for the Doctrine of the Faith systematically attempted to silence authors critical of teachings on homosexuality, citing the "highlighting" of errors in John J. McNeill's The Church and the Homosexual. Controversy, lawsuit, and aftermath In 1986, the Vatican declared that Curran could no longer teach theology at the Catholic University of America schools, and he was neither suitable nor eligible to be a professor of Catholic theology. Curran sued the university for wrongful dismissal and breach of contract and lost. Although a tenured professor (Curran retained his tenure status, but his ecclesiastical mission to teach Catholic theology was revoked) "clashes with Church authorities finally culminated in a decision by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, headed by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger [later Pope Benedict XVI]". The areas of dispute included publishing articles that debated theological and ethical views regarding divorce, "artificial contraception", "masturbation, pre-marital intercourse and homosexual acts." As noted in an American Association of University Professors (AAUP) report, "Had it not been for the intervention of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Professor Curran would undoubtedly still be active in the [Catholic University's] Department of Theology, a popular teacher, honored theologian, and respected colleague." Curran's attorneys argued that CUA did not follow proper procedures or its own policy statements in handling the case. In essence, CUA claimed that the Vatican's actions against Curran trumped any campus-based policy or tenure rules. In 1989, he filed suit against Catholic University, and the court determined that the university had the right to fire him for teaching views in contradiction to the school's religion. While the controversy was unfolding, Curran taught as a visiting professor at Cornell University and Auburn University. Curran’s efforts to secure an appointment at Auburn (1990-1991) started with great promise: a prospective commitment that would have included an endowed chair and tenure. However, the offer went awry. Despite strong support from ranking faculty committees, the institution’s president, James Martin, for reasons he would not disclose, refused to include tenure in Curran’s appointment. The theologian then decided to accept a year’s non-tenured teaching appointment at the university while looking elsewhere. Before the end of the academic year he was invited to take a position at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, which granted tenure and an endowed chair. Since then he has published personal accounts about his experience with the Catholic Church and his viewpoint on