New book marks 80th birthday of Jesuit once investigated by Vatican

Published: 2003-12-08

ROME (CNS) -- Celebrating his 80th birthday almost three years after the Vatican's doctrinal congregation finished investigating his writing, Belgian Jesuit Father Jacques Dupuis said, "Jesus Christ has been the one passion of my life." Theologians from Rome and other parts of Europe, from India and from the United States gathered at the Gregorian University Dec. 5 to celebrate the Jesuit's birthday with the publication of a book of essays reflecting on his work and on his treatment by the Vatican. The Vatican's 1998-2001 investigation of his book, "Toward a Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism," concluded that while it contained no doctrinal errors there were "ambiguities and difficulties on important points which could lead a reader to erroneous or harmful opinions." Father Dupuis' reflections on the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and of Pope John Paul II that God works through what is good and true in every religion led some critics to doubt his faith in Jesus Christ as the one savior of all humanity.

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