Ecce Verbum
The priesthood of Christ is derived from sacrifice "In what was done by Melchisedech the priest we recognize a type of the Sacrament of the Lord's Sacrifice. For thus it is written in the writings of God: And Melchisedech, King of Salem, brought forth bread…
The true priesthood of the New Covenant
Jesus Christ, the High Priest, established and left in his Church the true priestly office, which belongs only to persons possessing the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Priestly office is an authority whose purpose is to sanctify the faithful and to perform divine worship on behalf of the entire Church by offering the Holy Mass and administering the Holy Sacraments.
The priestly office is transmitted through the Sacrament of Holy Orders (Sacramentum Ordinis), hence it is also called the power of orders. This power, by Christ's institution, is possessed by deacons, priests and bishops, but to an unequal degree. Bishops have full priestly authority. Therefore, priestly authority does not come from people or even from an ecclesiastical regulation, but from Christ and the Sacrament instituted by Him, which impresses on ordained persons an indelible character giving them a certain degree of priestly authority.
The priesthood resulting from the Sacrament of Holy Orders (hence often called the Sacrament of Holy Orders, which is a correct, although imprecise name) is clearly different in essence from the so-called common priesthood of the faithful resulting from the Sacrament of Baptism.
Pius XII recalled this in his encyclical on the liturgy (Mediator Dei): "There were those who joined in the errors already condemned. They teach that in the New Testament the name of priesthood means only that which falls to all who are regenerated by the waters of Baptism..."
The pope further explained that the lay faithful do not have true priestly power, which belongs only to people who have the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Only priests act in the place of Christ during the Eucharist and are therefore intermediaries between the people and God.
Only ordained priests and bishops ,as true priests, have the power to offer the Holy Sacrifice and this cannot be changed even by a regulation of the Church, because it results from the essence of the Sacrament, of which the Church is the minister, not the creator or ruler.
The Eucharistic Sacrifice is the center of Christian life because it is a perfect act of public worship, a true sacrifice making present the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and, moreover, it contains Christ himself, really and substantially present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
This unique presence of Christ in the Eucharist is now incomparably greater than other types of God's presence in the world, and it takes place thanks to the powers granted to the priest. This presence also makes the priest's celebration of Mass a true sacrifice.
The existence of a true priesthood is confirmed by the Council of Trent: "When, therefore, in the New Covenant the Church received the visible, holy sacrifice of the Eucharist by the Lord's institution, it must also be confessed that in her there is a new, visible and external priesthood."
However, in the canons on the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the Council of Trent defines dogmatically: "1. If anyone says that in the New Covenant there is no visible and external priesthood [sacerdotium visible et externum] (...) - let him be anathema."
But the Church had already used the concept of priesthood as related to the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The Council of Florence (1439), describing the Sacrament of Holy Orders, teaches: "The form of priesthood [Forma sacerdotii] is this: Accept the power of offering sacrifice in the Church..."
Pius XI, in his encyclical on the Catholic priesthood (Ad Catholici Sacerdotii), teaches that priestly authority is "entrusted to the priest by a separate sacrament" and emphasises its dignity: "The priest is, as it were, an instrument in the hand of the Saviour to carry on his work in time".
In the same document, the Pope lists priestly functions: "The priest is the official mediator with God for all people (...) The priest is the dispenser of God's graces, which flow from the Sacraments as from a source (...) Moreover, the priest should teach the truths of faith."
🔗part 2 and sources
#priesthood
Jesus Christ, the High Priest, established and left in his Church the true priestly office, which belongs only to persons possessing the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Priestly office is an authority whose purpose is to sanctify the faithful and to perform divine worship on behalf of the entire Church by offering the Holy Mass and administering the Holy Sacraments.
The priestly office is transmitted through the Sacrament of Holy Orders (Sacramentum Ordinis), hence it is also called the power of orders. This power, by Christ's institution, is possessed by deacons, priests and bishops, but to an unequal degree. Bishops have full priestly authority. Therefore, priestly authority does not come from people or even from an ecclesiastical regulation, but from Christ and the Sacrament instituted by Him, which impresses on ordained persons an indelible character giving them a certain degree of priestly authority.
