Saint Paul on justification

Benedict XVI says Martin Luther's doctrine on justification is correct, if faith 'is not opposed to charity.'

The Pope said this today during Sunday's general audience dedicated to another reflection on St. Paul. This time, the Holy Father considered the Apostle's teaching on justification.

He noted that Paul's conversion experience on the road to Damascus 'changed his life radically: He began to regard all his merits, achievements of a most honest religious career, as 'loss' in face of the sublimity of knowledge of Jesus Christ.'

'It is precisely because of this personal experience of the relationship with Jesus that Paul places at the center of his Gospel an irreducible opposition between two alternative paths to justice: one based on the works of the law, the other founded on the grace of faith in Christ,' the Pontiff explained. 'The alternative between justice through the works of the law and justice through faith in Christ thus becomes one of the dominant themes that runs through his letters.'

What is law

But in order to understand this Pauline teaching, Benedict XVI affirmed, 'we must clarify what is the 'law' from which we have been freed and what are those 'works of the law' that do not justify.'

He explained: 'Already in the community of Corinth there was the opinion, which will return many times in history, which consisted in thinking that it was a question of the moral law, and that Christian freedom consisted therefore in being free from ethics. [...] It is obvious that this interpretation is erroneous: Christian liberty is not libertinism; the freedom of which St. Paul speaks is not freedom from doing good.'

Instead, the Pope said, the law to which Paul refers is the 'collection of behaviors extending from an ethical foundation to the ritual and cultural observances that substantially determined the identity of the just man -- particularly circumcision, the observance regarding pure food and general ritual purity, the rules regarding observance of the Sabbath, etc.'

These observances served to protect Jewish identity and faith in God; they were 'a defense shield that would protect the precious inheritance of the faith,' he remarked.

But, the Holy Father continued, at the moment of Paul's encounter with Christ, the Apostle 'understood that with Christ's resurrection the situation had changed radically.'

'The wall -- so says the Letter to the Ephesians -- between Israel and the pagans was no longer necessary,' he said. 'It is Christ who protects us against polytheism and all its deviations; it is Christ who unites us with and in the one God; it is Christ who guarantees our true identity in the diversity of cultures; and it is he who makes us just. To be just means simply to be with Christ and in Christ. And this suffices. Other observances are no longer necessary.'

And it is because of this, the Bishop of Rome continued, that Luther's expression 'by faith alone' is true 'if faith is not opposed to charity, to love. Faith is to look at Christ, to entrust oneself to Christ, to be united to Christ, to be conformed to Christ, to his life. And the form, the life of Christ, is love; hence, to believe is to be conformed to Christ and to enter into his love.'

'Paul knows,' he added, 'that in the double love of God and neighbor the whole law is fulfilled. Thus the whole law is observed in communion with Christ, in faith that creates charity. We are just when we enter into communion with Christ, who is love.' [Zenit] 1498.1

 

 

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The lay vocation

The lay vocation in the Church is not a series of functions for the non-ordained, but rather an encounter with Christ that transcends all other human activities, says the patriarch of Venice.

Cardinal Angelo Scola said this when he addressed the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, which was dedicated to a consideration of John Paul II's apostolic exhortation 'Christifideles Laici,' some 20 years after its publication.

'The Church cannot be defined in the abstract, but must be based on two focuses: in relation to Christ and his mission, and in relation to the world, to which she is constantly sent,' the cardinal said, according to a L'Osservatore Romano report of his address. 'The risk of thinking that the Church is an independent reality must be overcome.'

The cardinal went on to affirm that the 'lay dimension' is essential for the Church.

The lay faithful are called 'within each particular Church, to live their specific lay nature, facing the historical circumstances and situations in which they are protagonists,' he said.

And in that regard, it is necessary to 'overcome the temptations' that contradict this dimension of the Church, but which are very present today, the cardinal contended.

The first temptation consists in enclosing the faith within believing communities, which 'does away with the popular dimension of the initial Christian experience,' Cardinal Scola suggested. This temptation 'is ever greater in areas where publicly living the faith and ecclesial membership is increasingly difficult.'

