What struck many of the 1,500 CTAers who heard the 73-year old Asian priest-theologian was his good-natured humility and his common sense. Regarding women's ordination, Tissa Balasuriya said, "How can having a womb be essential for the Incarnation, yet be an absolute barrier to ordination? For me it is a simple issue: I cannot believe God or Jesus would discriminate against women." Regarding Christianity's stance toward Buddhism and other world religions that dominate his native Sri Lanka and much of Asia, he added, "Also, I cannot believe God can discriminate against other religions."

Excommunicated last January by the Pope and Cardinal Ratzinger's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) for alleged heresy in his 1990 book, "Mary and Human Liberation," Fr. Tissa shared theological views Nov. 16 in Detroit that struck most CTAers as pretty reasonable. For example:

• On original sin: "It is not necessary to make all others sinful in order to call Mary sinless."
  
  
• On Christology and world religions: "Jesus is divine, but God is not limited to Jesus. We cannot interpret Jesus as though God cannot speak through anybody else."
  
  
• On criteria for religious truth: "Any doctrine that dehumanizes a sector of humanity cannot be from God. Any doctrine that ennobles and uplifts humanity is of God, even if not from the Church."
  
  

Fr. Tissa insisted his treatment by the CDF and his excommunication were without due process -- a view shared by many canon lawyers -- and a gross violation of his human rights. He admits his theology is not infallible, and wants it dissected and critiqued by others. But he insisted a true theological commission, more multicultural than Ratzinger's CDF, must look at the issues, "for the sake of Asian theology, of women, and of all religions." He is hopeful. Whether or not his censure is lifted, "the Spirit is speaking through the people. We don't need to wait for Vatican III."

After Detroit, the visiting scholar continued a short U.S. speaking tour. CTA Northern Virginia and CTA New England were part of coalitions that hosted Fr. Tissa in Washington, D.C., Nov. 19 and in Boston Nov. 21. In Detroit and at every subsequent stop, his book sold out all available copies. Order "Mary and Human Liberation: The Story and the Text," for $18 plus shipping, from Trinity Press International: 800 877-0012.

For efforts underway to reverse Fr. Tissa's excommunication, see article.

For past story on Fr. Tissa, see article.