The priesthood resulting from the Sacrament of Holy Orders (hence often called the Sacrament of Holy Orders, which is a correct, although imprecise name) is clearly different in essence from the so-called common priesthood of the faithful resulting from the Sacrament of Baptism.
Pius XII recalled this in his encyclical on the liturgy (Mediator Dei): "There were those who joined in the errors already condemned. They teach that in the New Testament the name of priesthood means only that which falls to all who are regenerated by the waters of Baptism..."
The pope further explained that the lay faithful do not have true priestly power, which belongs only to people who have the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Only priests act in the place of Christ during the Eucharist and are therefore intermediaries between the people and God.
Only ordained priests and bishops ,as true priests, have the power to offer the Holy Sacrifice and this cannot be changed even by a regulation of the Church, because it results from the essence of the Sacrament, of which the Church is the minister, not the creator or ruler.
The Eucharistic Sacrifice is the center of Christian life because it is a perfect act of public worship, a true sacrifice making present the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and, moreover, it contains Christ himself, really and substantially present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
This unique presence of Christ in the Eucharist is now incomparably greater than other types of God's presence in the world, and it takes place thanks to the powers granted to the priest. This presence also makes the priest's celebration of Mass a true sacrifice.
The existence of a true priesthood is confirmed by the Council of Trent: "When, therefore, in the New Covenant the Church received the visible, holy sacrifice of the Eucharist by the Lord's institution, it must also be confessed that in her there is a new, visible and external priesthood."
However, in the canons on the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the Council of Trent defines dogmatically: "1. If anyone says that in the New Covenant there is no visible and external priesthood [sacerdotium visible et externum] (...) - let him be anathema."
But the Church had already used the concept of priesthood as related to the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The Council of Florence (1439), describing the Sacrament of Holy Orders, teaches: "The form of priesthood [Forma sacerdotii] is this: Accept the power of offering sacrifice in the Church..."
Pius XI, in his encyclical on the Catholic priesthood (Ad Catholici Sacerdotii), teaches that priestly authority is "entrusted to the priest by a separate sacrament" and emphasises its dignity: "The priest is, as it were, an instrument in the hand of the Saviour to carry on his work in time".
In the same document, the Pope lists priestly functions: "The priest is the official mediator with God for all people (...) The priest is the dispenser of God's graces, which flow from the Sacraments as from a source (...) Moreover, the priest should teach the truths of faith."
🔗part 2 and sources
#priesthood
Ecce Verbum
Tradition vs sola scriptura p.3- arguments from the Fathers Jesus Christ left to mankind not writings but teachings which were orally entrusted to the Apostles, who were given the mission of spreading them throughout the world and guarding against error.…
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Ecce Verbum
Putting charity into practice 🧵 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another.” (John 13:35) “He who saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, he is in darkness even until now.” (1 John 2:9) “Our divine Lord…
Theological love
Theological love is an infused virtue through which we love God above all, for His own sake, as our supernatural goal.
The object of every love is good: the object of divine love is God, as good, worthy of the highest love, regardless of ourselves.
Perfect love is the love of God above all, or in other words, the highest appreciative love (recognizing the loved one as the most precious good), and not the intensely highest love (with the strongest affect). Love above all means that we love God as the highest good and recognize Him as such good in our reason and will.
This does not mean that we have to love God with the greatest emotional strength, because the intensity of love does not necessarily have to have an intellectual-volitional basis. It often happens that we feel more intense love for the people closest to us, e.g. a child or a spouse, which results from the close bonds that influence our senses, but it does not mean that we value them as the highest good, greater than God himself. An example of this is the fact that despite great emotional love for our spouse, we are not ready to sin seriously for him or to reject eternal life, and only then would it mean that we love someone more than God. It follows that every grave sin is putting some good above God, and therefore results in the loss of theological love.
Theological love is God's love for Himself. What is meant by this? Some theologians believe that this good is God's nature with all its attributes. Others claim that not only God's nature is the object of love, but also every attribute of God, taken separately.
Perfect love does not require the highest intensity, i.e. strength (violentness), which depends on temperament, fantasy and other abilities. For perfect love, the highest appreciative love is absolutely necessary, which does not have to involve the highest emotional intensity.
The formal object of theological love is God's goodness itself. The first material object of theological love is God himself, and the second are rational beings who actually participate or can participate in God's supernatural goodness.