The second temptation, he continued, consists in reducing the Christian faith 'to a civil religion or mere ethical cement,' an ever greater temptation in Western society 'in which civil life is rather exhausted.'

'The Church lives her characteristic lay dimension with the simple courage of being the People of God moving through history, the whole of history, giving witness to the beauty of the integral event of Jesus Christ, which in the form of communion, opens eternal salvation to us, giving us 100-fold as a pledge here on earth,' the cardinal affirmed.

In this connection, he added that it is necessary to overcome a 'theology of the laity' understood only as a 'juridical demarcation of the laity's functions within the Church.'

'The appropriate way to understand the lay dimension of the Church,' Cardinal Scola stated, 'is that of an encounter with Christ which transcends all realms of human existence.' [Zenit] 1498.2

 

 

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During his remarks at the opening of the Council's plenary assembly, which this year is focused on the theme, 'Twenty years after Christifideles laici: memory, development and new challenges and tasks,' the cardinal stated that 'our true problem is not being a minority, but rather having voluntarily become marginal, irrelevant, because of our lack of courage, so that we will be left alone, because of our mediocrity.'

According to the L'Osservatore Romano, Cardinal Rylko denounced the 'dictatorship of relativism' that Pope Benedict XVI has correctly identified, in which universal truth does not exist.

'The rush to create a 'new man' completely detached from the Judeo-Christian tradition, a new 'world order,' a new 'global ethic,' is gaining ground,' the cardinal said, and thus a 'new anti-Christianity' is emerging that makes it politically correct to attack Christians and Catholics in particular.

'Whoever wishes to live and act according to the Gospel of Christ in the Western liberal democracies must pay a price,' he stated. [CNA] 1498.3

 

 

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Ad limina visits

A backlog has made it impossible for bishops' ad limina visits to Rome to take place every five years, as envisioned by the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Archbishop Francesco Monterisi, secretary of the Congregation for Bishops, attributes the backlog to the increasing number of bishops, to postponements caused by Pope John Paul's failing health before his death in 2005, and to the late pontiff's decision to make the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 free from ad limina visits. [CWNews] 1498.4

 

 

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Contemplatives

Benedict XVI is inviting the faithful to support religious communities of men and women who dedicate themselves exclusively to prayer.

The Pope launched his appeal after praying Sunday's midday Angelus in St. Peter's Square. He noted that Nov. 21, the feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple, is also the day 'pro orantibus,' that is, 'for those who pray,' in particular cloistered religious communities.

'Let us thank the Lord for the sisters and brothers who have embraced this mission, dedicating themselves completely to prayer and living off what Providence gives them,' the Pontiff said. 'Let us also pray for them and for new vocations and let us commit ourselves to supporting monasteries in their material needs.'

The Pope then addressed himself to men and women contemplatives to tell them that their 'presence in the Church and the world is indispensable.'

'We are with you,' he concluded, 'and we bless you with great affection!' [Zenit] 1498.5

 

 

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Euthanasia

In a recent article published by the L'Osservatore Romano entitled, 'For an examination of conscience,' reporter Lucetta Scaraffia explained that fear of suffering in today's world is the 'motor' that drives the promoters of euthanasia. In response, Catholics should lay out principles that reasonably address the questioning that emerges from such fears, she said.

Scaraffia's comments came in response to the case of Eluana Englaro, a 37 year-old Italian woman condemned to undergo euthanasia by the Italian Supreme Court, which has ruled in favor of her father's request to have her food and hydration withdrawn to cause her death.

She charged that the court was showing mercy, 'not for the suffering of Eluana-who doctors swear can no longer feel a thing and will not realize she is going to die of hunger and thirst!-but rather for that of her father. As if the father, with the death of his daughter, will no longer suffer. And this is the paradox to which nobody has found a reason to object.'

'The fear of suffering constitutes the motor that drives all of the bad decisions about end-of-life interventions: those who promote euthanasia by pushing for a future without suffering know it,' Scaraffia warned, underscoring that the meaning of suffering, 'which only Christianity knows how to confront,' is the reason why 'everything must be done to stop this kind of situation for happening again.'

