Carl E. Olson's Blog, page 274

It's not just the economy, stupid! On the intellectual roots of "Occupy Wall Street"

I suppose I'm a bit curious about young protesters who are often incoherent in speech and rather confused in thought, who regularly resort to shouting and tantrums whenever confronted by authorities or non-enabling adults, who dislike bathing, who sometimes refuse to use toilets, and who generally act like they are the center of the universe.

However, my wife and I have already endured the toddler years of our three kids, so what's the point? Been there, done that.

Still, the protests are interesting because of what they suggest about not only the protesters, but about those who are, to varying degrees, pulling strings behind the scenes. Is anyone surprised that many of them are Ivory Tower radicals? The Chronicle of Higher Education has a long essay about the "intellectual roots" of the protests. There is much discussion of anarchy and non-centralized blissfulness, in large part because David Graeber, a key organizer of the protests, is an academic and anarchist:

But Occupy Wall Street's most defining characteristics—its decentralized nature and its intensive process of participatory, consensus-based decision-making—are rooted in other precincts of academe and activism: in the scholarship of anarchism and, specifically, in an ethnography of central Madagascar.

It was on this island nation off the coast of Africa that David Graeber, one of the movement's early organizers, who has been called one of its main intellectual sources, spent 20 months between 1989 and 1991. He studied the people of Betafo, a community of descendants of nobles and of slaves, for his 2007 book, Lost People.

Betafo was "a place where the state picked up stakes and left," says Mr. Graeber, an ethnographer, anarchist, and reader in anthropology at the University of London's Goldsmiths campus.

I've now read a few articles by Graeber, and I find that I agree with several of his observations and concerns. He rightly recognizes that the modern welfare state is ultimately tyrannical and totalitarian in nature; he correctly notes that Sola Capitalism (my term, not his) is a bad way to go. In a September 25th piece in The Guardian, he wrote:

It seemed the time had come to rethink everything: the very nature of markets, money, debt; to ask what an "economy" is actually for. This lasted perhaps two weeks. Then, in one of the most colossal failures of nerve in history, we all collectively clapped our hands over our ears and tried to put things back as close as possible to the way they'd been before.

Perhaps, it's not surprising. It's becoming increasingly obvious that the real priority of those running the world for the last few decades has not been creating a viable form of capitalism, but rather, convincing us all that the current form of capitalism is the only conceivable economic system, so its flaws are irrelevant. As a result, we're all sitting around dumbfounded as the whole apparatus falls apart.

I agree. And the Chronicle article reiterates this point when stating: "The concerns of the protesters are primarily economic, and scholars of that discipline have had much to say about economic fairness that has resonated with the demonstrations." Or, in the famous words that sprung from the Clinton years: "It's the economy, stupid!" Ironically, there are some high profile supporters of the protests who admit to the economic problems, but then ignore Graeber's well-founded suspicions of a vast, centralized government that controls every jot, title, transaction, or any action at all:

Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia, also visited the demonstrations and spoke to them this month. He says his primary goal in attending was to show his support for the demonstrators' efforts. He also wanted to share ideas, many of which he stakes out in a recent book, The Price of Civilization, which one commentator has urged the protesters to read, though it is not yet in the collection of the People's Library.

As a macroeconomist and fiscal expert, Mr. Sachs says he sees the nation's priorities most clearly expressed in the budget of the federal government, and he has come to believe that the market and government must both play a large role in assuring fairness, productivity, and environmental sustainability. "I was trying to explain that we arrived at a fiscal crisis in the country," he says of his remarks to the demonstrators. "Either our government is going to become completely shrunken and dysfunctional, or we're going to start paying for civilization again."

Sachs, as I noted in an earlier essay, also states, against all sound sense and logic, "Yes, the federal government is incompetent and corrupt—but we need more, not less, of it." It's as if a man falls and breaks both legs, then insists on putting a splint on just one of the legs while hopping around painfully on the other. A heresy, to draw upon a helpful parallel, is not heretical because it gets everything wrong, but because it only gets part of everything right, and then insists the part is, in fact, the whole. It is, simply, the age-old problem of knowing there is something wrong, but not having a clue as to making things right.

A huge part of the problem is revealed in this telling bit from the Chronicle essay:

It is far from clear, of course, how attuned the protesters are to the scholarship of Mr. Graeber, other critical theorists, or academics who study anarchism. A growing collection of fiction and nonfiction books, however, has a post-office box to which supporters are invited to send books. "The People's Library" in New York City, which has been copied at other Occupy protest sites, houses nearly 1,200 books in cardboard boxes that are protected against the elements by clear plastic sheeting.

"I really am amazed for the respect they have for the word," Eric Seligson, the librarian at the protest site on Wall Street, told Esquire. "There's a real reverence for what has been written that has surprised me, since they eschew whatever came before, all the thought that came before."

I'll confess that when I read this, I experienced a small twinge of remorse; whether for the books or the protesters, I'm not certain. But if there is one statement about the protesters that should be food for thought, it is that "they eschew whatever came before, all the thought that came before." Even if we admit, to some degree, that the protesters and their intellectual, um, mentors have put their unwashed fingers on some real and significant problems, we must also admit that they have no real clue on how to address those problems. And a huge failing on their part is the myopic obsession with economics to the exclusion of the bigger, broader, deeper, and more substantial issues involved.

In Caritas in veritate, Pope Benedict XVI wrote:

When both the logic of the market and the logic of the State come to an agreement that each will continue to exercise a monopoly over its respective area of influence, in the long term much is lost ... The exclusively binary model of market-plus-State is corrosive of society, while economic forms based on solidarity, which find their natural home in civil society without being restricted to it, build up society. The market of gratuitousness does not exist, and attitudes of gratuitousness cannot be established by law. Yet both the market and politics need individuals who are open to reciprocal gift. (39)

This openness to reciprocal giving can only be based in full and true understanding of what it means to be human: "Our nature, constituted not only by matter but also by spirit, and as such, endowed with transcendent meaning and aspirations, is also normative for culture" (48). And that can only come through openness to God and divine revelation:

Without God man neither knows which way to go, nor even understands who he is. ... Paul VI recalled in Populorum Progressio that man cannot bring about his own progress unaided, because by himself he cannot establish an authentic humanism. Only if we are aware of our calling, as individuals and as a community, to be part of God's family as his sons and daughters, will we be able to generate a new vision and muster new energy in the service of a truly integral humanism. The greatest service to development, then, is a Christian humanism that enkindles charity and takes its lead from truth, accepting both as a lasting gift from God. Openness to God makes us open towards our brothers and sisters and towards an understanding of life as a joyful task to be accomplished in a spirit of solidarity. On the other hand, ideological rejection of God and an atheism of indifference, oblivious to the Creator and at risk of becoming equally oblivious to human values, constitute some of the chief obstacles to development today. A humanism which excludes God is an inhuman humanism. Only a humanism open to the Absolute can guide us in the promotion and building of forms of social and civic life — structures, institutions, culture and ethos — without exposing us to the risk of becoming ensnared by the fashions of the moment.

