Richard Peter McBrien (August 19, 1936 – January 25, 2015) was a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
priest, theologian, and writer, who was the Crowley-O'Brien Professor of Theology at the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...
in
South Bend, Indiana
South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...
, U.S. He authored twenty-five books, including the very popular ''Catholicism'', a reference text on the Church after the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
.
Biography
Richard P. McBrien was born on August 19, 1936, the fourth of five children of Thomas H. and Catherine (Botticelli) McBrien.
[ His father was a police officer, his mother a nurse. McBrien earned his bachelor's degree at St. Thomas Seminary in ]Bloomfield, Connecticut
Bloomfield is a suburb of Hartford in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town's population was 21,535 at the 2020 census. Bloomfield is best known as the headquarters of healthcare services company Cigna.
History
Originally land ...
, in 1956, and a master's at St. John Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts
Brighton is a Municipal annexation in the United States, former town and current Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, located in the northwestern corner of the city. It is named after the English city of ...
, in 1962.[ He was ordained as a Catholic priest for the ]Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford
The Archdiocese of Hartford is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties in the U.S. State of Connecticut. The archdiocese includes about 470,000 Catholics, more ...
in 1962. His first assignment as a priest was at Our Lady of Victory Church in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
.[ McBrien obtained his doctorate in theology from the ]Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy.
The Gregorian originated as ...
in Rome in 1967. He taught at the Pope John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, about 15 miles west of Boston. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, the population of Weston was 11,851.
Weston was incorporated in 1713, and protectio ...
.[
McBrien authored several books and articles discussing Catholicism. He is most well known for his authorship of ''Catholicism''. He also served as president of the ]Catholic Theological Society of America The Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA) is a professional association of Catholic theologians founded in 1946 to promote studies and research in theology within the Catholic tradition. Its members are primarily in the United States and C ...
from 1974–1975. In 1976 he was the awarded the John Courtney Murray Award The John Courtney Murray Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Catholic Theological Society of America, named after John Courtney Murray, the great American theologian known for his work on religious liberty.
Winners
* 2021: Susan K. Wood, S ...
for outstanding and distinguished accomplishments in theology. McBrien served as Chair of the Department of Theology of the University of Notre Dame from 1980 to 1991. Prior to going to Notre Dame, McBrien taught at Boston College, where he was director of the Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry.
McBrien's scholarly interests included ecclesiology
In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of the Church, the origins of Christianity, its relationship to Jesus, its role in salvation, its polity, its discipline, its eschatology, and its leadership.
In its early history, one of the ...
, the relationship between religion and politics, and the theological, doctrinal, and spiritual aspects of the Catholic Church. McBrien published 25 books and was the general editor of the ''Encyclopedia of Catholicism''.[ He also served as an on-air commentator on Catholic events for ]CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
in addition to his regular contribution as a commentator on several major television networks. He was also a consultant for ''ABC News''. He wrote several essays for the ''National Catholic Reporter
The ''National Catholic Reporter'' (''NCR'') is a progressive national newspaper in the United States that reports on issues related to the Catholic Church. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, ''NCR'' was founded by Robert Hoyt in 1964. Hoyt want ...
'' as well as for '' The Tidings'' in Los Angeles. He produced a syndicated theological column for the Catholic press, ''Essays in Theology''.
Notre Dame Professor of Theology Brian Daley described his colleague as representing "what had been a pretty widespread point of view among Catholic theologians in the late 60s and 70s: liberal on the 'hot-button' issues, but – as he saw it – still theologically defensible. By the late 80s, though, this approach had definitely become a minority voice."
McBrien died after a lengthy illness at his home in Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 26,712 at the 2020 census. It sits 10 miles west of Hartford at the hub of major I-84 interchanges, 20 miles s ...
, on January 25, 2015, at the age of 78.
Controversies
McBrien was a controversial figure in the American Catholic Church, mainly because of conflict surrounding his published works and public remarks.
USCCB critique of ''Catholicism''
McBrien's ''Catholicism'' sold over 150,000 copies in its original two-volume, 1980 edition. Together with its revised, one-volume edition (1994), ''Catholicism'' was a widely used reference text and found in parish libraries throughout the United States. ''Catholicism'' does not bear ''nihil obstat
''Nihil obstat'' (Latin for "nothing hinders" or "nothing stands in the way") is a declaration of no objection that warrants censoring of a book, e.g., Catholic published books, to an initiative, or an appointment.
Publishing
The phrase ''ni ...
'' or ''imprimatur
An ''imprimatur'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''impr.'', from Latin, "let it be printed") is a declaration authorizing publication of a book. The term is also applied loosely to any mark of approval or endorsement. The imprimatur rule in the R ...
'' declarations from the Church that state the book is free of moral or doctrinal error.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...
Committee on Doctrine found that the book "poses pastoral problems particularly as a textbook in undergraduate college courses and in parish education programs," and "as a book for people who are not specialists in theological reasoning and argumentation, ''Catholicism'' poses serious difficulties."[ The Committee on Doctrine noted that McBrien had presented some core Catholic teachings as one view among many, instead of as the authoritative views of the Church. The USCCB also said that the book contained statements which are "inaccurate or misleading," that it exaggerates "plurality" within the Catholic theological tradition, and that it overemphasizes "change and development" in the history of Catholic doctrine even though official dogmas of the Catholic Church are, according to the ]Magisterium
The magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church is the church's authority or office to give authentic interpretation of the Word of God, "whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition." According to the 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Chur ...
, unchangeable truths.[National Council of Catholic Bishops (April 9, 1996)]
Review of Fr. McBrien's ''Catholism.''
