Controversy
A review of de Mello's work by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith </wiki/Congregation_for_the_Doctrine_of_the_Faith> prompted the group to release a lengthy comment expressing their theological concerns. While the group showed appreciation for many of de Mello's writings, some positions were found to be 'incompatible with the Catholic faith'.[1] <#cite_note-0> In an opinion dated June 24, 1998 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI </wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI> , wrote for the Congregation: "But already in certain passages in [his] early works and to a greater degree in his later publications, one notices a progressive distancing from the essential contents of the Christian </wiki/Christian> faith </wiki/Faith> . ... With the present Notification, in order to protect the good of the Christian faithful, this Congregation declares that the above-mentioned positions are incompatible with the Catholic </wiki/Catholic> faith and can cause grave harm." [2] <#cite_note-1> His quite controversial paradigm for Catholic dogma is mainly because many of his ideas were influenced by Thai Buddhist </wiki/Buddhism_in_Thailand> teacher and founder of monasteries Ajahn Chah </wiki/Ajahn_Chah> - who, some[who? </wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_weasel_words> ] say, was a kind of teacher to him. Despite the church's condemnation, his works are popular, especially among those interested in Ignatian spirituality </wiki/St._Ignatius_Loyola> .[citation needed </wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed> ] Some editions of de Mello's books have since been supplemented with the insertion of a caution: "The books of Father Anthony de Mello were written in a multi-religious </wiki/Religious> context to help the followers of other religions </wiki/Religion> , agnostics </wiki/Agnostic> and atheists </wiki/Atheist> in their spiritual </wiki/Spirituality> search, and they were not intended by the author as manuals of instruction of the Catholic faithful in Christian doctrine </wiki/Doctrine> or dogma </wiki/Dogma> ." [3] <#cite_note-2> --- In [email protected], Maria Lopez <flordeloto@...> wrote: > > ED: > Apologies, I gave you the response before in a different post. Posting below link from the wiki. > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_de_Mello <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_de_Mello> > > Mayka