Anarchism is one such fashion of the moment. The anarchism proposed by Graeber and Co. rightly rejects the notion that man is a cog in the economic machine and it rightly longs for justice and solidarity, but it simply doesn't have the metaphysical foundations, the moral core, the chronological humility, or the proper respect for authentic authority that is needed to combat and overcome the serious challenges of our day.

"Violent, sudden, and calamitous revolutions are the ones that accomplish the least", observes David Bentley Hart in Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies, "While they may succeed at radically reordering societies, they usually cannot transform cultures. They may excel at destroying the past, but they are generally impotent to create a future. The revolutions that genuinely alter human reality at the deepest levels—the only real revolutions, that is to say—are those that first convert minds and wills, that reshape the imagination and reorient desire, that overthrow tyranniees within the soul." What value is it, in other words, to gain the world—or to overthrow the economic powers that be—and lose one's own soul?

Benedict XVI reflects on the Great Hallel (Psalm 136) and God's goodness

From Vatican Information Service:

VATICAN CITY, 19 OCT 2011 (VIS) - Some 20,000 pilgrims attended Benedict XVI's general audience, which was held this morning in St. Peter's Square. Continuing a series of catecheses dedicated to the Psalms, the Holy Father focused his attention on Psalm 136, "a great hymn of praise which celebrates the Lord in the many and repeated manifestations of His goodness down human history".

The Pope explained how, in Jewish tradition, this Psalm is sung at the end of the Passover supper, and therefore it was probably also pronounced by Jesus at the last Passover He celebrated with His disciples. The text enumerates God's many interventions in favour of His people "and each proclamation of a salvific action by the Lord is answered by an antiphon reiterating the main cause for praise: God's eternal love, a love which, according to the Hebrew term used, implies faithfulness, mercy, goodness, grace and tenderness".

God is first presented as "He Who 'does great wonders', first among them that of the creation: heaven, earth and stars. ... With the creation the Lord shows Himself in all His goodness and beauty. He commits Himself to life, revealing a desire for good whence all other salvific actions arise".

The Psalm goes on to consider God's manifestations in history, evoking the great moment when the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. The forty years of wandering in the desert were "a decisive period for Israel which, allowing itself to be guided by the Lord, learned to live on faith, obedient and docile to the laws of God. Those were difficult years, marked by the harshness of life in the desert, but also a happy time of confidence and filial trust in the Lord".

"The history of Israel has known exhilarating moments of joy, of fullness of life, of awareness of the presence of God and His salvation", said the Pope. "But it has also been marked by episodes of sin, painful periods of darkness and profound affliction. Many were the adversaries from whom the Lord liberated His people". The Psalm speaks of these events, in particular the Babylonian exile and the destruction of Jerusalem, "when it seemed that Israel had lost everything, even its own identity, even its trust in the Lord. However, God remembers, and frees. The salvation of Israel and of all mankind is bound to the Lord's faithfulness, to His memory. While man forgets easily, God remains faithful: His memory is a precious casket containing that 'love which endures forever' about which our Psalm speaks".

The Psalm concludes by reminding us that God feeds His creatures, "caring for life and giving bread. ... In the fullness of time the Son of God became man to give life, for the salvation of each one of us; and He continues to gives Himself as bread in the mystery of the Eucharist, so as to draw us into His covenant, which makes us children. So great is God's merciful goodness, the sublimity of His 'love which endures forever'". In conclusion the Pope read a quote from the First Letter of St. John, advising the faithful to bear it in mind in their prayers: "See what love the Father has given us, that that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are".

Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., will be signing books on November 3rd in Seattle ...

... at the University of Washington. Fr. Spitzer will be signing copies of his newest book, Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues (Ignatius Press, 2011):

Jesuit Father Robert Spitzer sets out, in a brief, yet highly-readable and lucid style, ten basic principles that must govern the reasonable person's thinking and acting about life issues. A highly-regarded philosopher, Father Spitzer provides an intelligent outline for thinking and talking about human life.  This book is a powerful tool for persuasively articulating and effectively inculturating a prolife philosophy.

When: Thursday, November 3
Time:   7:00 PM
Where: University of Washington, Kane Hall
Seattle, WA
Cost:     FREE

Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ, is a philosopher, educator, author and former President of Gonzaga University. He is co-founder of the pro-life organization, Healing the Culture, and founder and President of the Magis Center for Reason and Faith. He is also the head of the Ethics and Performance Institute and President of the Spitzer Center of Ethical Leadership.

If you plan on attending the event, you can sign up to win two free copies of Ten Universal Principles.

Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues
by Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J.

• Also available in electronic book format

How do we make sense of life?  How should we treat others?  How should we reasonably be expected to be treated by others? When human life is at stake, are there reasonable principles we can rely on to guide our actions?  How should our laws be framed to protect human life? What kind of society should be built?

Many people rely on their religious beliefs to answer these questions.  But not everyone accepts the same religious premises or recognizes the same spiritual authorities.  Are there "public arguments"-reasons that can be given that do not presuppose agreement on religious grounds or common religious commitments-that can guide our thoughts and actions, as well as our laws and public policies?

In Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues, Jesuit Father Robert Spitzer sets out, in a brief, yet highly-readable and lucid style, ten basic principles that must govern the reasonable person's thinking and acting about life issues. A highly-regarded philosopher, Father Spitzer provides an intelligent outline for thinking and talking about human life.  This book is a powerful tool for persuasively articulating and effectively inculturating a prolife philosophy.