CatholicCulture.org. Retrieved on: 2009-04-05. After the USCCB criticism of ''Catholicism'', a number of diocesan newspapers dropped his column.[
]
"Seamless garment"
In 2004 McBrien wrote a column supporting "Seamless garment" theory propounded by the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin
Joseph Louis Bernardin (April 2, 1928 – November 14, 1996) was an American Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1972 until 1982, and as Archbishop of Chicago from 1982 until his death in 1996 from ...
of Chicago in 1983, which holds that issues such as abortion, capital punishment, militarism, euthanasia, social injustice, and economic injustice all demand a consistent application of moral principles that value the sacredness of human life. His position prompted criticism from what McBrien characterized as “single-issue, anti-abortion Catholics."[
]
Reviews of ''Encyclopedia of Catholicism''
McBrien also served as the general editor of ''The Harper Collins Encyclopedia of Catholicism''. According to Thomas Guarino, "one has the impression that it was written for undergraduates who have little or no idea of what was once the common world and parlance of Catholic culture." The review itself elaborates, "It is intended as a handy reference for students or journalists who need a quick and succinct explanation of some Catholic term or practice." It concludes by stating that some "articles are models of precision and succinctness. The better ones include Revelation, Apostolic Succession, Conciliarism, Faith, Hell, Heresy, Homosexuality, Immortality, Inerrancy, Justification, Magisterium, Mary, Purgatory, and the Vicar of Christ. These have the merit of explaining clearly and concisely what the Catholic Church believes and why."
Accusation of plagiarism
In March 2006, the Cardinal Newman Society sent an allegation of plagiarism against McBrien to the University of Notre Dame, where he taught, the second allegation in three months. McBrien denied having plagiarized, and John Cavadini, Chair of Notre Dame’s theology department, dismissed the charges raised by the society, which he described as a "militant, right-wing Catholic interest group."
''The Da Vinci Code''
McBrien served as a paid consultant for the controversial film ''The Da Vinci Code
''The Da Vinci Code'' is a 2003 mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown. It is Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon: the first was his 2000 novel ''Angels & Demons''. ''The Da Vinci Code'' follows symbologist Robert Langdon ...
''.["Fr. Richard McBrien named in ‘apparent plagiarism’", ''Catholic News Agency'', January 16, 2006](_blank)
Retrieved on: 2009-04-05.
Eucharistic adoration
In September 2009, McBrien published an article in the ''National Catholic Reporter
The ''National Catholic Reporter'' (''NCR'') is a progressive national newspaper in the United States that reports on issues related to the Catholic Church. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, ''NCR'' was founded by Robert Hoyt in 1964. Hoyt want ...
'' in which he criticized the practice of Eucharistic adoration by calling it "a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward."
Criticism of popes
In a 1991 op-ed piece, McBrien discussed "the prolonged, slow-motion coup that has been under way in the church since the election of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
in October 1978," in which he saw "Ecclesiastical hard-liners, fearful of the loss of power and privilege,... attempting to reverse the new, progressive course set by Pope John XXIII."[
During a 1992 talk in Indianapolis, he criticised "current discipline on obligatory celibacy and the ordination of women" and challenged Catholics to take far more seriously the teachings of the Church on social justice, service, and evangelisation.]
In 2012 McBrien told ''The National Catholic Reporter'', "If there are any reasons for the bad patch the church is now going through, it is the appointments to the hierarchy and the promotions within made by John Paul and Benedict. By and large, they have all been conservative."
Works
McBrien's ''Lives of Saints'' and ''Lives of the Popes'' provided detailed biographical information and discussed the larger religious and historical significance of saints and popes. He later published pocket guides to each of these volumes to supply more accessible information.
* ''Religion and Politics in America'', (1987)
* ''Lives of the Popes: The Pontiffs from Saint Peter to John Paul II'' (HarperSanFrancisco, 2000 (revised in 2006), )
''The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism''
(2008, )
''The Pocket Guide to the Popes''
(HarperSanFrancisco, 2006, )
''The Pocket Guide to the Saints''
(HarperSanFrancisco, 2006, )
*''Lives of the Saints: From Mary and St. Francis of Assisi to John XXIII and Mother Teresa'' (HarperSanFrancisco, 2006, )
*''101 Questions & Answers on the Church'' (Paulist Press, 2003, )
*''Responses to 101 Questions on the Church'' (Paulist Press, 1996, )
''The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism''
(HarperSanFrancisco, 1995, )
*''Inside Catholicism (Signs of the Sacred)'' (HarperCollins, 1995, ) A Roman Catholic theology, history, and morality.
*''How To Give Up Sex'' (co-authored with Roger Planer and John Riley: Hodder & Stoughton, 1989, )
''Ministry: A Theological, Pastoral Handbook''
(HarperSanFrancisco, 1988, )
*''Caesar's Coin: Religion and Politics in America'' (MacMillan, 1987, )
*''In Search of God'' (Dimension Books, 1977, )
*''The Remaking of the Church: An Agenda for Reform'' (Harper & Row, 1973, )
*''For the Inquiring Catholic: Questions and Answers for the 1970s'' (Dimension Books, 1973)
*''Who is a Catholic?'' (Dimension Books, 1971)
*''Church: The Continuing Quest'' (Paulist Press, 1970, )
*''The Church in the Thought of Bishop John Robinson'' (Westminster Press 1966, SCM Press 1966)
References
External links
Richard McBrien's personal website
Richard McBrien's author profile
Richard McBrien at Notre Dame
{{DEFAULTSORT:McBrien, Richard
2015 deaths
1936 births
People from Farmington, Connecticut
20th-century American Roman Catholic priests
Ecclesiologists
21st-century American Roman Catholic theologians
Boston College faculty
University of Notre Dame faculty
Catholics from Connecticut
Presidents of the Catholic Theological Society of America
21st-century American Roman Catholic priests