A book that “does not conform to the Catholic teaching”, and therefore “cannot be used as a valid expression of Catholic teaching, either in counselling and formation, or in ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue”. This is how the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, in a Notification published today, defines the volume “Just Love. A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics” by Sister Margaret A. Farley, that contains “positions that are in direct contradiction with Catholic teaching in the field of sexual morality”. “Expressing profound regret” about the Sister, who is a member of an institute of consecrated life, the Congregation mentions that, in a letter dated 29th March 2009 “the doctrinal problems present in the text” had already been pointed out, but the author’s response “did not clarify these problems in a satisfactory manner. Because the matter concerned doctrinal errors present in a book whose publication has been a cause of confusion among the faithful”, the congregation decided to proceed to “an examination in cases of urgency”, which on 8th June 2011 confirmed that the book “contained erroneous propositions, the dissemination of which risks grave harm to the faithful”. Sister Farley’s new response dated 3rd October 2011, “did not adequately clarify the grave problems contained in her book. (continued)

The Notification written by card. William Levada states that “the author does not present a correct understanding of the role of the Church’s Magisterium as the teaching authority of the Bishops united with the Successor of Peter”. “In addressing various moral issues, Sr. Farley either ignores the constant teaching of the Magisterium or, where it is occasionally mentioned, treats it as one opinion among others”. “Such an attitude is in no way justified, even within the ecumenical perspective that she wishes to promote”. In addition, Sister Farley, according to the Holy See, “also manifests a defective understanding of the objective nature of the natural moral law, choosing instead to argue on the basis of conclusions selected from certain philosophical currents or from her own understanding of “contemporary experience”, and “this approach is not consistent with authentic Catholic theology”. “Among the many errors and ambiguities of this book are its positions on masturbation, homosexual acts, homosexual unions, the indissolubility of marriage and the problem of divorce and remarriage”. (continued)

According to Sister Farley, “masturbation actually serves relationships rather than hindering them”, while, in the magisterium of the Church, it “is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action”, because “the deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose”. According to Sister Farley, homosexual acts “can be justified according to the same sexual ethic as heterosexual relationships and activities”. “This opinion is not acceptable. The Catholic Church, in fact, distinguishes between persons with homosexual tendencies and homosexual acts”: the former “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity”, and “every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided”. Homosexual acts “are intrinsically disordered” and “under no circumstances can they be approved”. Sister Farley also supports the recognition of homosexual unions with a “position that is opposed” to that of the Church, according to which “the respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to legal recognition of homosexual unions”. (continued)

A “marriage commitment is subject to release on the same ultimate grounds that any extremely serious, nearly unconditional, permanent commitment may cease to bind”. Therefore, “the obligation must be released, and the commitment can be justifiably changed”. This is how in her book Sister Farley challenges the indissolubility of marriage, a key concept in the doctrine of the Church, according to which “conjugal love requires the inviolable fidelity of the spouses”. According to the Church, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith recalls, “love seeks to be definitive” and cannot be “‘until further notice’”. Finally, Sister Farley states she is in favour of remarriage: “whatever ongoing obligation a residual bond entails, it need not include a prohibition of remarriage”, she states. On the contrary, the Catholic teaching “excludes the possibility of remarriage after divorce”. Even if “today there are numerous Catholics in many countries who have recourse to civil divorce and contract new civil unions”, the Church states that “a new union cannot be recognized as valid, if the first marriage was”. So divorced people “find themselves in a situation that objectively contravenes God‘s law” and cannot have access to Eucharistic Communion.