"Ten Universal Principles is a true philosopher's gift to all who sincerely wish to live wisely and well."
- Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University

"Lucid, limpid, logical. Fr. Spitzer's elegant and readable book about the life issues provides the tools for knowledge, and his view of his audience is rooted in his vision of man as a being who wants to know."
- J. Budziszewski, University of Texas, Author, What We Can't Not Know: A Guide

Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ, is a philosopher, educator, author and former President of Gonzaga University. He is founder and President of the Magis Institute, an organization dedicated to public education on the relationship among the disciplines of physics, philosophy, reason, and faith. He is the head of the Ethics and Performance Institute which delivers web-based ethics education to corporations and individuals. He is also President of the Spitzer Center of Ethical Leadership, which delivers similar curricula to non-profit organizations. His other books include Healing the Culture and Five Pilars of the Spiritual Life.

"Rome Sweet Home" and fifteen other new e-books from Ignatius Press

As regular readers know, almost all new Ignatius Press books are also available in e-book format. And many older books are also being made available in e-book format. Here are some of the recent additions from both categories:

• Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism, by Scott and Kimberly Hahn
• You Can Understand the Bible, by Peter Kreeft
• Methodical Realism, by Etienne Gilson
• The Song at the Scaffold, by Gertrud von le Fort
• Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed to the Culture, by Teresa Tomeo
• Mother Theresa of Calcutta, by Leo Maasburg
• Ida Elisabeth: A Novel, by Sigrid Undset
• Abandonment to Divine Providence, by Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J.
• Lovely Like Jerusalem, by Aidan Nichols, O.P.
• Man, The Image of God, by Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
• A Retreat for Lay People, by Ronald Knox
• Christian Meditation, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
• Elucidations, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
• The Christian and Anxiety, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
• Lovely Like Jerusalem: The Fulfillment of the Old Testament in Christ and the Church, by Aidan Nichols, O.P.

Visit www.Ignatius.com for a full listing of e-books available from Ignatius Press.

• Many more e-books from Ignatius Press (Sept. 2, 2011)
• A few dozen more Ignatius Press books now available in e-book format (May 25, 2011)
• New E-books (of older print books) from Ignatius Press (March 16, 2011)
• New E-books and Audio Books from Ignatius Press (Aug. 16, 2010)

Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J., on the hidden operations of God; the duties of each moment

The opening pages of Abandonment to Divine Providence (With Letters of Father de Caussade on the Practice of Self-Abandonment) by Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J.:

BOOK I

On the Virtue of Abandonment to Divine Providence; Its Nature and Excellence

CHAPTER ONE

Sanctity Consists in Fidelity to the Order Established by God, and in Submission to All His Operations

1. Hidden Operations of God.

Fidelity to the order established by God comprehended the whole sanctity of the righteous under the old law; even that of St. Joseph, and of Mary herself.

—

God continues to speak today as He spoke in former times to our fathers when there were no directors as at present, nor any regular method of direction. Then all spirituality was comprised in fidelity to the designs of God, for there was no regular system of guidance in the spiritual life to explain it in detail, nor so many instructions, precepts and examples as there are now. Doubtless our present difficulties render this necessary, but it was not so in the first ages when souls were more simple and straightforward. Then, for those who led a spiritual life, each moment brought some duty to be faithfully accomplished. Their whole attention was thus concentrated consecutively like a hand that marks the hours which, at each moment, traverses the space allotted to it. Their minds, incessantly animated by the impulsion of divine grace, turned imperceptibly to each new duty that presented itself by the permission of God at different hours of the day. Such were the hidden springs by which the conduct of Mary was actuated. Mary was the most simple of all creatures, and the most closely united to God. Her answer to the angel when she said: "Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum": contained all the mystic theology of her ancestors to whom everything was reduced, as it is now, to the 2purest, simplest submission of the soul to the will of God, under whatever form it presents itself. This beautiful and exalted state, which was the basis of the spiritual life of Mary, shines conspicuously in these simple words, "Fiat mihi" (Luke 1:38). Take notice that they are in complete harmony with those which Our Lord desires that we should have always on our lips and in our hearts: "Fiat voluntas tua." It is true that what was required of Mary at this great moment, was for her very great glory, but the magnificence of this glory would have made no impression on her if she had not seen in it the fulfillment of the will of God. In all things was she ruled by the divine will. Were her occupations ordinary, or of an elevated nature, they were to her but the manifestation, sometimes obscure, sometimes clear, of the operations of the most High, in which she found alike subject matter for the glory of God. Her spirit, transported with joy, looked upon all that she had to do or to suffer at each moment as the gift of Him who fills with good things the hearts of those who hunger and thirst for Him alone, and have no desire for created things. 

II. The Duties of Each Moment.

The duties of each moment are the shadows beneath which hides the divine operation.

—

"The power of the most High shall over-shadow thee" (Luke 1:35), said the angel to Mary. This shadow, beneath which is hidden the power of God for the purpose of bringing forth Jesus Christ in the soul, is the duty, the attraction, or the cross that is presented to us at each moment. These are, in fact, but shadows like those in the order of nature which, like a veil, cover sensible objects and hide them from us. Therefore in the moral and supernatural order the duties of each moment conceal, under the semblance of dark shadows, the truth of their divine character which alone should rivet the attention. It was in this light that Mary beheld them. Also these shadows diffused over her faculties, far from creating illusion, did but increase her faith in Him who is unchanging and unchangeable. The archangel may depart. He has delivered his message, and his moment has passed. Mary advances without ceasing, and is already far beyond him. The Holy Spirit, who comes to take possession of her under the shadow of the angel's words, will never abandon her.

There are remarkably few extraordinary characteristics in the outward events of the life of the most holy Virgin, at least there are none recorded in holy Scripture. Her exterior life is represented as very ordinary and simple. She did and suffered the same things that anyone in a similar state of life might do or suffer. She goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth as her other relatives did. She took shelter in a stable in consequence of her poverty. She returned to Nazareth from whence she had been driven by the persecution of Herod, and lived there with Jesus and Joseph, supporting themselves by the work of their hands. It was in this way that the holy family gained their daily bread. But what a divine nourishment Mary and Joseph received from this daily bread for the strengthening of their faith! It is like a sacrament to sanctify all their moments. What treasures of grace lie concealed in these moments filled, apparently, by the most ordinary events. That which is visible might happen to anyone, but the invisible, discerned by faith, is no less than God operating very great things. O Bread of Angels! heavenly manna! pearl of the Gospel! Sacrament of the present moment! thou givest God under as lowly a form as the manger, the hay, or the straw. And to whom dost thou give Him? "Esurientes implevit bonis" (Luke 1:53). God reveals Himself to the humble under the most lowly forms, but the proud, attaching themselves entirely to that which is extrinsic, do not discover Him hidden beneath, and are sent empty away.

