Christ bears are the sexual wounds that accompany a person or group victimized by sexual oppression of any kind. The Cosmic Christ is becoming less tolerant of those who try to cover up sexuality or pretend that it is not important to psyche and to love.

In a subsequent chapter Matthew Fox introduces readers to the term 'ADULTISM' meaning the premature 'aborting' of the lives of our youth before they become adults through abuse, neglect and indifference. (Fundamentalist Pro-Life groups take note) Matthew takes readers through some staggering and disturbing statistics showing how the lives of our youth are affected through depression accidents, homicide, or suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. etc. In light of the current and unresolved sexual abuse crisis within the church in 2010 these statistics are even more worrisome and frightening.

Religious and spiritual abuse of our children has become rampant in the past few years of rising fundamentalists aggression in our culture. Rare is the teacher or minister or priest who has not encountered what I (Fox)have on numerous occasions: children of fundamentalists or young fundamentalists with no ego, no self-respect, no tolerance for diversity, no love of creation, no sense of humour, no sense of sexual identity or joy. The Cosmic Christ within them has been aborted. (Pro-Life groups take note again). Children are being deprived of a living cosmology, of an affirmation of their cosmic calling and cosmic destiny – they are experiencing another kind of abuse that of life without adventure. Where does one learn this loss of reverence for one's own divinity, one's own beauty, one's own glory – if not from those who run the society – the adults?

Then concluding his chapter Fox through the words of Dorothee Soelle prophetically (especially for today) warns "it is endemic to an unjust civilization to cover up the pain of its victims. The youth are paying a tremendous and painful price for our current civilization". The cause of their suffering: adultism.

When will this Pope, Bishop, priest or member of the Roman Catholic Church finally say, 'This is enough!'

IMPORTANT: Matthew Fox describes the term Cosmic Christ as the "pattern that connects" all the atoms and galaxies of the universe, a pattern of divine love and justice that all creatures and all humans bear with them. It is the Cosmic Christ who lives and breathes in Jesus and in all God's children, in all the prophets of religions everywhere, in all creatures of the universe.

Note: Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM is perhaps the only Roman Catholic priest today offering an effective program dealing with 'rites of passage' for men. For details visit: http://www.malespirituality.org/rites_of_passage.htm

The Sexual Abuse Scandal & Theology

Experts tell us that the sexual abuse scandal within the church is both endemic and systemic. Interestingly, and certainly not surprisingly Catholic teaching on sexuality has a very strong basis or focus on sin. The development of Catholic moral theology, points especially to the legacy of Augustine and this saint's preoccupation with sin. Augustine who struggled with lust throughout his life has come under increasing criticism in recent times for his excessive sexual pessimism. Augustine, a favourite of Benedict XVI, linked sex so strictly with procreation that he held as sinful all sexual activity by married couples that was not consciously ordained to procreation. During the Middle Ages, as the sexual body became to be seen as evil, the self flagellation of body hatred became the highest form of devotion. To quote James Carroll "The sexual body now became an "occasion of sin" to be subdued". Among Augustine's many teachings such as 'original sin' he believed that people tend toward evil. This theology especially on sexuality continues to influence the Church's position on such matters as celibacy, contraception, abortion, masturbation, premarital sex, and homosexual relations.

When a church is so negatively inclined toward human sexuality, it cannot possibly be expected to find a solution internally to the sexual abuse crisis it now faces. A healthier approach to sexuality must be found. But first the church will have to shed it pessimistic views on sexuality it has held as sacrosanct for so long. And that will require a brand new theology – one that rejects what was pronounced by St. Augustine and begun with Vatican II. Perhaps we should all learn to re-read and absorb one of the greatest and sensuous chapters ever written about human sexuality – The Song of Songs. It would be interesting to learn how other religions view sexuality.

Which Cardinal or bishop is going to be the first to admit that the Church's theology on sexuality is at the root of the problem? Remember it only took the Church nearly four hundred years to admit Galileo was right.

The second hurdle to be overcome by the Church, in regards to the sexual abuse crisis, is its hierarchical leadership structure and the theological basis which supports it. This structure is clearly visible when members of the clergy view themselves as elevated above rather than totally integrated with the laity. Jesus taught equality not superiority. Jesus clearly denounced earthly kingdoms during his time in the dessert. The Church seems more interested in protecting a religious kingdom with a power that reaches beyond that of the people and nations it serves. The theology of 'apostolic succession' along with the claim that Jesus came to found a separate church not only denies Jesus' Jewish heritage but also his call to EVERYONE to bring about a worldwide community based on God's kingdom values. As long as the Church sees itself as special and separate from the world it cannot be expected to look inwardly. Hence the required changes will not take place. Which Cardinal and which Bishop is prepared to accept this challenge?