The motive of theological love is God's goodness, so God, in whom God's goodness is found in its fullness (substantively) and constitutes His essence, must be the first object of this love. Hence the first and greatest commandment is: "You shall love the Lord your God..."
Can sinners be the object of theological love?
Sinners can be the object of theological love because they can gain (receive) God's grace and heaven, that is, they can participate in God's supernatural good. The main object of theological love is God as supernatural good. However, God's grace and heaven (eternal life) consist in participation in God's supernatural good covered by this love. For this reason, the secondary object of theological love are all rational creatures (angels, saints, people in a state of grace and sinners still alive) who actually are or can be participants in this supernatural goodness. Why are the other answers incorrect? 1. They have natural dignity - no creature by itself, without a special gift, shares in the supernatural goodness of God. Loving one's neighbor, including a sinner, solely because of his or her natural human dignity is natural love, not supernatural theological love. 2. They are our neighbors - of course, since every sinner is also our neighbor, it follows that he or she deserves love in accordance with the commandment to love one's neighbor, but this answer does not explain why it can be theological love (and not only natural love). ), nor does it explain why love for one's neighbor can be theological.
We cannot love sinners because of their sin, nor our enemies because they are enemies, because evil is not to be loved. However, they should be loved as capable of participating in God's goodness, that is, of possessing grace and eternal happiness.
🔗part2
#virtue #charity
Theological love is an infused virtue through which we love God above all, for His own sake, as our supernatural goal.
The object of every love is good: the object of divine love is God, as good, worthy of the highest love, regardless of ourselves.
Perfect love is the love of God above all, or in other words, the highest appreciative love (recognizing the loved one as the most precious good), and not the intensely highest love (with the strongest affect). Love above all means that we love God as the highest good and recognize Him as such good in our reason and will.
This does not mean that we have to love God with the greatest emotional strength, because the intensity of love does not necessarily have to have an intellectual-volitional basis. It often happens that we feel more intense love for the people closest to us, e.g. a child or a spouse, which results from the close bonds that influence our senses, but it does not mean that we value them as the highest good, greater than God himself. An example of this is the fact that despite great emotional love for our spouse, we are not ready to sin seriously for him or to reject eternal life, and only then would it mean that we love someone more than God. It follows that every grave sin is putting some good above God, and therefore results in the loss of theological love.
Theological love is God's love for Himself. What is meant by this? Some theologians believe that this good is God's nature with all its attributes. Others claim that not only God's nature is the object of love, but also every attribute of God, taken separately.
Perfect love does not require the highest intensity, i.e. strength (violentness), which depends on temperament, fantasy and other abilities. For perfect love, the highest appreciative love is absolutely necessary, which does not have to involve the highest emotional intensity.
The formal object of theological love is God's goodness itself. The first material object of theological love is God himself, and the second are rational beings who actually participate or can participate in God's supernatural goodness.
The motive of theological love is God's goodness, so God, in whom God's goodness is found in its fullness (substantively) and constitutes His essence, must be the first object of this love. Hence the first and greatest commandment is: "You shall love the Lord your God..."
Can sinners be the object of theological love?
Sinners can be the object of theological love because they can gain (receive) God's grace and heaven, that is, they can participate in God's supernatural good. The main object of theological love is God as supernatural good. However, God's grace and heaven (eternal life) consist in participation in God's supernatural good covered by this love. For this reason, the secondary object of theological love are all rational creatures (angels, saints, people in a state of grace and sinners still alive) who actually are or can be participants in this supernatural goodness. Why are the other answers incorrect? 1. They have natural dignity - no creature by itself, without a special gift, shares in the supernatural goodness of God. Loving one's neighbor, including a sinner, solely because of his or her natural human dignity is natural love, not supernatural theological love. 2. They are our neighbors - of course, since every sinner is also our neighbor, it follows that he or she deserves love in accordance with the commandment to love one's neighbor, but this answer does not explain why it can be theological love (and not only natural love). ), nor does it explain why love for one's neighbor can be theological.
We cannot love sinners because of their sin, nor our enemies because they are enemies, because evil is not to be loved. However, they should be loved as capable of participating in God's goodness, that is, of possessing grace and eternal happiness.