Catholic tradition, she noted, 'offers clear and precise guidance on how to make a decision in these complex circumstances: the value of human life from the moment of conception to natural death, no matter in what conditions it is lived, even if the cases to be confronted are constantly changing, making them more complicated and unprecedented.' [CNA] 1498.6

 

 

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Pope encourages solidarity

Upon receiving the Letters of Credence from the new Ambassador of Lebanon Georges Chakib El Khoury, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his hope that the people of the country 'may courageously continue their efforts' to increase solidarity and to build a united society.

'The millennial history of the country, and the place it occupies at the center of a complex region, give it a fundamental mission to contribute to peace and harmony among all,' began the Holy Father.

What makes the country so valuable, according to Pope Benedict, is its 'experience of life and of inter-community and inter-cultural collaboration.' In fact, the Pontiff described Lebanon as 'a 'treasure' that has been entrusted to all the Lebanese people.'

This treasure is so important that the Pope called on the international community to 'protect and value the country' in order to prevent it from 'becoming a land in which regional and global conflicts are played out.'

The Holy Father also proposed that peace in the Middle East might be found if Lebanon is seen as a 'laboratory in which to seek effective solutions to the conflicts that have long troubled the Middle East.'

'The election of the president of the Republic, the formation of a government of national unity and the approval of a new electoral law will favor national cohesion and contribute to the true coexistence of the various components of the nation,' the Pope remarked. 'I hope that, leaving particular interests to one side and healing the wounds of the past, everyone will make an effective commitment to the path of dialogue and reconciliation so that the country may progress in stability.'

And yet, progress still must be made to achieve stability, the Pope said.

The 'tensions that still exist demonstrate the need to continue down the path opened some months ago with the Doha Agreement, in order to build Lebanese institutions together,' Pope Benedict noted. 'In this commitment to the common good, people must be guided by an unshakeable certainty: each member of the Lebanese people must feel Lebanon as their home and know that their own concerns and legitimate expectations are effectively taken into consideration, while showing reciprocal respect for the rights of others.'

This can be done by encouraging the youth, he continued. 'It is necessary to promote and develop true education for peace, reconciliation and dialogue, directed above all at the young generations.'

'Lasting peace, which is the profound aspiration of all Lebanese, is possible only if everyone gives fundamental importance to the will to live together in the same land, and considers justice, reconciliation and dialogue as the appropriate context in which to resolve the problems of individuals and groups,' the Holy Father asserted.

Noting that the Holy See follows events in Lebanon and the Middle East closely, Pope Benedict concluded by greeting the Catholic community in Lebanon inviting them to become 'architects of unity and fraternity.' [CNA] 1498.7

 

 

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Catholics involved in politics

The Catholic Church must strengthen its efforts to educate and assist lay Catholics involved in politics so that the positions they hold and the policies they promote reflect the values of the faith they profess, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Meeting members of the Pontifical Council for the Laity on November 15, the Pope emphasised the need to educate lay Catholics to play their proper role in building a world of justice, charity and protection of human rights.

'In a special way, I reaffirm the necessity and urgency of the evangelical formation and pastoral accompaniment of a new generation of Catholics involved in politics, that they would be coherent with their professed faith,' morally upright, professional and passionate about serving the common good, he said.

Laypeople are called to fulfill their mission as followers and witnesses to Christ in government, social life, workplaces, schools and families, the pontiff said.

'Every environment, circumstance and activity in which we hope will shine the unity between faith and life is entrusted to the responsibility of the lay faithful, moved by a desire to communicate the gift of encountering Christ and the certainty of the dignity of the human person,' the Pope said.

Pope Benedict also praised the council for the laity's commitment to promoting the dignity and participation of women in the Church and in the world.

'Man and woman, equal in dignity, are called to enrich each other in communion and collaboration, not only in marriage and family life, but also in society,' he said.

'One can never say enough about how much the Church recognises, appreciates and values the participation of women in its mission of spreading the Gospel,' the Pope said.

In a world where so many people are not aware of the beauty of the truth and the joy of being Christian, he said, the Church relies on laypeople to share 'the treasure of grace and holiness, charity, doctrine, culture and works that make up the Catholic tradition'. [Universe] 1498.8

 

 

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The dignity of women

The pontifical council charged with helping care for the laity met with Pope Benedict on Saturday and received the challenge to continue their efforts to reach the youth and promote the equal dignity of women.