One of the most natural and valuable teaching tools we possess is learning by trial. We probably learn more from our mistakes then by any other means. But we will be bound by our mistakes if we never learn from our mistakes. That is why I wanted to examine how Catholic theology may have contributed to the Church's handling of the sexual abuse scandal.

Some other facts about St. Augustine

Augustine developed a theology of just war,

Augustine struggled with lust throughout his life.

As a youth Augustine lived a hedonistic lifestyle
Augustine underwent a profound personal crisis, which led him to convert to Christianity, abandon his career in rhetoric, quit his teaching position in Milan,
eventualy gave up any ideas of marriage, and devote himself entirely to serving God and to the practices of priesthood, which included celibacy.
as a bishop he used to warn, that one should avoid mathematicians who combine science and horoscopes

He believed all people tend toward evil

students must be physically punished when they allow their evil desires to direct their actions

He also wrote "On Free Choice Of The Will," answering why God gives humans free will that can be used for evil.

Augustine's arguments against magic, differentiating it from miracle, were crucial in the early Church's fight against paganism and became a central thesis in the later denunciation of witches and witchcraft.
Augustine taught that Adam's guilt as transmitted to his descendants much enfeebles

Augustine took the view that the Biblical text should not be interpreted as properly literal, but rather as metaphorical, if it contradicts what we know from science and our God-given reason

Augustine taught that Original sin of Adam and Eve was either an act of foolishness (insipientia) followed by pride and disobedience to God or the opposite: pride came first

The sin of Adam is inherited by all human beings

He often said that any can be saved if they wish. While God knows who will be saved and who will not,
he believed in papal supremacy
Augustine taught that the eternal fate of the soul is determined at death,and that purgatorial fires of the intermediate state purify only those that died in communion with the Church. His teaching provided fuel for later theology.

Augustine struggled with lust throughout his life. He had a mistress before he converted, but once he became a Christian, he condemned all forms of extra-marital sex (including his previous relationship with his mistress),

For Augustine, the evil was not in the sexual act itself, but rather in the emotions that typically accompany it.

Augustine's life experience led him to consider lust to be one of the most grievous sins, and a serious obstacle to the virtuous life

St Augustine "vigorously condemned the practice of induced abortion" as a crime, in any stage of pregnancy

At the risk of being too critical of St. Augustine - he did say many other wonderful and inspiring things.

On gratitude

For more then twenty years, beginning with my conversion to Roman Catholicism, I participated and eventually directed weekly Adult Formation sessions better known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).

Throughout those years my passion for this rewarding task continued to grow as did my understanding of what it meant to accompany adult inquirers on a Catholic faith journey. My own experience as a convert proved to be a valuable asset along with numerous applicable leadership training seminars, including achieving a Diploma in Ministry from a world renowned Catholic University. Immediately prior to that period I completed five years of Catholic adult education studies under the direct tutelage from several extremely gifted, wise and compassionate religious order priests. It was during one of these sessions that one of these marvelous teachers offered us a challenge (with an obvious reference to the growing conservative attitude of the Church) that will remain with me forever. “If you don’t agree with what is happening in our Church” our instructor went on the say “then it is you that will have to find ways to implement change, because our hands are tied” as he clasped his hands as though handcuffed!

As dedicated members of our parish my wife and I served on many committees including Pastoral Council, Finance, Development & Peace, Grief, Marriage Prep., etc. not to mention hosting annual Seder meals, and several anniversary dinners for members of the parish clergy.

In the past twenty years I enjoyed many wonderful opportunities to share the ‘good news’ with interested adults throughout our diocese(we visited as many as twenty five separate parishes). Presentations aimed at spiritual renewal included ‘Life in the Spirit’, plus a series of Lenten reflection programs such ‘An Evening with Fr. Anthony de Mello, Henri Nouwen and Fr. Richard Rohr, just to name a few. All of these group programs were well received benefitting both recipient and presenter.

My work as a catechist and presenter, at these various functions came to a rather abrupt end. A newly appointed priest at our local parish took exception to my honest questions regarding certain theological differences and suggested I take an immediate ‘six month leave of absence’!

The unexpected response, mirrored the growing negative and fearful attitude, (explained in these pages) now so very evident among church leadership even at the highest levels. Subsequently we made the difficult, painful and necessary decision to leave the Roman Catholic Church.

With the exception of several dear priest friends, no (un)official attempt has ever been made, by this same distant church leadership to discover or heal the wounds that brought us, and so many others, to this decision.