Every believer a moral law unto themselves would be a renewal in Catholic teaching claims theologian

Rejected dean continues to work on sexual morality

The moral theologian Martin Lintner, who was elected dean of the Philosophical-Theological University (PTH) of Bressanone in June but did not receive the necessary approval from the Vatican, continues to teach and publish on the sexual morality of the Roman Catholic Church. This was the reason for the Vatican's rejection.

A rare photograph of Father Lintner actually in church.  Second from left.

The theologian may continue to teach and publish, but he is not allowed to hold a leading office. In an interview with religion.ORF.at, Lintner talks about power structures, hierarchies and about his new book on Christian relationship ethics, with which he wants to make a constructive contribution.

religion.ORF.at: Professor Lintner, the Vatican has refused you the "Nihil obstat" (a declaration of no objection) and thus ruled out your being able to take up the position of dean. First of all, the question How do you feel about this?

Lintner: Of course it is not a pleasant thing. At first, when I got the information, I was disappointed. Then, at a second moment, I was rather surprised that these rules are obviously still being applied in the Vatican - despite the reform of the Curia and also despite the fact that Pope Francis has made it clear from the beginning of his pontificate that he also wants to improve the relationship between the Magisterium or the Roman Curia and the theologians. There was also no clarifying consultation, neither with the bishop nor with the university that elected me, nor with myself. Overall, however, it did not give me sleepless nights.

Reported for book

religion.ORF.at: The bone of contention is your attitude towards Catholic sexual morality. And a book of yours that is already a few years old seems to have caused a stir: "Detoxifying Eros". Do you have the impression that the dicastery responsible had this book in its drawer so that it could pull it out when it was appropriate?

Lintner: Yes, this book was already published in 2011, and it is indeed the case that I was denounced at that time. Then in 2012 I received mail from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith via the bishop. At that time, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith examined the book and came to the conclusion that I did not contradict the Church's doctrine, but that my position on some points needed to be clarified.

We did that in succession about our bishop in South Tyrol. And I would have thought then that the subject was settled. But obviously that is not the case. And so now, eleven or twelve years later, people have actually resorted to it again, albeit in a vague way. They have already referred to my publications on sexual morality, but they have not explicitly stated what it is about. So it is basically a very obscure matter.

Approach to the renewal of sexual ethics

religion.ORF.at: In your book you plead for taking people's experiences into account. Seen from the outside, it seems - exaggeratedly formulated - that the celibate, predominantly older men sitting at the decisive levers in the Vatican still determine how two people should shape their love life.

Lintner: Yes, I think this reproach is also quite justified. And that is why the approach of a renewal of sexual ethics is important. That means trying to educate people's consciences and not telling them what to do. I think I can say that the Catholic Church still has certain problems with freedom of conscience.

It is relatively easy to apply this to freedom of religion. In the meantime, she really is an institution worldwide, which means freedom of religion, and she does so with all clarity and explicitness. But not with regard to moral teaching. This was always a major area of conflict during the pontificate of John Paul II. He argued that a Catholic cannot deviate from the teaching of the Magisterium on crucial moral issues. And that remains a sticking point to this day.

Of course, we can do everything to enable people to support the formation of conscience, but we cannot take this decision away from anyone. And if, after examining all the circumstances and criteria, someone comes to a decision contrary to Church teaching, then we have to respect that.

Connection between sexual morality and cases of abuse

religion.ORF.at: It is also about power and hierarchies. According to experts, it is precisely these hierarchical structures, but also the rigid sexual morals, that play a major role in the abuse scandals. Wouldn't the Catholic Church be well advised, especially in view of the abuse scandals, to rethink its sexual teachings and check them for weaknesses?

Lintner: Definitely. Above all, it is necessary to work out in a very differentiated way what connections there are between the really frequent cases of abuse and misuse in the Catholic environment and sexual morality; we are in the middle of a process here. The whole Synodal Path in Germany was initiated precisely because of this question.

(Cathcon: rather the abuse scandals were caused by a lack of Catholic morality)

The famous MHG study (an interdisciplinary research project of the universities of Mannheim, Heidelberg and Giessen; note), for example, also points to this. It does say - and this is also what experts are currently saying - that there is no causal connection.

But it also says that we have to ask which personality traits and which personality structures have been fostered by a rigid sexual morality that has given little room to conscience and which then encourage abuse. And on this level, we as the Catholic Church are extremely well advised to take a very close look. Especially in connection with the question of power and the exercise of power within the Catholic Church.

Content versus "moralising mirror"

religion.ORF.at: Your next publication on the topic is already in the starting blocks. Your book "Christian Relationship Ethics, Historical Developments, Biblical Foundations and Current Perspectives" will be published soon. What is it about?

Lintner: The book will be published by Herder and is the result of years of work. In it, I try to summarise my research results once again. It also gives me the opportunity to go into exactly what the teaching profession is asking for. I have not been banned from teaching and publishing, so I see no reason not to be active in this regard.

And the second: I think that precisely with this book I can make a constructive contribution to this problem area that has opened up with the refusal of the "Nihil obstat". In the preface, I also formulate this quite decidedly and openly, that this book also sees itself as a contribution to an open and constructive dialogue between the teaching authority and theology in the area of relational ethics.

In this respect, we are in a development process where it is still open in which direction it will go. We have mentioned the abuse scandal, and there are also others, the whole socio-cultural developments: People who live in partnerships and families that do not correspond to Church teaching. Do we also have something to say to them? Or do we only have to hold up a moralising mirror to them? It goes as far as dealing with gender identities, gender studies etc. I am not claiming that what I present must be the teaching of the Church tomorrow. But I do claim to make a constructive contribution.

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