Abandonment to Divine Providence is also available as an Electronic Book Downland and as an Audio Book on CD.

Day to Assisi to be "a pilgrimage; which implies asceticism, purification, convergence..."

More about the upcoming Day in Assisi, which takes place on October 27th, from Vatican Information Service:

VATICAN CITY, 18 OCT 2011 (VIS) - A press conference was held this morning in the Holy See Press Office to present the "Day of reflection, dialogue and prayer for peace and justice in the world: Pilgrims of Truth, Pilgrims of Peace", due to take place in the Italian town of Assisi on 27 October.

Participating in today's conference were: Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; Bishop Mario Toso, S.D.B., secretary of the same pontifical council; Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue; Fr. Andrea Palmieri, head of the Oriental Section of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity; Msgr. Melchor Jose Sanchez de Toca y Alameda, under secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and Fr. Jean-Marie Laurent Mazas of the Pontifical Council for Culture, director of the "Courtyard of the Gentiles" initiative.

By calling this Day in Assisi, Benedict XVI wishes to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the historic meeting organised there by John Paul II in 1986. "The world today, as it did twenty-five years ago, needs peace", said Cardinal Turkson. "Following two and a half decades of collaboration and joint witness among religions, it is time to assess the results and to relaunch our commitment in the face of new challenges", he explained. Those challenges include "the financial and economic crisis which is lasting longer than expected, the crisis in democratic and social institutions, food and environmental problems, biblical-scale migrations, indirect forms of neo-colonialism, the scourge of poverty and hunger, unchecked international terrorism, and greater inequality and religious discrimination".

"Once more - and suffice to consider recent events in Egypt and other parts of the world - we must say 'no' to any exploitation of religion. Violence among religions is a scandal which distorts the true identity of religions, it obscures the face of God and distances us from the faith.

"The journey of religions towards justice and peace", the cardinal added, "must be characterised by a joint search for truth. ... Therefore Benedict XVI wishes the 2011 initiative in Assisi ... to be seen as a pilgrimage; which implies asceticism, purification, convergence towards a more exalted place, and taking on a community responsibility".

The search for truth "is a precondition for knowing one another better, for overcoming all forms of prejudice, and of syncretism which obscures identity". It likewise helps us "to collaborate for the common good" and facilitates our "coming together on the plane of natural reason". It is a prerequisite "for defeating fanaticism and fundamentalism, according to which peace comes about by imposing one's own convictions on others", and for overcoming "the Babel of languages and the laicism which seeks to remove from the human family the One Who is its Beginning and End".

Turning to consider the programme of events for the Day, the cardinal explained that the various delegations will leave Rome by train on 27 October, in the company of the Holy Father. Having arrived in Assisi, they will make their way to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where the delegations will recall the previous meetings there and explore the theme of the Day in greater depth. The Holy Father will also deliver an address. That afternoon, those present in will make a "pilgrimage" to the Basilica of St. Francis, being joined on the last stage by the members of the delegations. Having reached the basilica, everyone will make a solemn renewal of their joint commitment to peace.

More than fifty nations will be represented in Assisi. They will include, apart from many European and American countries, Egypt, Israel, Pakistan, Jordan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Philippines and many others. "Those which, at this moment in history, perhaps suffer most from problems associated with religious freedom and dialogue between religions", Cardinal Turkson observed.

For his part, Msgr. Melchor Jose Sanchez de Toca y Alameda, under secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, pointed out that the Pope has, for the first time, also invited non-believers to a religious meeting. "This innovative idea of the Holy Father's", he said, "is based on the conviction that men and women, both believers and non-believers, are always searching for God, for the Absolute, and that they are, therefore, all pilgrims travelling towards the fullness of truth".

The Pope's invitation to participate in the Day has been accepted by the French linguist, psychoanalyst, philosopher and writer Julia Kristeva; the Italian philosopher Remo Bodei; the Mexican philosopher Guillermo Hurtado, and the Austrian economist Walter Baier.

• October 27th Assisi meeting will not contain inter-religious prayers (Oct. 11, 2011)

Praise for Martin Mosebach's "The Heresy of Formlessness"

In a recent essay on The Catholic Thing site, Virgil Nemoianu, who teaches literature and philosophy at Catholic University of America, writes:

Matussek often quotes, with due approval and respect, a more sober and earnest author, the novelist Martin Mosebach. The  latter is a substantial, award-winning writer.  I read with pleasure and profit – and recommend – two of his fictional works, the long family novel Ruppertshain and the short, punchy, Der Mond und das Madchen ("The moon and the girl"). Mosebach has also written The Heresy of Formlessness, a courageous and unrelenting skewering of flat contemporary liturgies in favor of Tridentine modes of worship. He especially values and beautifully describes the practices of the Benedictine monks of Fontgombault Abbey in France. The indispensable Ignatius Press promptly translated the book, but it has had less resonance in America so far than it deserves.

Read the entire essay, "Strong Voices from Europe". You can read an excerpt from The Heresy of Formlessness: The Roman Liturgy and Its Enemy on Ignatius Insight:

And here is a review of the book, also on Ignatius Insight:

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Jesus in the Gospel of Luke

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Jesus in the Gospel of Luke | Christoph Cardinal Schönborn | Introduction to Jesus, The Divine Physician: Encountering Christ in the Gospel of Luke

A few years ago, within the framework of an ecumenical celebration and dedication, I was able to visit the new operational center of the Workers' Samaritan Association in Vienna.

The Workers' Samaritan Association (no connection with the British Samaritans) is a kind of local Red Cross with a clear commitment to social democracy. For a long time, Austrian Socialists were reputed to be-and many of them were-critical of the Church, or even opposed to her. That was part of the sad heritage of the [image error] division in our country [Austria] that led in 1934 to a brief but violent civil war. The tragic division of the country into "blacks" and "reds" played no small part in the illegal rise of the "browns", the National Socialists [Nazis], which ended with the Anschluss, the annexation of Austria [to Germany]. The picture of the crucifixion that hung in the archbishop's palace in Vienna (shown on the cover of this book) and that was vandalized by fanatical Hitler Youth members is a symbol of the way that only the common suffering under the Nazi persecution brought "reds" and "blacks" together again. Against this background, the dedication to which I just referred was moving and symbolic.