With the entire Pontifical Council for the Laity gathered for its 23rd assembly, Pope Benedict XVI focused on revisiting John Paul II's exhortation 'Christifideles Laici' on its 20th anniversary.

The Pope began by explaining how the John Paul II's document on the laity represents 'an organic reassessment of Vatican Council II's teaching on the lay faithful: their dignity as baptized persons, their vocation to sanctity, their membership of the ecclesial communion, their involvement in building Christian communities and in the mission of the Church, their witness in all areas of social life and their commitment to serve the integral growth of the individual and the common good of society.'

As society changes, Benedict XVI explained that the laity should look to the historic document as a guide 'for discernment and for the intensification of the Church's lay commitment.'

One aspect of this change has been the rise of movements within the Church which should also be guided by the 'criteria of ecclesiality' given in the document. These criteria are necessary, 'on the one hand, for pastors' own discernment and, on the other, for the development of associations of faithful, ecclesial movements and new communities,' the Pope said.

Given '[t]he current cultural and social situation,' Pope Benedict stressed that evangelization is 'even more urgently necessary' to pass on the faith, culture and tradition of the Church to the youth.

The hearts of the new generation 'await proposals of truth and happiness' the Holy Father said as he recalled his recent trip to World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia.

Benedict XVI then went on to praise the Pontifical Council for the Laity for the importance it gives to 'the dignity and participation of women in the life of the Church and of society' because 'men and women, equal in their dignity, are called to enrich one another in communion and collaboration, not only in marriage and the family, but in all dimensions of society.'

As he drew his remarks to a close, Pope Benedict encouraged the council for the laity to continue their work of forming the lay faithful. He particularly reiterated the 'urgent need for evangelical formation and pastoral accompaniment of the new generation of Catholics involved in political life, that they may remain coherent to the faith they profess, uphold their moral rigor, capacity for cultural judgment, professional competency and passion for service of the common good.' [CNA] 1498.9

 

 

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Sick children

While meeting with participants from the 23rd International Conference of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, the Holy Father underscored that sick children, including the unborn, must be treated with dignity for their authentic good. The conference, held at the Vatican November 13 - 15, met to discuss the theme 'Pastoral Care in the Treatment of Sick Children.'

The Holy Father began by praising the conference for shedding light on the difficult conditions experienced by 'large numbers of children in vast regions of the earth' despite great strides in medicine.

After saying that four million newborn infants die each year, the Pope called on conference participants to work to 'prevent the emergence of many illnesses once typical of childhood and, overall, to favor the growth, development and maintenance of a correct state of health for all children.'

This must be done through a 'proper balance between the continuation and abandonment of treatment so as to ensure adequate care for the young patients without giving way to the temptation of experimentalism,' the Pope cautioned.

He then reminded participants that the focus of all medical activity 'must always be the authentic good of the child, considered in his or her dignity as a human being with full rights.

'Children must, then, always be cared for with love, to help them face suffering and sickness, even before birth, in a way appropriate to their situation.'

Along with addressing the physical needs of sick children, Pope Benedict also spoke about the need to address their emotional needs. It is essential to keep 'in mind the emotional impact of the sickness the child must undergo, and of the treatment, which at times can be particularly invasive, it is important to ensure constant communication with the relatives,' he said.

'The sick, and especially children, have a particular understanding of the language of tenderness and love as expressed though sensitive, patient and generous service,' the Holy Father said as he reminded Christians that they should exhibit the same love Jesus had for children.

This is important, the Holy Father added because all people were created in the image and likeness of God, who views them as 'even more precious the weaker' than they are seen 'in the eyes of man.'

'With how much love then, must we welcome' and care for 'a child not yet born and already affected with a sickness,' children who are orphaned, abandoned, or suffer from poverty, a disintegrated family, AIDS, war, drought or hunger? the Pope asked.

'The Catholic Church never forgets these children,' Benedict XVI continued. In fact, the Church 'applauds the initiatives of the richer nations to improve the conditions for their development,' but she also 'feels the compelling duty to call for greater attention to be paid to these brothers and sisters, so that, thanks to our joint solidarity they may look upon life with trust and hope.'

