Chief among these was the plagiazired text delivered by Cardinal Levada, Dougherty noted, so that "one finds herein the remarkably complex phenomenon of a plagiarist plagiarizing a plagiarizing text produced by a different plagiarist."
Again, the same texts are predicated of differing subjects, which Dougherty said calls "into question the intelligibility of the texts manufactured by the two plagiarizing ghostwriters. Have they each produced coherent works of Catholic teaching, or are the plagiarizing documents simply theological word-salads?"
The professor also noted that sources plagiarized by Fr. Rosica in preparing Ouellet's April 2007 speech include a 2005 conference paper by Igor Kowalewski and an English translation of a book by Fr. Edward Schillebeeckx, some of whose writings were investigated, though not condemned, by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Dougherty noted that "it is notable that some of [Schillebeeckx'] words here are acquiring a magisterial quality via their promulgation by Cardinal Ouellet. Readers of Ouellet 2007 are certainly unlikely to suspect that they are encountering the work of Schillebeeckx."
The professor also discussed a 2007 speech, and a 2008 homily, both delivered by Cardinal Ouellet and plagiaristically ghostwritten by Fr. Rosica.
He then turned to the theological writings of Fr. Rosica, many of which "were revealed to be plagiarizing compilations of the works of others."
The priest's plagiarism was first reported by LifeSiteNews in February 2019.
Dougherty noted that Origins, a documentary periodical published by Catholic News Service, "published eight of the plagiarizing articles by R. in the period of 2009–2017" and also "issued the three plagiarizing articles by Cardinals Levada and Ouellet".
"In light of these 11 defective articles published under the names of 'R.,' 'Levada,' and 'Ouellet,' one is tempted to conclude that Origins has been established as significant gateway for the proliferation of plagiarizing content in the discipline of Catholic theology in recent years," Dougherty wrote.
Fr. Rosica has apologized for his plagiaristic acts.
He is reported to have misrepresented his academic credentials, claiming falsely in his official biography to have earned an advanced degree from École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem.
(Story continues below)
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news.
As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Fr. Rosica now serves as a chaplain to a home for retired religious.
Previously he had served as a Vatican press aide and a university president, and he was a central figure in the planning of World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto.