A critique of Amoris laetitia addressed to the College of Cardinals by 45 theologians

On June 29, 2016, 45 theologians from all over the world addressed to the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, a critical analysis of the post-synodal exhortation Amoris laetitia in which they condemn 19 statements in this Papal document. Their critique has appeared on a number of English-language websites. Here is the English version of the letter to Cardinal Sodano, the names of the 45 signatories, and the full text of the critical analysis.    

Letter to Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals

29th June, 2016

Your Eminence,   

As Catholic theologians and philosophers, church historians and pastors of souls, we are writing to you in your capacity as Dean of the College of Cardinals to request that the College of Cardinals and the Patriarchs of the Catholic Church take collective action to respond to the dangers to Catholic faith and morals posed by the apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia issued by Pope Francis on March 19th 2016.

This apostolic exhortation contains a number of statements that can be understood in a sense that is contrary to Catholic faith and morals. We have specified the nature and degree of the errors that could be attributed to Amoris laetitia in the accompanying document.

We request that the Cardinals and Patriarchs petition the Holy Father to condemn the errors listed in the document in a definitive and final manner, and to authoritatively state that Amoris laetitia does not require any of them to be believed or considered as possibly true.

For the convenience of the Patriarchs and members of the College of Cardinals, we shall send each of them a copy of this letter and its accompanying document.  

Requesting your blessing, we are  

Yours faithfully,  

• Dr. José Tomás Alvarado
  
  Associate Professor Institute of Philosophy, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile  
• Rev. Fr Scot Anthony Armstrong
  
  PhD Brisbane Oratory in formation  
• Rev. Claude Barthe  
• Rev. Ray Blake
  
  Parish priest of the diocese of Arundel and Brighton  
• Fr. Louis-Marie de Blignières FSVF
  
  Doctor of Philosophy  
• Dr. Philip Blosser
  
  Professor of Philosophy Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Archdiocese of Detroit  
• Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro Carambula, STD,
  
  JD Chaplain and Faculty Member of the Roman Forum  
• Rev. Fr Thomas Crean OP, STD
  
  Holy Cross parish, Leicester  
• Fr. Albert-Marie Crignion FSVF
  
  Doctor designatus of Theology  
• Roberto de Mattei
  
  Professor of the History of Christianity, European University of Rome  
• Cyrille Dounot JCL
  
  Professor of Law the University of Auvergne, licencié en droit canonique, Ecclesiastical advocate, archdiocese of Lyon  
• Fr Neil Feguson OP, MA, BD L
  
  ecturer in sacred Scripture, Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford  
• Dr Alan Fimister STL, PhD
  
  Assistant Professor of Theology, St John Vianney Seminary, archdiocese of Denver  
• Luke Gormally
  
  Director Emeritus, The Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics (1981-2000)
  
  Sometime Research Professor, Ave Maria School of Law, Ann Arbor, Michigan (2001-2007)
  
  Ordinary Member, The Pontifical Academy for Life  
• Carlos A. Casanova Guerra
  
  Doctor of Philosophy, Full Professor of Universidad Santo Tomás, Santiago de Chile  
• Rev. Brian W.Harrison OS, MA, STD
  
  Associate Professor of Theology (retired), Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
  
  Scholar-in-Residence, Oblates of Wisdom Study Center, St.Louis, Missouri
  
  Chaplain, St.Mary of Victories Chapel, St. Louis, Missouri  
• Rev. Simon Henry BA. (Hons), MA
  
  Parish priest of the archdiocese of Liverpool  
• Rev. John Hunwicke
  
  Former Senior Research Fellow, Pusey House, Oxford
  
  Priest of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham  
• Peter A. Kwasniewski PhD,
  
  Philosophy Professor, Wyoming Catholic College  
• Dr. John R. T. Lamont, STL, D.Phil  
• Fr. Serafino M. Lanzetta, PhD
  
  Lecturer in Dogmatic Theology, Theological Faculty of Lugano, Switzerland
  
  Priest in charge of St Mary’s, Gosport, in the diocese of Portsmouth  
• Dr Anthony McCarthy,
  
  Visiting Lecturer in Moral Philosophy at the International Theological Institute, Austria  
• Rev. Stephen Morgan DPhil (Oxon).
  
  Lecturer & Tutor in Theology, Maryvale Higher Institute of Religious Sciences  
• Don Alfredo Morselli STL
  
  Parish priest of the archdiocese of Bologna  
• Rev. Richard A. Munkelt PhD (Philosophy)
  
  Chaplain and Faculty Member, Roman Forum  
• Fr Aidan Nichols OP, PhD
  
  Formerly John Paul II Lecturer in Roman Catholic Theology, University of Oxford
  
  Prior of the Convent of St Michael, Cambridge  
• Fr. Robert Nortz MMA, STL
  
  Director of Studies, Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity, Massachusetts (Maronite)  
• Rev. John Osman MA, STL
  
  Parish priest in the archdiocese of Birmingham
  
  Former Catholic chaplain to the University of Cambridge  
• Christopher D. Owens, STL. (Cand.)
  
  Adjunct Instructor, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, St. John's University (NYC)
  
  Director, St. Albert the Great Center for Scholastic Studies  
• Rev David Palmer MA
  
  Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
  
  Chair of Marriage and Family Life Commission, Diocese of Nottingham  
• Dr Paolo Pasqualucci
  
  Professor of Philosophy (retired), University of Perugia  
• Dr Claudio Pierantoni
  
  Professor of Medieval Philosophy in the Philosophy Faculty of the University of Chile
  
  Former Professor of Church History and Patrology at the Faculty of Theology of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
  
  Member of the International Association of Patristic Studies  
• Fr Anthony Pillari JCL (Cand.)
  
  Priest of the archdiocese of San Antonio, chaplain to Carmelite nuns  
• Prof. Enrico Maria Radaelli
  
  International Science and Commonsense Association (ISCA) Department of Metaphysics of Beauty and Philosophy of Arts, Research Director  
• Dr John C. Rao D.Phil. (Oxford)
  
  Associate Professor of History, St. John's University (NYC)
  
  Chairman, Roman Forum  
• Fr. Réginald-Marie Rivoire FSVF Doctor designatus of canon law  
• Rt. Rev. Giovanni Scalese CRSP, SThL,
  
  DPhil Ordinary of Afghanistan  
• Dr Joseph Shaw
  
  Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at St Benet's Hall, Oxford University  
• Dr Anna M. Silvas FAHA,
  
  Adjunct research fellow, University of New England, NSW, Australia 
• Michael G. Sirilla, PhD
  
  Professor of Systematic and Dogmatic Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville  
• Professor Dr Thomas Stark
  
  Phil.-Theol. Hochschule Benedikt XVI, Heiligenkreuz  
• Rev. Glen Tattersall
  
  Parish Priest, Parish of Bl. John Henry Newman, archdiocese of Melbourne
  
  Rector, St Aloysius' Church  
• Giovanni Turco
  
  Professor of the Philosophy of Public Law, University of Udine  
• Fr Edmund Waldstein OCist.
  
  Vice-Rector of the Leopoldinum seminary and lecturer in moral theology at the Phil.-Theol.  
• Nicolas Warembourg
  
  Professeur agrégé des facultés de droit Ecole de Droit de la Sorbonne - Université Paris 1