in the tablet editorial this week, more concerning news about the reactionary nature of the American Catholic hierarchy - apparently mirrored right through the community there:

Within the Church and without, issues of gender and sexuality lie at the root of the so-called “culture wars” that divide American society, and are often replicated along a Democrat/Republican fault line. The rival positions sometimes resolve themselves simply into being for or against President Obama, as they did over the award to him of an honorary degree by the University of Notre Dame or over the bishops’ effort, against the weight of Catholic lay opinion, to block health-care reform in Congress. Although the religious dimension to these culture wars is usually associated with the Protestant evangelical Right, many of the same issues are contested inside the Catholic community too. There is nothing quite like this degree of odium theologicum anywhere else in the world, certainly – thankfully – not in Britain.

Taking fundamental theological issues seriously, and recognising the influence they can have on the surrounding culture, is good; what gives scandal is conducting such disputes without any sense that there is goodwill and good faith on both sides. The absence of this eirenic spirit may explain why the American bishops’ conference did not avail itself of conciliation procedures that had been worked out in advance with the CTSA – and approved by Rome – for handling problems that might arise between bishops and theologians.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has often stood behind the American bishops in their criticism of liberal-minded theologians, but on this occasion it could play a useful role as peacemaker. As she is convinced she has a cast-iron defence, Professor Johnson should not shy away from taking her case to Rome. Without American culture wars in the background and distanced from Fr Weinandy’s overt prejudice, she might hope for a fairer hearing and a more edifying outcome.