There is a pretty good article located at National Catholic Reporter, that brings up some interesting ethical points regarding Bishop Olmsted’s excommunication of the Sister of Mercy, Sr. Margaret Mary McBride. I posted a little commentary earlier regarding the situation.Here’s a quote from the article:
While theologians and canonists dispute whether excommunications can be issued so broadly and unequivocally without a more detailed process, the primary objections deal with issues at the heart of the case. Both the recent reactions, as well as writings, of a range of theologians and canonists whose work spans a good portion of the liberal-to-conservative spectrum, suggests that the approach of Olmsted and his chief ethicist, Fr. John Ehrich, while defensible under the most rigid reading of canon law, is outside of the mainstream of scholarship and thinking on the matter.These experts faulted Olmsted’s action for several reasons:
- It does not, for instance, take into account such factors as the intent of those involved, a consideration regularly applied to other complex moral problems.
- It does not ask if the death of the fetus — assured whether the decision was to do nothing to save the life of the mother or to remove the fetus from the mother’s womb — should even enter into “the moral framework” in this instance.
- Its application in this case is inconsistent with the approach the church takes to other grave public sins, such as support of the death penalty, war, or clergy accused of sexual abuse, including rape, of children.
- In a pastoral sense, the sanction was unnecessarily heavy-handed, given the agonizing circumstances involved. (more…)
If you haven’t heard yet, Bishop Olmsted of the Roman Church has