🔗part2
#virtue #charity
Ecce Verbum
Marks of the Church of Christ: unity, holiness, universality and apostolic character
Outline of Apologetics, Rev. Dr. Aleksander Pechnik, Warsaw 1913, pp. 152-159, Imprimatur
a) The unity of the Church.
Scripture speaks of only one Church of Christ. This unity is based on the teaching of the same articles of faith, on the celebration of the same Holy Sacraments and on the concentration of supreme authority in the hands of a single leader: "And there shall be one fold and one shepherd", said the Saviour about His Church (John 10:16). There must be one faith in the whole Church: "One Lord, one faith" (Eph 4:5). For since only one can be true, so also only one teaching about God and religion can be true, and all others must be rejected as false. It is not, therefore, evidence of a narrow-minded, fanatical exclusiveness when the Church excludes from the assembly of the faithful, anyone who persistently denies even one truth that belongs to the revealed truths. If anyone dares to undermine the authority of the teaching Church and refuses to accept as truth what she proclaims to be true, such person excludes himself from her fold, contradicting the will of God. The Church, on the other hand, does not wish to harm him in the least, neither does she wish to show him any dislike - on the contrary, she wants to save his soul and for this very reason she even resorts to the last resort, if admonitions have no effect. She only fulfils her duty when she leaves no one free to wander. She endures human frailties patiently, she does not deprive even the greatest sinners of her help, she does not allow harm to be done to dissenters, but she cannot tolerate falsehood.
🔗b) The holiness of the Church
🔗c) The universality of the Church
🔗d) Apostolic Character of the Church
#unity
Outline of Apologetics, Rev. Dr. Aleksander Pechnik, Warsaw 1913, pp. 152-159, Imprimatur
a) The unity of the Church.
Scripture speaks of only one Church of Christ. This unity is based on the teaching of the same articles of faith, on the celebration of the same Holy Sacraments and on the concentration of supreme authority in the hands of a single leader: "And there shall be one fold and one shepherd", said the Saviour about His Church (John 10:16). There must be one faith in the whole Church: "One Lord, one faith" (Eph 4:5). For since only one can be true, so also only one teaching about God and religion can be true, and all others must be rejected as false. It is not, therefore, evidence of a narrow-minded, fanatical exclusiveness when the Church excludes from the assembly of the faithful, anyone who persistently denies even one truth that belongs to the revealed truths. If anyone dares to undermine the authority of the teaching Church and refuses to accept as truth what she proclaims to be true, such person excludes himself from her fold, contradicting the will of God. The Church, on the other hand, does not wish to harm him in the least, neither does she wish to show him any dislike - on the contrary, she wants to save his soul and for this very reason she even resorts to the last resort, if admonitions have no effect. She only fulfils her duty when she leaves no one free to wander. She endures human frailties patiently, she does not deprive even the greatest sinners of her help, she does not allow harm to be done to dissenters, but she cannot tolerate falsehood.
🔗b) The holiness of the Church
🔗c) The universality of the Church
🔗d) Apostolic Character of the Church
#unity
Ecce Verbum
Why should we call Mary the “mother of God” instead of just the “mother of Jesus”? Dr. Timothy Pawl In the history of the church, there have been some claims that have been theological lightning rods. They took on great importance as tools for demarcating…
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Ecce Verbum
Love in marriage as communion and complementarity “The words of the Book of Genesis contain that truth about man which is confirmed by the very experience of humanity. Man is created ‘from the very beginning’ as male and female: the life of all humanity…
🧵Marriage and family
a selection of quotations
Bl.Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński
1)Preparation for the sacrament of marriage,
"The choice of a spouse must not be the result of a whim, a momentary fancy, a fleeting feeling. The choice must be a careful one, for whether the future marriage will be happy or not depends on it. [...] Marriage is not just a matter of the heart, of feeling - it is very much a matter of reason. Consideration of God's laws and the good of our Christian faith should play no small part in the choice of a spouse. We must ask whether the person chosen loves God and respects the laws of the Church. For it depends on this whether he respects the law of the spouse. Whoever is not faithful to God will usually not keep the faith of his spouse. In addition, one must also consider one's own good and that of the other bride and groom; for people who are good in themselves may not be good to each other, especially when they share differences of disposition, background and upbringing. The good of the offspring must also be taken into account. For this reason, young people must look after their own health; they have a right to the other's health. They should demand from each other a medical certificate from a conscientious doctor."
