Persona Christi
To the Priests
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to the priests
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A faith worth fighting for
Oct. 3, 2007 (CWNews.com)
Oct. 03 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI chose a provocative theme for his first public audience of the autumn season in Rome: the solemn obligation of Catholic pastors to protect the truths of the faith. If only more Catholic bishops took that obligation so seriously! In his commentary on St. Cyril of Alexandria, the Pope noted that the 5th-century theologian recognized his duty, as bishop, to be "custodian of accuracy-- in other words, the custodian of the true faith." The alternative, the Pope continued, is to allow novelties to creep into the faith, so that what young Christians learn is not quite the same as what their forefathers were taught, and the precious heritage of the original faith is diluted. This is not merely a question of differing opinions, the Holy Father explained. Only the faithful preservation of the original Gospel message, Pope Benedict concluded, provides us with "a guarantee of continuity with the apostles and with Christ Himself." If the Catholic faith changes from generation to generation, then we Catholics of the early 21st century do not fully share the beliefs of the first apostles. If our understanding of the Nicene Creed differs from the understanding of the prelates who gathered for the Council of Nicea, then we have no firm assurance that we are members of the same faith, the same Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. The truths of the faith, then, are matters worth fighting for. A teacher who leads his students to question the faith is endangering their connection with the Church, and thus endangering their souls. False teaching is a scandal, the Pope reminded his audience, and "anyone who disturbs the least of those who believe in Christ will suffer unbearable punishment." In the past decade we have learned to treat the scandal of sexual abuse seriously. But what about theological abuse? What about the abuses involved in false teaching and false preaching, which confuse the faithful and squander the legacy of the Catholic faith? The Church fathers cherished their faith, and protected orthodox teachings energetically. The theological debates of the early Church were fought with vigor and sometimes with violence. There were fistfights at councils. Prelates denounced each other-- as St. Cyril denounced Nestorius, the Bishop of Constantinople-- openly and frequently. Disputes about fundamental teachings were treated with the utmost seriousness, because prelates knew that souls were at stake. Looking back on those vigorous debates from the perspective of modern times, one can regret the occasional bloodshed, but still envy the early Christians for their zeal. They fought about doctrine because they knew doctrine matters. Doctrine does matter-- still, even today, even in an era of unbelief. But it is rare to find a bishop who will defend the teachings of the Church with the same vigor as his forbears in the line of apostolic succession. It is rare to find a bishop who will openly challenge a dissident pastor or professor. Yes, you may find bishops who strongly re-assert the truths of the faith. But too often, even in their dioceses, theology professors continue to mislead students. If the bishop makes a clear assertion, and a professor at a Catholic university contradicts him just as clearly, the only possible result is confusion among the faithful. Why can't Church leaders confront errors directly, and denounce them? Is the façade of polite respectability more important than the reality of Catholic orthodoxy? The boisterous debates of the early Church helped to define orthodox Christian doctrine. We know what we believe today in part because our Christian ancestors for 15 or 16 centuries ago hurled insults and anathemas at each other until finally, in a trial by intellectual combat, the truths of the faith emerged. Today, Pope Benedict suggests, the orthodox teachings of the Church are endangered not by direct challenges but by studied indifference-- not by declared enemies who demand that we renounce a doctrinal teaching, but by supposed friends who tell us that it really doesn't matter. For many Christians, perhaps this is how the faith ends: Not with a bang but a whimper. Doctrine does matter. The fundamental truths of the faith, passed down from the apostles, are our most precious heritage. It's a faith worth fighting for. © Copyright 2007 Domus
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