McBrien was, legally and technically, in “good standing.” I.e., he was never excommunicated, never suspended from ministry, and had faculties.
He was, however, a sleazy, weasely pro-abortion activist for decades. He was too smart to come out and promote abortion, but he was Mario Cuomo’s “house theologian.” McBrien invited Cuomo to give his infamous pro-abortion speech at Notre Dame in 1984.
We cannot know who is in hell. We have words from our Lord himself telling us that we cannot know.
But McBrien lived a publicly sinful, faithless life, and certainly set himself up, psychologically and morally, by decades of obstinacy and pride, to be incapable of repentance at the end.
It is a gross disservice to souls to ooze about God’s mercy when a monster like McBrien croaks.
In one of Father John Hardon’s tapes, he speaks of being at some conference, at which a number of bishops were in attendance. After McBrien finished speaking, Fr Hardon stood up and said: I want to say that everything, and I mean everything that man said is heresy. And he (Fr Hardon) walked out. He said what shocked him was that no one followed him.
fr. H. Always told me McBrien was a bit of a gasbag. He was a bit of an oddity on campus for not being a CSC, which always made the Holy Crossers a bit skeptical of him. After he started heading into the 'unusual' corners of what might've passed for theological beliefs, I was always surprised that Notre Dame let him stay, but then Monk Malloy was running the show and I never thought much of him.
the problem with all major universities is they all seem to think its ok to allow some nuts on board in the name of independent thought. Problem is with a guy like FR. McBrien is they get a little too much notariety and it goes to their head.
I don't know about the accusations and will just say he has to take that up with God, much like the pedophiles. Goodbye Good Men opened my eyes to that mess, which is an entirely separate matter.
cheers
irish guard