Why am I mentioning this in the introduction to the Gospel readings of the "year of Luke"? On account of the name Workers' Samaritan Association! The image of the good Samaritan comes from the Gospel. It is among the best known of Jesus' parables. It has become the standard example of loving one's neighbor, far beyond the circles of Church "insiders"—so much so, that a completely "red" organization sees its work in helping the victims of accidents, needy people, and the sick as "Samaritan work", without its having any connection with the Church. It is simply a matter of helping one's neighbor who is in need, irrespective of his race, religion, or political views.

The parable of the good Samaritan, however, is found only in Luke's Gospel. It is about Luke and his Gospel that we are now talking, and, in the following pages, that Gospel will be our guide through all the Sundays of the Church's year (Lectionary year C).

Each of the four Gospel writers has his own style, his own sources, his own emphases, and things that only he tells us about. Only all four together produce the whole and unmistakable picture of Jesus. Each of the Gospels adds its own particular note, so that we are quite right in talking about the picture of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew or the picture of Christ in the Gospel of John-and certainly also the picture of Christ in the Gospel of Luke.

It is only in the four canonical Gospels that the Church has recognized the canonical picture of Christ, the true and original picture. It is certainly not by chance that these are also the four oldest accounts of Jesus that we have. The many other gospels, which without exception are clearly later, were not recognized by the Church as being genuine, even if there may be one or another original saying of Jesus in them. Almost every year, one of these numerous so-called apocryphal gospels is brought forward as a new sensation, as happened just recently with the gospel of Judas. Usually it is not mentioned that people have known about them for a long time and that the works have been studied by specialists. Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, for instance, talks about the gospel of Judas at the end of the second century and demonstrates that it is a late forgery.

But what argues far more strongly in favor of the genuineness of the four oldest Gospels is their incomparable spiritual power. Jesus himself is speaking in them. His spirit, his heart, and his transforming power can be felt at work in them. They are not just human discourse and human wisdom. They are also that; but, shot through with the fire of the Holy Spirit, they are truly God's word.

What picture would we have of Jesus without the parable of the good Samaritan? How much, altogether, would be missing from our picture of Jesus if we had no Gospel of Luke! I myself was almost horrified when I discovered, with the help of a synopsis (that is, a parallel edition of the four Gospels), how much of what is quite essential in our picture of Jesus is owed to Luke's alertness in bringing it all together.

Only he tells us the three parables about the way that God's love patiently seeks for us men: the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost penny, and above all—perhaps Jesus' best-known parable—the parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15). What a marvelous picture of God Jesus offers us in this parable!

Only Luke has passed on to us the disturbing parable of the gluttonous rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31). And the parable of the Pharisee who praises himself before God and the tax collector who is sorrowfully aware of his sins (Lk 18:9-4)—how it speaks to us! That, too, is found only in Luke.

Thanks to Luke, we know a great deal about the life and the suffering of Jesus, such as is presented in the precious and impressive story about the wealthy little man Zacchaeus, who was not ashamed to climb a tree in order to be able to see Jesus, even though Zacchaeus was a despised "bloodsucker" (Lk 19:1-10).

Thanks to Luke, we know some important things about Jesus' Passion. Only Luke tells us about Jesus sweating blood during his sorrow unto death, about his agony, and about the angel sent to strengthen him (Lk 22:43-44). Only Luke has preserved the deeply disturbing little scene in which Jesus, after Peter's betrayal, turns around and looks at him. "And {he] wept bitterly", it says about Peter. That is how it is for everyone who meets that gaze in his heart-that gaze, free of all accusation, which brings tears of repentance for the betrayal of love (Lk 22:61-62).

Only Luke refers to the way that Jesus forgives not only Peter, his disciple who betrayed him, but also those who crucified him: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Lk 23:34).

Only Luke is able to tell us of the marvelous transformation brought about in the righteous thief by Jesus' loving forgiveness: "Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly power"—"Today you will be with me in Paradise" (Lk 23:42-43).

All these examples from the material peculiar to Luke show that the author has emphasized in a particular way Jesus' turning toward sinners, as well as his love for the poor, the sick, and those who have lost their way. Luke did not invent all that; he discovered it. This is because Luke, who was a doctor by profession and whom Paul calls "beloved" (Col 4:14), undertook thorough researches for his Gospel and thereby obviously uncovered many sources (oral and perhaps also written) concerning Jesus. We can understand how for Luke, the doctor, Jesus' concern for every kind of suffering was especially important. It may also be connected with his calling as a doctor that Luke is such an accurate and reliable historian who went into everything carefully, so as to be able to talk about Jesus and his activity as reliably as possible.

Only Luke prefaced his Gospel with a foreword: "Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed" (Lk 1:1-4).

Starting from the basics, from the first beginnings, Luke intends to look at all that has happened. What would we know about the beginnings without the Gospel of Luke? It is to him that we owe the first two chapters, about the conception and birth of John the Baptist and of Jesus himself, which lay the foundations for the story. The Gospel for Christmas is found in Luke, and only there, just as it is only through him that we know about the Presentation of Jesus in the temple, forty days after his birth, and about his visit to the temple at the age of twelve.

Where did Luke get his information about the beginning of Jesus' life on earth? An old tradition saw Luke as being very close to Mary, the Mother of our Lord. Who else but Mary could, in the end, be the source for reports about the Annunciation by the angel and about Jesus' being conceived by the Holy Spirit? Although in their literary form these accounts may well have been strongly influenced by examples from the Old Testament, nonetheless, the "infancy Gospel" of Saint Luke is essentially an account about real and miraculous events: things that really happened in history, "in the days of Herod" (Lk 1: 5), in the days of Caesar Augustus (see Lk 2:1), just as Luke sets John's public ministry (see Lk 3:1-3) and that of Jesus himself within the framework of world history; and miraculous, since this account embodies God's sovereign activity in the world. Not in all-powerful Rome, whence the Emperor Augustus rules over all peoples, but in the manger in Bethlehem, there is born the one called "Son of the Most High" [Lk 1:3 2], and that indeed is who he is. The poet Virgil had sung of Rome, "imperium sine fine dedi" (I have given you a rule without end). Yet only of that child in Bethlehem is it indeed true, that "of his kingdom there will be no end" (Lk 1:33).




