Apologies and Thanks to Cardinal O’Brien
By Dr. Jeff Mirus ( bio - articles - email ) | Mar 05, 2012
Based on several responses to my commentary on Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s “Ash Wednesday Statement” (see Global Warming, Global Repentance), I have decided that my attempt at humor, including my use of sarcasm at Cardinal O’Brien’s expense, resulted in far more heat than light.
My main point—that there is more than enough doubt about global warming, and our personal culpability for it, to make exceedingly unwise a pastoral effort to demand that we repent for it—did not, apparently, shine through as I would have desired. Instead, some people took the piece as my definitive denial of the evidence in favor of global warming (which it was not intended to be), and others took it as a slur on Cardinal O’Brien’s good name. Perhaps I got carried away, delighted (as I so naturally tend to be) by my own wit!
I’ll eventually return to the topic of global warming, on which topic I have no particular expertise, but for now I am delighted with Cardinal O’Brien for focusing on what I regard as a far more central and important problem, namely gay marriage and the attempt by modern Western states to redefine reality. See Cardinal O’Brien: same-sex marriage a ‘grotesque subversion,’ a ‘great wrong’. I commend the Cardinal for his forthright defense of reality on this issue—which is all the more remarkable considering how deflated he must have felt when he read my earlier commentary.
But I’m kidding again. Kudos, indeed, to Cardinal Keith O’Brien!
Jeffrey Mirus holds a Ph.D. in intellectual history from Princeton University. A co-founder of Christendom College, he also pioneered Catholic Internet services. He is the founder of Trinity Communications and CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: -
Mar. 06, 2012 8:05 AM ET USA
Interesting . . . you've got some hyper-sensitive readers out there. I took your posts as neither a definitive denial of warming, nor a slur on the Cardinal's name, but an entirely valid questioning of the wisdom of treating dubious prudential concerns as real spiritual admonitions.
-
Posted by: koinonia -
Mar. 06, 2012 7:21 AM ET USA
Your points should have been well-taken. Levity can take the edge off criticism that is particularly on-point and particularly pertinent to an undesirable trend. We faithful, indeed the world in general, require that Catholic prelates preach the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It appears that Cardinal O'Brien has redirected his commentary quite appropriately.
-
Posted by: Joseph Paul -
Mar. 06, 2012 5:51 AM ET USA
Don't apologise for a minute. Your point was well made.
