Sunday, March 22, 2009

USF UPDATE: Reverend Pizzuto to Speak at St. Rita's Church

This week's Catholic San Francisco newspaper included this item in the "Lenten Opportunities" section:

"Following in the Footsteps of St. Paul, A Tuesdays of Lent series at St. Rita Church, 100 Marinda Dr. in Fairfax. Soup supper at 6:15 p.m. precedes 7 p.m. . . . March 31: Pauline Christology in New Testament hymns with Vincent Pizzuto, Ph. D." (Emphasis added)

Readers of "A Shepherd's Voice" are familiar with the Reverend Pizzuto. He is Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco. Neither his biographical page, nor his CV page on the USF website mention that in 2007 the Reverend Pizzuto was ordained by Bishop Joseph Grenier, an ex-Catholic priest, into the "Celtic Christian Church." This is also not mentioned in the notice that was printed in Catholic San Francisco.

Why is this? Religious ordination is a pretty important step. The reason is: the Celtic Christian Church is not in communion with the Catholic Church.

That the Reverend Pizzuto was moving away from, or had already moved away from the Catholic Church was indicated in a statement he made at the "Is It Ethical to be Catholic?: Queer Perspectives" seminar held on February 12, 2006 at Most Holy Redeemer Church:

"Similar questions of ethics have also driven faithful Catholics beyond the confines of the Roman church where they might more faithfully live out their catholic faith elsewhere. And I count myself among them." (Emphasis added)

Reverend Pizzuto confirmed his alienation from the Church's teaching on sexuality in another statement he made on March 26, 2006 at the "Alienated Catholics" seminar, hosted at the (Jesuit) St. Agnes Church in San Francisco:

"Thus, despite coming up against Magisterial teachings to the contrary, the alienation which homosexual catholics experience is not rooted in that which they believe to be intrinsic to Christian tradition itself, but rather, is associated with an erroneous interpretation of tradition imposed by the teaching authorities of the church. To put it plainly, we simply disagree with the church's interpretation of Scripture and Tradition which we otherwise experience as affirming." (Emphasis added)


So: the Reverend Pizzuto was a Catholic who abandoned the faith because he disagreed with its teaching on sexuality. If that were all there was to it, one could say "fair enough," but the story does not stop there. A number of questions present themselves:

1) Why is the Reverend Pizzuto still being allowed to teach theology at a "Catholic" University? From the code of Canon Law:

Canon 833. The following are obliged personally to make a profession of faith according to the formula approved by the Apostolic See:

7/ in the presence of the grand chancellor or, in his absence, in the presence of the local ordinary or their delegates, the rector of an ecclesiastical or Catholic university, when the rector’s function begins; in the presence of the rector if he is a priest or in the presence of the local ordinary or their delegates, teachers in any universities whatsoever who teach disciplines pertaining to faith or morals, when they begin their function; (Emphasis added)

The "profession of faith according to the formula approved by the Apostolic See" can be found here.

I ask: How can the Reverend Pizzuto possibly make a Profession of Faith to the Catholic Church when he has left the Catholic Church?

2) I further ask: Why is he being allowed to speak in a teaching function at St. Rita's Church? Certainly, ecumenical speakers can sometimes be welcomed at Catholic Churches, but should that welcome be extended to a person who has abandoned the Catholic faith because he quite openly disagrees with it, and has not only embraced another religion, but has been ordained as a priest in that religion?

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
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Notes:

1) Reverend Pizzuto's USF Biographical page.
2) Reverend Pizzuto's USF CV
3) Reverend Pizzuto's Ordination
4) The Celtic Christian Church
5) "Is it Ethical to be Catholic? Queer Perspectives" seminar
6) "Alienated Catholics" seminar

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You asked, "How can the Reverend Pizzuto possibly make a Profession of Faith to the Catholic Church when he has left the Catholic Church?"

According to your own post, you quote Rev. Pizzuto as saying three years ago, "Similar questions of ethics have also driven faithful Catholics beyond the confines of the ROMAN church where they might more faithfully live out their catholic faith elsewhere. And I count myself among them."

As one can see, Rev. Pizzuto seemed to recognize that the Catholic Church is not just the "Roman church", just as many Catholics make a profession of faith to the Catholic Church but do not consider themselves Roman Catholic.

Likewise, your second question presumes he has "abandoned the Catholic faith", but his words specifically refer to the "Roman church" rather than the Catholic faith.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Anonymous (March25) for your wonderful explanation! So very true.

Gibbons in SF said...

Anonymous 7:33, you are making my argument for me.

As you observe, the Reverend Pizzuto makes a distinction between what he calls the "Roman Church" and "elsewhere"--and he has left the former and chosen to become ordained as a minister "elsewhere."