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Thus it is only logical that Luke brings his second book, the "Gospel of Church history", the Acts of the Apostles, to an end in Rome, where Paul, as a prisoner, is spreading the teaching about Jesus "quite openly and unhindered" (Acts 28:3 i) in the power of the Spirit of Jesus. For the Apostles' task was to bear witness "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8), to what was at the beginning of the Good News: "To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Lk 2:11).

Christ the Savior! That, quite simply, is the message of Saint Luke the doctor.

Let us return to the blessing of the Workers' Samaritan Association operational center that we mentioned at the beginning. At the close of the celebration, the manager of the center invited me into his office. He had an icon there, he said, and would I please bless that, too? He had had it painted specially. It represents the good Samaritan-an appropriate subject for this place. Yet the manager pointed out to me something particularly interesting about this icon. He explained to me that in the tradition of the Eastern Church, Christ himself is portrayed as the good Samaritan. The badly wounded man lying beside the highway is mankind, all of us. Christ did not pass us by in our hour of need. He bound up our wounds and brought us home to the Father's inn. This marvelous parable is talking about Christ himself. Anyone who takes the good Samaritan for his example is imitating Christ.

These few brief remarks, about this and that, certainly mention only a small part of what could be said about Luke. One really ought to make a special point of the central role played in his Gospel by the prayers of Jesus and those close to him. Every day, the Church throughout the world prays the three great prayers from the "infancy narratives": the Benedictus of Zechariah in the morning (Lk 1:68-79), Mary's Magnficat in the evening (Lk 1:46-55), and Simeon's Nunc Dimittis at night (Lk 2:29-32).

It is also important to mention the particular role of women in the Gospel of Luke, beginning with Mary, then Elizabeth and Anna, and then the women who accompany Jesus and give him financial support (Lk 8:1-3), right up to Mary and Martha, in whose home he found friends (Lk 10:38-42).

Many things barely mentioned here will have their say when it comes to the individual Gospel readings, however brief and concise. There is a lot else that deserves thinking about in every Gospel read on a Sunday.

Thus, there is one thing I dearly hope: may it be, for all those who read these commentaries on the Gospel readings, a little bit as it was for the disciples at Emmaus. That, too, is a story that only Luke tells. How thankful we should be that he has given it to us!

As they are walking, Jesus explains Holy Scripture to the two stunned disciples (who have not yet recognized him)—above all, he explains what has been written about him, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. They invite their unrecognized fellow traveler to be their guest, and when he comes in with them and they find how he prays and breaks the bread, then they recognize him, and they return with hearts afire to the others in Jerusalem (Lk 24:13-3 5).

My greatest reward will be if the brief expositions in this book, of parts of the Gospel of Luke, do a little to help as many people as possible to have the same experience as the disciples at Emmaus. I must again thank the Kroner Zeitung for this third volume, which completes a trilogy of commentaries on the Sunday Gospel readings from all three years of the liturgical lectionary; and also thank its legendary editor Hans Dichand. He has made it possible for me to publish most of the material here in his newspaper, Sunday by Sunday, in the year 2003-2004. My thanks to the team from the Krone Bunt, who patiently dealt with the layout of my text for the German edition. Thanks also to our team in publishing, who always copy out my handwritten texts (I can still not make up my mind to use a computer for this), illustrate them, and, where necessary, abbreviate them. Finally, I thank all those who have helped to make this book out of the articles. My thanks to them all for their excellent teamwork.

And now, lastly, the most important thing of all: Luke's words are God's word in human speech. It is worthwhile, and essential, first of all to read the words of his Gospel carefully, and to meditate on them. My explanations and my reflections on them are simply meant to help. The power of God is there in the Gospel. May it work powerfully!

Vienna, The Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ
August 6, 2006

Jesus, The Divine Physician: Encountering Christ in the Gospel of Luke

by Christoph Cardinal Schönborn

Who is Jesus Christ? How can we really know him? People have been asking that important question for 2,000 years. The best answers are found in the four Gospels, but how are they to be understood, and applied to our modern lives and faith?

[image error] Cardinal Schönborn, a renowned spiritual writer and teacher, presents this third book in his series of meditations on the Gospels, in which he seeks to help readers have a deep personal encounter with Jesus Christ as seen in the Sacred Scriptures. His first two books focused on the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, and this book covers Luke. Sunday after Sunday, he uses the Church's Year C, mainly readings from Luke to explain the beauty of the Gospel in clear and understandable words.

The Cardinal shows how many of the most famous and important events in Christ's life, and some of his greatest parables, are only related in the Gospel of Luke. The powerful parables of the Prodigal Son, of the Good Samaritan, and of the Lost Sheep are told only in Luke's Gospel. Also told only in Luke is the famous story of the tax collector, Zaccheus, so short he climbed a tree to be able to see Jesus, as well as the moving story of the disciples' encounter with Christ on the road to Emmaus after the Resurrection. It is in Luke's Gospel that important roles of women are given particular mention. Finally, it is thanks to Luke especially that we know some of the important details about the Passion of the Savior.

"This book is not merely an aid to the Gospel of Luke, it is an inspiration. It reveals the practical eye of a pastor and the penetrating insights of a great scholar." - James V. Schall, S.J. Author, The Order of Things

"Cardinal Schönborn convincingly brings home the truth and power of the Gospel image of Jesus. If you have lost touch with Christ, you will find him again. Those who want to be disciples of Christ will discover new strength, conviction, and joy in this fresh expression of the reality of your Jesus and mine." - Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., Author, Arise from Darkness

Related IgnatiusInsight.com Articles and Excerpts:

• A Shepherd Like No Other | Excerpt from Behold, God's Son! Encountering Christ in the Gospel of Mark | Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
• Encountering Christ in the Gospel | Excerpt from My Jesus | Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
• The Church Is the Goal of All Things | Excerpt from Loving The Church | Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
• Excerpts from Chance or Purpose? | Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
• Reincarnation: The Answer of Faith | Excerpt from From Death to Life: The Christian Journey | Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
• The Truth of the Resurrection | Excerpts from Introduction to Christianity | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• Seeing Jesus in the Gospel of John | Excerpts from On The Way to Jesus Christ | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• A Jesus Worth Dying For | A Review of On The Way to Jesus Christ | Justin Nickelsen
• The Divinity of Christ | Peter Kreeft
• Jesus Is Catholic | Hans Urs von Balthasar
• The Religion of Jesus | Blessed Columba Marmion | From Christ, The Ideal of the Priest

Christoph Cardinal Schönborn is the Archbishop of Vienna. The renowned theologian was the primary editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, co-author (with Cardinal Ratzinger) of Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the author of God's Human Face and Living the Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Creed (Vol. 1), The Sacraments (Vol. 2), Life in Christ (Vol. 3), and Paths of Prayer (Vol. 4). He is also the author recently of Chance or Purpose? Creation, Evolution, and a Rational Faith, Who Needs God?, The Joy of Being a Priest, and God Sent His Son: A Contemporary Christology.