Preparing for Marriage, "Ład Boży" R. 2 (1946), no. 22, p. 3.
"Catholics are therefore obliged to know that the greatest grace for man is that God himself has taken care of the arrangement of marriage. They are to know that marriage is God's great gift to the human race. They are to know that God's laws are the strongest foundation for marriage. They are to know that Christ the Lord has cleansed marriage from human errors.
They are to know that Christian marriage is endowed with the dignity of a sacrament. They are to know that the greatest strength of marriage is its supernatural bond - the grace of the sacramental grace.
They are to know that this strength should be drawn upon by parents and children alike - in all the difficulties of cohabitation.
They are to know that - in view of this - there is a great difference between Christian marriage and pagan marriage.
They are to know that Catholic marriage - thanks to its religious character - cannot be taken out of the temple, and separated from the altar.
Know the dignity of marriage, "Ład Boży" R. 2 (1946), no. 20, p. 3.
"To a family, to a fiancé, to a marriage, you bring yourself first and foremost. This is your dowry: yourself and your heart. You are a gift. What you bring will be what you are: pure and spotless or tainted. The happiness of your betrothal and marriage depends on your 'dowry' - on you alone. If you enter marriage life pure, your marriage will be pure. Your children will be born pure. The threshold of your home will be holy. If you enter soiled, everything will be soiled. You know well how much family needs your loving heart. But only a pure heart is capable of true love. And you also know well that in order to preserve purity, you must regard it as a treasure and be vigilant not to lose it through carelessness and recklessness. How to repair a precious crystal when it falls on the and shattered into tiny pieces? How do you repair the crystal of your heart and body? The blemishes will remain, which is a pity, because the crystal will then lose its price. And that is why it takes effort, caution and great vigilance to guard your heart, to preserve your purity and dignity."
Call to the Crusade of Modesty. [27 VII
1958], Warsaw 2002, pp. 169-170.
🔗p.2
🔗Instruction concerning preparation for marriage and family life for young people (premarital catechisation)
#marriage
a selection of quotations
Bl.Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński
1)Preparation for the sacrament of marriage,
"The choice of a spouse must not be the result of a whim, a momentary fancy, a fleeting feeling. The choice must be a careful one, for whether the future marriage will be happy or not depends on it. [...] Marriage is not just a matter of the heart, of feeling - it is very much a matter of reason. Consideration of God's laws and the good of our Christian faith should play no small part in the choice of a spouse. We must ask whether the person chosen loves God and respects the laws of the Church. For it depends on this whether he respects the law of the spouse. Whoever is not faithful to God will usually not keep the faith of his spouse. In addition, one must also consider one's own good and that of the other bride and groom; for people who are good in themselves may not be good to each other, especially when they share differences of disposition, background and upbringing. The good of the offspring must also be taken into account. For this reason, young people must look after their own health; they have a right to the other's health. They should demand from each other a medical certificate from a conscientious doctor."
Preparing for Marriage, "Ład Boży" R. 2 (1946), no. 22, p. 3.
"Catholics are therefore obliged to know that the greatest grace for man is that God himself has taken care of the arrangement of marriage. They are to know that marriage is God's great gift to the human race. They are to know that God's laws are the strongest foundation for marriage. They are to know that Christ the Lord has cleansed marriage from human errors.
They are to know that Christian marriage is endowed with the dignity of a sacrament. They are to know that the greatest strength of marriage is its supernatural bond - the grace of the sacramental grace.
They are to know that this strength should be drawn upon by parents and children alike - in all the difficulties of cohabitation.
They are to know that - in view of this - there is a great difference between Christian marriage and pagan marriage.
They are to know that Catholic marriage - thanks to its religious character - cannot be taken out of the temple, and separated from the altar.
Know the dignity of marriage, "Ład Boży" R. 2 (1946), no. 20, p. 3.