Benedict XVI concluded his address by thanking those who devote their work to assisting children. He expressed particular appreciation Catholic social-healthcare associations and institutions and 'our own 'Bambino Gesu' Hospital,' which 'following the example of Jesus Christ the Good Samaritan and animated by charity, bring human, moral and spiritual support and relief to so many suffering children, who are the objects of God's special love.' [CNA] 1498.10

 

 

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United Nations

 

 

Abortion petition

On December 10th, pro-abortion groups will present petitions asking the United Nation's General Assembly to make abortion a universally recognized human right. The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute created an alternate petition drive that calls for government to interpret the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as protecting the unborn child from abortion. They need at least 100,000 signatures by December 10th, the 60th Anniversary of the Universail Delaration of Human Rights. Please go to othe Website:
http://www.c-fam.org/publications/id.95/default.asp and sign the petition. 1498.11

 

 

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India urged to legalise sodomy

A representative of the United Nations Organization is openly urging India to legalize sodomy in the midst of a trial over the constitutionality of its law prohibiting unnatural sexual behavior.

Jeffrey O'Malley, director of the United Nation's Development Program HIV/AIDS Group, claims that legalizing sodomy would 'achieve better results regarding protection against AIDS' according to the French Press Agency (AFP).

'Until we acknowledge these behaviors and work with people involved with these behaviors, we are not going to halt and reverse the HIV epidemic,' O'Malley told AFP.

'Countries which protect men who have sex with men ... have double the rate of coverage of HIV prevention services - as much as 60 percent.'

The claim of promoting 'public health,' which is also made by anti-family groups in favor of abortion, contraception, and 'sex education,' is contradicted by numerous studies linking sodomy to a host of illnesses and pathological behavior, including depression, suicide, violent aggression, drug abuse, venereal diseases, 'flesh eating' staph infections, anal cancer, and other related problems.

Earlier this year General P. P. Malhotra, India's Soliciter General, expressed his misgivings about claims that legalizing sodomy would contribute to the fight against AIDS. 'Homosexuality is a social vice and the state has the power to contain it. [Decrimilazing homosexuality] may create [a] breach of peace,' said Malhotra. 'If it is allowed then [the] evil of AIDS and HIV would further spread and harm the people. It would lead to a big health hazard and degrade moral values of society.'

Many of the programs for AIDS prevention celebrated by the UN are also of concern in that they often involve the massive distribution of condoms, which fail up to 10% of the time. Such programs have been associated with dramatically increased rates of HIV infection, despite their stated intentions of curbing the disease.

South Africa, for example, increased condom distribution from 6 million to 198 million between 1994 and 1998, but saw a 57 increase in HIV/AIDS related deaths. Similar results have occurred in other countries.

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code says that anyone who 'voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal' will be penalized with a prison sentence of ten years to life, and may be fined as well. Convictions of sodomy under Section 377, however, are extremely rare.

The same text that punishes sodomy also punishes child sex abuse and bestiality.

The motion to overturn the law was filed by an international organization, the Naz Foundation, whose international headquarters are located in the United Kingdom. It states that its purpose is to promote the 'sexual health and human rights of marginalised males who have sex with males, their partners and families in South Asia and elsewhere.' It is endorsed by Hollywood celebrity Richard Gere. . [LSN] 1498.12

 

 

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Anti-family convention, 'sexual rights'

The Catholic Family Institute (C-Fam) reports from New York on some good news and bad. The good news is that El Salvador has declined to sign a treaty that critics charge promotes radical social policy. We also report on a new document from International Planned Parenthood Federation that says governments are obligated to guarantee something called 'sexual rights.'

El Salvador rejects anti-family convention

Piero A. Tozzi and Neydy Casillas Padrón write : 'The President of El Salvador, Elias Antonio Saca, affirmed at an Ibero-American leaders' summit late last month that his country would not sign the Ibero-American Convention on the Rights of Youth (ICRY) , as it violated El Salvador's Constitution. His decision cheered Latin American social conservatives who have been wary of articles in the Convention that they say promote homosexuality and abortion .

The ICRY is backed by Spain's socialist