"He was the only Apostle who was not a Jew. He never saw Christ. ..."

... All that is written in his eloquent but restrained Gospel he acquired from hearsay, from witnesses, from the Mother of Christ, from disciples, and from the Apostles. His first visit to Israel took place almost a year after the Crucifixion. [image error]

Yet he became one of the greatest of the Apostles. Like Saul of Tarsus, later to be known as Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, he believed that Our Lord came not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles, also. He had much in common with Paul, because Paul too had never seen the Christ. Each had had an individual revelation. These two men had difficulty with the original Apostles because the latter stubbornly believed for a considerable time that Our Lord was incarnated, and died, only for the salvation of the Jews, even after Pentecost.

Why has St. Luke always obsessed me, and why have I always loved him from childhood? I do not know. I can only quote Friedrich Nietzsche on this matter: "One hears--one does not seek; one does not ask who gives--I have never had any choice about it."

This book is only indirectly about Our Lord. No novel, no historical book, can convey the story of His life so well as the Holy Bible. So the story of Lucanus, or St. Luke, is the story of every man's pilgrimage through despair and life-darkness, through suffering and anguish, through bitterness and sorrow, through doubt and cynicism, through rebellion and hopelessness to the feet and the understanding of God. This search for God and the final revelation are the only meaning in life for men. Without this search and revelation man lives only as an animal, without comfort and wisdom, and his life is futile, no matter his station or power or birth.

A priest, who helped us write this book, said of St. Luke, "He was Our Lady's first troubadour." Only to Luke did Mary reveal the Magnificat, which contains the noblest words in any literature. He loved her above all the women he had ever loved.

Read the entire Foreword to Dear and Glorious Physician: A Novel About Saint Luke by Taylor Caldwell:

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Benedict XVI announces "Year of Faith"; presents Apostolic Letter, "Porta fidei"

From Vatican Information Service:

VATICAN CITY, 16 OCT 2011 (VIS) - During Mass this morning in the Vatican Basilica, celebrated to mark the end of an international meeting on new evangelisation organised by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation, Benedict XVI announced that he was calling a forthcoming "Year of Faith".

The Year will begin on 11 October 2012, fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II, and will come to an end on 24 November 2013, Feast of Christ the King. Its aim "is to give renewed energy to the Church's mission to lead men and women out of the desert in which they so often find themselves, and towards the place of life, towards friendship with Christ Who gives us life in all its fullness". The Year will likewise be an opportunity "to strengthen our faith in Christ and joyfully to announce Him to the men and women of our time", the Pope said.

Commenting on this Sunday's readings, the Holy Father explained that the mission of the Church must be considered in the light of "the theological meaning of history. Epoch-making events, the rise and fall of great powers, all lie under the supreme dominion of God. No earthly power can take His place. The theology of history is an essential aspect of the new evangelisation, because the men and women of our time, following the tragic period of the totalitarian empires of the twentieth century, need to rediscover a global vision of the world and history. They need a truly free and peaceful vision, the vision which Vatican Council II transmitted in its documents and which my predecessors, Servant of God Paul VI and Blessed John Paul II, illustrated with their Magisterium".

"In order to be effective evangelisation needs the strength of the Spirit, which enlivens the message and infuses the person who bears it with the 'full conviction' of which St. Paul speaks. ... New evangelisers are called to be the first to walk along the Path which is Christ, in order to lead others to the beauty of the life-giving Gospel. On this Path we are never alone, but always in company; it is an experience of communion and fraternity which is offered to everyone we meet, bringing them to share in our experience of Christ and His Church. Thus, witness associated with announcement can open the hearts of those who seek the truth, helping them discover the meaning of their own lives".

Finally the Holy Father turned his attention to the Gospel episode of the tribute to be paid to the emperor. Jesus command to "give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's", he said, "is rich in anthropological significance and cannot be reduced only to the political sphere. The Church, then, does not limit herself to reminding men and women of the just distinction between the authority of Caesar and that of God, between the political and religious spheres. The mission of the Church, like that of Christ, is essentially that of speaking about God, evoking His sovereignty, calling everyone - and especially Christians who have lost their identity - of God's rights over that which belongs to Him: our lives".

And also from VIS, the Holy Father's Apostolic Letter "Motu Proprio data", "Porta fidei", proclaiming the "Year of Faith":

VATICAN CITY, 17 OCT 2011 (VIS) - Made public today was "Porta fidei", the Apostolic Letter "Motu Proprio data" with which Benedict XVI proclaims a "Year of Faith", to begin on 11 October 2012, fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II, and due to end on 24 November 2013, Feast of Christ the King. Extracts from the English-language version of the Letter are given below:

"The 'door of faith' is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into His Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace".

"Ever since the start of my ministry as Successor of Peter, I have spoken of the need to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ. ... Whereas in the past it was possible to recognise a unitary cultural matrix, broadly accepted in its appeal to the content of the faith and the values inspired by it, today this no longer seems to be the case in large swathes of society, because of a profound crisis of faith that has affected many people".

"In the light of all this, I have decided to announce a Year of Faith. It will begin on 11 October 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II, and it will end on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, on 24 November 2013. The starting date of 11 October 2012 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a text promulgated by my Predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, with a view to illustrating for all the faithful the power and beauty of the faith".

"Moreover, the theme of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that I have convoked for October 2012 is 'The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith'. This will be a good opportunity to usher the whole Church into a time of particular reflection and rediscovery of the faith. It is not the first time that the Church has been called to celebrate a Year of Faith. My venerable Predecessor the Servant of God Paul VI announced one in 1967. ... It concluded with the Credo of the People of God, intended to show how much the essential content that for centuries has formed the heritage of all believers needs to be confirmed, understood and explored ever anew, so as to bear consistent witness in historical circumstances very different from those of the past".