"To a family, to a fiancé, to a marriage, you bring yourself first and foremost. This is your dowry: yourself and your heart. You are a gift. What you bring will be what you are: pure and spotless or tainted. The happiness of your betrothal and marriage depends on your 'dowry' - on you alone. If you enter marriage life pure, your marriage will be pure. Your children will be born pure. The threshold of your home will be holy. If you enter soiled, everything will be soiled. You know well how much family needs your loving heart. But only a pure heart is capable of true love. And you also know well that in order to preserve purity, you must regard it as a treasure and be vigilant not to lose it through carelessness and recklessness. How to repair a precious crystal when it falls on the and shattered into tiny pieces? How do you repair the crystal of your heart and body? The blemishes will remain, which is a pity, because the crystal will then lose its price. And that is why it takes effort, caution and great vigilance to guard your heart, to preserve your purity and dignity."
Call to the Crusade of Modesty. [27 VII
1958], Warsaw 2002, pp. 169-170.
🔗p.2
🔗Instruction concerning preparation for marriage and family life for young people (premarital catechisation)
#marriage
Ecce Verbum
Of Real Friendship Do you, my child, love every one with the pure love of charity, but have no friendship save with those whose intercourse is good and true, and the purer the bond which unites you so much higher will your friendship be. If your intercourse…
Augustine's beautiful description of friendship
🔗Confessions Bk IV.8.13
🔗book page ( Peter Brown's biography, p.50)
🔗a few more of Augustine's wonderful quotes on friendship
#friendship
🔗Confessions Bk IV.8.13
🔗book page ( Peter Brown's biography, p.50)
🔗a few more of Augustine's wonderful quotes on friendship
#friendship
Ecce Verbum
Photo
Ripperger,_Chad_Introduction_to_the_Science_of_Mental_Heal_libgen.pdf
52 MB
"Introduction to the Science of Mental Health"
Fr. Chad A. Ripperger
The text is divided into three parts: What constitutes a valid science of psychology; The principles one must know in order to discuss mental health and illness; What is mental health and illness according to St. Thomas and what are the causes of mental health and illness from a Thomistic perspective.
more:
🔗infused moral virtues
🔗mental health, wounds and healing
🔗on modern psychology and the nature of mental illness
🔗Catholic teaching on mental health
🔗dangers of modern psychology
#psychology #virtue
Fr. Chad A. Ripperger
The text is divided into three parts: What constitutes a valid science of psychology; The principles one must know in order to discuss mental health and illness; What is mental health and illness according to St. Thomas and what are the causes of mental health and illness from a Thomistic perspective.
more:
🔗infused moral virtues
🔗mental health, wounds and healing
🔗on modern psychology and the nature of mental illness
🔗Catholic teaching on mental health
🔗dangers of modern psychology
#psychology #virtue
Ecce Verbum
The uneducated can love God just as much as the most learned theologian St. Bonaventure was a close friend of St. Thomas Aquinas. St Bonaventure, the Franciscan saint and Doctor of the Church was no intellectual lightweight. Considered to be the Franciscan…
[Opinion] Theology deepens the understanding of the truths of faith and protects spiritual life from dangerous distortions
“The Church has always taught that the interior life owes much to theology, and that theological studies are in turn enriched by a profound interior life” (Garrigou-Lagrange OP)
I know that sometimes some theological considerations may seem trivial, irrelevant or even purely abstract, without any significance for a good moral life and fruitful faith. Although studying theology and going into these details is not necessary for every believer, although an elementary knowledge of the teachings of the theological masters (St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Alphonsus...) is a very important basis for a reasonable faith, free from heresy and errors that can weaken moral life.
Father Garrigou-Lagrange wrote that Catholic theology protects the spiritual life from falling into subjectivism: "Those who, in prayer to God, are too led by the inclinations of their individual nature, temperament, imagination, sensitivity or character, often fall into sentimental subjectivism."
In this context, it is worth recalling the words of the great mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila, speaking of the authority of theologians: "I use the expression "in my opinion" because I am always ready to believe scholars [theologians] if I am wrong." Because even if they have not experienced these things themselves, there is in them a certain sense of discerning of the things of God. God has appointed them in His Church to be the light, and therefore He enlightens them with truths, so that they may be accepted.”
Theology is not about proving your point or putting purely intellectual considerations above spiritual life, but about a thorough understanding of the truths of faith, which contributes to the development of spiritual life itself, and is also an important element of transmitting the faith to others. So theology is a tool, but not just any or optional tool.