"It seemed to me that timing the launch of the Year of Faith to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II would provide a good opportunity to help people understand that the texts bequeathed by the Council Fathers. ... I would also like to emphasise strongly what I had occasion to say concerning the Council a few months after my election as Successor of Peter: 'if we interpret and implement it guided by a right hermeneutic, it can be and can become increasingly powerful for the ever necessary renewal of the Church'.

"The renewal of the Church is also achieved through the witness offered by the lives of believers: by their very existence in the world, Christians are called to radiate the word of truth that the Lord Jesus has left us. The Council itself, in the Dogmatic Constitution 'Lumen Gentium', said this: ... the Church ... clasping sinners to her bosom, is at once holy and always in need of purification".

The Year of Faith, from this perspective, is a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world. In the mystery of His death and resurrection, God has revealed in its fullness the Love that saves and calls us to conversion of life through the forgiveness of sins. For St. Paul, this Love ushers us into a new life. ... Through faith, this new life shapes the whole of human existence according to the radical new reality of the resurrection. ... 'Faith working through love' becomes a new criterion of understanding and action that changes the whole of man's life".

"Through His love, Jesus Christ attracts to Himself the people of every generation: in every age He convokes the Church, entrusting her with the proclamation of the Gospel by a mandate that is ever new. Today too, there is a need for stronger ecclesial commitment to new evangelisation in order to rediscover the joy of believing and the enthusiasm for communicating the faith. In rediscovering His love day by day, the missionary commitment of believers attains force and vigour that can never fade away. Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy".

"Only through believing, then, does faith grow and become stronger; there is no other possibility for possessing certitude with regard to one's life apart from self-abandonment, in a continuous crescendo, into the hands of a love that seems to grow constantly because it has its origin in God".

"We want to celebrate this Year in a worthy and fruitful manner. Reflection on the faith will have to be intensified, so as to help all believers in Christ to acquire a more conscious and vigorous adherence to the Gospel, especially at a time of profound change such as humanity is currently experiencing. We will have the opportunity to profess our faith in the Risen Lord in our cathedrals and in the churches of the whole world; in our homes and among our families, so that everyone may feel a strong need to know better and to transmit to future generations the faith of all times. Religious communities as well as parish communities, and all ecclesial bodies old and new, are to find a way, during this Year, to make a public profession of the Credo.

"We want this Year to arouse in every believer the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope. It will also be a good opportunity to intensify the celebration of the faith in the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist, which is 'the summit towards which the activity of the Church is directed; ... and also the source from which all its power flows.' At the same time, we make it our prayer that believers' witness of life may grow in credibility. To rediscover the content of the faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed, and to reflect on the act of faith, is a task that every believer must make his own, especially in the course of this Year".

"A Christian may never think of belief as a private act. Faith is choosing to stand with the Lord so as to live with Him. This 'standing with Him' points towards an understanding of the reasons for believing. Faith, precisely because it is a free act, also demands social responsibility for what one believes. ... Profession of faith is an act both personal and communitarian. It is the Church that is the primary subject of faith. In the faith of the Christian community, each individual receives Baptism, an effective sign of entry into the people of believers in order to obtain salvation".

"Evidently, knowledge of the content of faith is essential for giving one's own assent, that is to say for adhering fully with intellect and will to what the Church proposes. Knowledge of faith opens a door into the fullness of the saving mystery revealed by God. The giving of assent implies that, when we believe, we freely accept the whole mystery of faith, because the guarantor of its truth is God who reveals Himself and allows us to know His mystery of love.

"On the other hand, we must not forget that in our cultural context, very many people, while not claiming to have the gift of faith, are nevertheless sincerely searching for the ultimate meaning and definitive truth of their lives and of the world. This search is an authentic 'preamble' to the faith, because it guides people onto the path that leads to the mystery of God. Human reason, in fact, bears within itself a demand for 'what is perennially valid and lasting'. This demand constitutes a permanent summons, indelibly written into the human heart, to set out to find the One Whom we would not be seeking had He not already set out to meet us. To this encounter, faith invites us and it opens us in fullness.

"In order to arrive at a systematic knowledge of the content of the faith, all can find in the Catechism of the Catholic Church a precious and indispensable tool. It is one of the most important fruits of Vatican Council II. ... It is in this sense that that the Year of Faith will have to see a concerted effort to rediscover and study the fundamental content of the faith that receives its systematic and organic synthesis in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. ... The Catechism provides a permanent record of the many ways in which the Church has meditated on the faith and made progress in doctrine so as to offer certitude to believers in their lives of faith".

"In this Year, then, the Catechism of the Catholic Church will serve as a tool providing real support for the faith, especially for those concerned with the formation of Christians, so crucial in our cultural context. To this end, I have invited the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, by agreement with the competent Dicasteries of the Holy See, to draw up a note, providing the Church and individual believers with some guidelines on how to live this Year of Faith in the most effective and appropriate ways, at the service of belief and evangelisation.

"To a greater extent than in the past, faith is now being subjected to a series of questions arising from a changed mentality which, especially today, limits the field of rational certainties to that of scientific and technological discoveries. Nevertheless, the Church has never been afraid of demonstrating that there cannot be any conflict between faith and genuine science, because both, albeit via different routes, tend towards the truth.

"One thing that will be of decisive importance in this Year is retracing the history of our faith, marked as it is by the unfathomable mystery of the interweaving of holiness and sin. While the former highlights the great contribution that men and women have made to the growth and development of the community through the witness of their lives, the latter must provoke in each person a sincere and continuing work of conversion in order to experience the mercy of the Father which is held out to everyone".

"The Year of Faith will also be a good opportunity to intensify the witness of charity. ... Faith and charity each require the other, in such a way that each allows the other to set out along its respective path. Indeed, many Christians dedicate their lives with love to those who are lonely, marginalised or excluded, as to those who are the first with a claim on our attention and the most important for us to support, because it is in them that the reflection of Christ's own face is seen. Through faith, we can recognise the face of the risen Lord in those who ask for our love".

"Having reached the end of his life, St. Paul asks his disciple Timothy to 'aim at faith' with the same constancy as when he was a boy. We hear this invitation directed to each of us, that none of us grow lazy in the faith. It is the lifelong companion that makes it possible to perceive, ever anew, the marvels that God works for us. Intent on gathering the signs of the times in the present of history, faith commits every one of us to become a living sign of the presence of the Risen Lord in the world. What the world is in particular need of today is the credible witness of people enlightened in mind and heart by the word of the Lord, and capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life, life without end".