Especially in times of widespread questioning of faith and the world emphasizing apparent contradictions in religion, it seems very necessary to return to traditional theology, which ensures the logical coherence of the entire doctrine and, in my opinion, also solves most contemporary moral and doctrinal problems. I also believe that one cannot take faith seriously and at the same time be indifferent to the errors and distortions spreading within the Church community, which result from disregarding the achievements of Catholic theology. Whoever sincerely wants to go to God and who truly loves Him will also want to get to know Him better and better and share this knowledge with others. Christian humility also obliges us to obey the findings of theologians, especially the Doctors of the Church, as they are more probable and certain than private opinions.
It is impossible to omit the person of Saint Thomas. Pope Leo XIII clearly emphasized his greatness: "Distinguished by a brilliant, extremely penetrating mind, excellent memory, unsullied purity of morals, love of truth and great wealth of divine human knowledge, Thomas warmed the earth with the heat of his virtues and filled it with the splendor of his teaching."
The achievements of Catholic theology are not only of a theoretical nature, but have, especially today, an important practical application, hence Leo XIII said: "In these troubled times, due to the deceit of fraudulent teaching, the Christian faith is being combated and therefore the youth, especially those who are the hope of the Church , should be brought up on strong doctrinal foundation, so that they can grow strong in intellectual and spiritual strength and be well equipped for battle with appropriate weapons, so that they will be accustomed to defend religion wisely and vigorously.
🔗p.2 and source
more:
🔗The relationship between theology and the interior life, Fr R. Garrigou-Lagrange
#theology #fidesetratio
“The Church has always taught that the interior life owes much to theology, and that theological studies are in turn enriched by a profound interior life” (Garrigou-Lagrange OP)
I know that sometimes some theological considerations may seem trivial, irrelevant or even purely abstract, without any significance for a good moral life and fruitful faith. Although studying theology and going into these details is not necessary for every believer, although an elementary knowledge of the teachings of the theological masters (St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Alphonsus...) is a very important basis for a reasonable faith, free from heresy and errors that can weaken moral life.
Father Garrigou-Lagrange wrote that Catholic theology protects the spiritual life from falling into subjectivism: "Those who, in prayer to God, are too led by the inclinations of their individual nature, temperament, imagination, sensitivity or character, often fall into sentimental subjectivism."
In this context, it is worth recalling the words of the great mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila, speaking of the authority of theologians: "I use the expression "in my opinion" because I am always ready to believe scholars [theologians] if I am wrong." Because even if they have not experienced these things themselves, there is in them a certain sense of discerning of the things of God. God has appointed them in His Church to be the light, and therefore He enlightens them with truths, so that they may be accepted.”
Theology is not about proving your point or putting purely intellectual considerations above spiritual life, but about a thorough understanding of the truths of faith, which contributes to the development of spiritual life itself, and is also an important element of transmitting the faith to others. So theology is a tool, but not just any or optional tool.
Especially in times of widespread questioning of faith and the world emphasizing apparent contradictions in religion, it seems very necessary to return to traditional theology, which ensures the logical coherence of the entire doctrine and, in my opinion, also solves most contemporary moral and doctrinal problems. I also believe that one cannot take faith seriously and at the same time be indifferent to the errors and distortions spreading within the Church community, which result from disregarding the achievements of Catholic theology. Whoever sincerely wants to go to God and who truly loves Him will also want to get to know Him better and better and share this knowledge with others. Christian humility also obliges us to obey the findings of theologians, especially the Doctors of the Church, as they are more probable and certain than private opinions.
It is impossible to omit the person of Saint Thomas. Pope Leo XIII clearly emphasized his greatness: "Distinguished by a brilliant, extremely penetrating mind, excellent memory, unsullied purity of morals, love of truth and great wealth of divine human knowledge, Thomas warmed the earth with the heat of his virtues and filled it with the splendor of his teaching."
The achievements of Catholic theology are not only of a theoretical nature, but have, especially today, an important practical application, hence Leo XIII said: "In these troubled times, due to the deceit of fraudulent teaching, the Christian faith is being combated and therefore the youth, especially those who are the hope of the Church , should be brought up on strong doctrinal foundation, so that they can grow strong in intellectual and spiritual strength and be well equipped for battle with appropriate weapons, so that they will be accustomed to defend religion wisely and vigorously.
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more:
🔗The relationship between theology and the interior life, Fr R. Garrigou-Lagrange
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